YARDLEY, Pa. — A steady flatstick erased early struggles and facilitated a fiery finish for Kyle Martin Monday. He carded a 5-under-par 66 to earn medalist honors in a Golf Association of Philadelphia Open Championship Qualifier at a marvelous Makefield Highlands Golf Club (par 71, 6,864 yards). Martin, an amateur out of Commonwealth National Golf Club, deposited three birdies and an eagle to ink a 31 on his inward venture and, in the process, set a competitive course record at Makefield.
He led a field of 140 players hoping to earn one of 31 qualifying positions available for the Championship proper, scheduled for July 23 at Applebrook Golf Club.
The cut line stopped at 73 by day’s end.
“I think I only missed one putt inside of 10 feet, so I was really putting it well,” Martin, 20, of Horsham, Pa., said. “Whenever I had a birdie look, I basically made it, so everything kind of worked out.”
Did it ever.
With barely a breeze present on the typically windy links-style layout, Martin, who started on No. 10, fired back-to-back birdies on Nos. 12 (par 5, 547 yards) and 13 (par 4, 283 yards) — two of the three greens he reached in regulation on his outward tour. On No. 12, he powered a downhill 2-iron from 251 yards over the back edge of the green and floated a chip into gimme range. Martin drove the No. 13 green with a 3-wood and two-putted. The only putt he missed within 10 feet occurred on No. 14 (par 3, 206 yards) and resulted in a bogey. A skulled chip preempted a 5 on the par 4, 442-yard 18th hole.
Martin, a junior at the University of Delaware, turned at even but quickly re-entered red figures with a birdie on No. 2 (par 4, 451 yards), where he hit a pitching wedge 127 yards to 15 feet. Martin knocked a 56-degree wedge 80 yards to eight feet for a birdie on the par 4, 337-yard No. 4. He added another 3 to the scorecard on No. 6 (par 4, 420 yards), drilling an 8-iron 167 yards to four feet. Martin secured the scoring record with an eagle on No. 9 (par 5, 512 yards). He hammered a 4-iron 222 yards to 40 feet right of a middle left hole location.
“I saw the way [playing partner Matthew] Crescenzo’s chip broke on the top of the hill, so I knew once it got over the hill, the putt was going to be straight,” Martin said. “I basically just got it up there and got lucky that it went in.”
Martin’s game appears to be peaking at the right time. He advanced to the Round of 16 in last week’s GAP Amateur Championship at White Manor Country Club.
“Ever since college ended, for some reason, it feels like my game’s gotten a lot better,” Martin said. “I just feel like I have a lot more time to practice, so I’ve been spending a lot of time at Commonwealth. I’ve spent a lot more time on more short game. I was getting almost everything up-and-down today.”
Martin hopes his game continues trending upward as the Open Championship at Applebrook approaches.
“I know they can get the greens out there rolling really well,” he said. “There will be a lot of putts out there that you can make. I’m looking forward to being out there. I love that place.”
Huntingdon Valley Country Club staked the second spot Monday. Jordan Gibbs, an assistant professional at the club, and Benjamin Smith, an amateur, both posted 3-under-par 68s.
A lingering back injury, though, nearly prompted Gibbs to withdraw.
“I didn’t think I was going to be able to play,” Gibbs, 26, of Philadelphia, Pa., said. “I had an early tee time and figured I might as well show up and see how it feels, and it surprisingly felt better than I thought. Yesterday I couldn’t swing a club at all. I had trouble walking. I woke up early this morning and was icing it a lot. It really wasn’t too bad.”
Gibbs totaled 29 putts on the day. Smith, equally as solid, registered 15 greens in regulation.
”I switched to a fat grip on my putter yesterday, and I shot 69 at Huntingdon Valley,” Smith, 27, of Philadelphia, Pa., said. “I made everything, and today, I kept the momentum going. The super-stroke is starting to work out for me, so I think I’m going to keep it.”
Smith, who also qualified for match play in the Amateur Championship a week ago, had a chance to equal Martin’s mark, but carded a double bogey on his last hole (No. 18). His chip from a swale to the left ran out, and Smith proceeded to three-putt.
Golf Association of Philadelphia
Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 150 Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. As Philadelphia’s Most Trusted Source of Golf Information, the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
Qualifiers
Name, club
Scores
(a) Kyle Martin, Commonwealth National Golf Club
66
(a) Benjamin Smith, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
68
Jordan Gibbs, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
68
(a) Michael Hyland, Little Mill Country Club
69
(a) Philip Bartholomew, Philadelphia Cricket Club
69
(a) Benjamin Cooley, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
70
(a) Matthew Crescenzo, Philmont Country Club
70
(a) Brendan Worthy, Merion Golf Club
70
Kevin Nicholson, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
70
(a) John Brennan, Philadelphia Cricket Club
71
(a) Michael Carr, Plymouth Country Club
71
(a) Scott Jaster, Talamore Country Club
71
Jon Rusk, Lu Lu Country Club
71
(a) Daniel Furman, Commonwealth National Golf Club
72
(a) Patrick Ross, Huntsville Golf Club
72
(a) John Samaha, Old York Road Country Club
72
(a) Carey Bina, Radnor Valley Country Club
72
(a) Tyler Sokolis, Commonwealth National Golf Club
72
Robert Hennefer, Indian Spring Country Club
72
Chris Krueger, W., Kings Creek
72
Joseph Kogelman, GolfTEC- King of Prussia
72
*(a) Cory Siegfried, Aronimink Golf Club
73
*(a) Glenn Smeraglio, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
73
*(a) Ryan Gelrod, Philadelphia Cricket Club
73
*(a) P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia Country Club
73
*(a) Robert Galbreath, Jr., Philmont Country Club
73
*(a) Michael Cook, Applebrook Golf Club
73
*(a) Luke McKeogh, Commonwealth National Golf Club
73
*(a) Jesse Bingaman, Northampton Country Club
73
*(a) Lodie Van Tonder, Sakima Country Club
73
*Thomas Michaels, Waynesborough Country Club
73
Alternates (in order)
*Adam Brigham, Waynesborough Country Club
73
*(a) Joseph Hughes, Little Mill Country Club
73
*Jakob Gerney, Trump National Golf Club – Philadelphia
73
Failed to qualify
Peter Clarke, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
73
(a) Jack Russell, Philadelphia Cricket Club
74
(a) Alex Blickle, LedgeRock Golf Club
74
(a) Evan Thornton, Berkshire Country Club
74
(a) Ivan McBride, Commonwealth National Golf Club
74
(a) Kenny Engel, Jr., North Hills Country Club
74
David Taraschi, Merchantville Country Club
74
(a) Charles Filling, Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club
74
Colin Corrigan, Saucon Valley Country Club
74
Dan Bisazza, Waynesborough Country Club
74
(a) Tom Yarson, Cherry Valley Country Club
75
(a) Tyler Flagler, Talamore Country Club
75
(a) Timothy Anderson, Commonwealth National Golf Club
75
(a) Brian Dempster, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
75
(a) Joseph Markmann, Talamore Country Club
75
(a) Robert Bishop, Honeybrook Golf Club
75
Ed Gibson, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
75
David Sandberg, Saucon Valley Country Club
75
Tom Gilbert, Gulph Mills Golf Club
75
(a) Geoffrey Cooper, North Hills Country Club
76
(a) Rand Mendez, Fieldstone Golf Club
76
(a) Evan Galbreath, Philmont Country Club
76
(a) Luke Liddell, Torresdale-Frankford Country Club
76
(a) Tim Godshalk, Whitford Country Club
76
(a) Benjamin Kotler, Squires Golf Club
76
(a) Matthew McFarlane, Doylestown Country Club
76
Stephen Sieracki, Burlington Country Club
76
Nick Gorman, Links Golf Club
76
(a) Winfield Hill, Applebrook Golf Club
76
(a) Michael Quinn, Edgmont Country Club
77
(a) Chris Lange, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
77
(a) John Robinson, Commonwealth National Golf Club
77
(a) James Braunsberg, Blue Bell Country Club
77
(a) Patrick O’Brien, North Hills Country Club
77
(a) Jimmy Pokorny, Golf Course at Glen Mills
77
(a) Ryan Worthy, Merion Golf Club
77
(a) Mac Ryan, Overbrook Golf Club
77
(a) Russell Hill, Old York CC at Chesterfield
77
(a) Dave Caldwell, Philadelphia Publinks GA
77
(a) Gerald Bowes, Jr, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
77
(a) Daniel Mahoney, Lu Lu Country Club
77
(a) Will Flood, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
77
(a) Marc Oliveri, Jr., Lancaster Country Club
77
Tyler Johnson, Talamore Country Club
77
Justin Riegel, Gulph Mills Golf Club
77
(a) Peter Moran, Edgmont Country Club
78
(a) Johan van Schalkwyk, Merchantville Country Club
78
(a) Jake van Arkel, Merion Golf Club
78
(a) Grant Skyllas, LedgeRock Golf Club
78
(a) Liam Lafferty, Burlington Country Club
78
(a) Blaine Lafferty, Burlington Country Club
78
(a) Evan Notaro, Woodstone Country Club
78
(a) Matt Baer, Broad Run Golfers Club
78
(a) Rodney Anders, Indian Valley Country Club
78
(a) Matt Kocent, White Manor Country Club
78
(a) Michael Dimeglio, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
78
(a) Mark Hill, Jr., Rolling Green Golf Club
78
(a) Mark Coassolo, Brookside C.C. of Allentown
79
(a) Raleigh Chapin, Lookaway Golf Club
79
(a) Sean Ebert, Commonwealth National Golf Club
79
(a) J.T. Twomey, Jericho National Golf Club
79
(a) Joe Perese, Philmont Country Club
79
(a) Alejandro Velez, Indian Valley Country Club
79
John Spina, Philadelphia Cricket Club
79
(a) David Sim, Applecross Country Club
80
(a) Andrew Kennedy, Philadelphia Cricket Club
80
(a) Kenneth Taras, Laurel Creek Country Club
80
(a) Troy Thierolf, Commonwealth National Golf Club
80
(a) Robert Fiori, Plymouth Country Club
80
Michael Attara, Five Ponds Golf Club
80
Michael Ladden, Whitford Country Club
80
(a) Patrick Welsh, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
81
(a) Steven Minnick, Jr., Penn Oaks Golf Club
81
(a) Christopher Reedman, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
81
(a) Tom Piersanti, Saucon Valley Country Club
81
(a) Brian Fischer, Commonwealth National Golf Club
81
(a) William Thornton, Jr., LedgeRock Golf Club
81
(a) Dan Clark, Old York Road Country Club
81
(a) Brud Hutchinson, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
81
(a) Quinn Guzman, Talamore Country Club
81
(a) Cody Fitzpatrick, Commonwealth National Golf Club
81
Greg Wingate, Merion Golf Club
81
(a) David West, Whitford Country Club
82
(a) Walt Lucki, The ACE Club
82
(a) Zachary Melnick, Plymouth Country Club
83
(a) Chris Szal, Jr., Torresdale-Frankford Country Club
83
(a) John Donnelly, White Manor Country Club
83
(a) Drew Petri, Jericho National Golf Club
83
(a) Mark Farley, Lu Lu Country Club
83
(a) Steven Altieri, Hopewell Valley Golf Club
84
Justin Rinas, Commonwealth National Golf Club
84
(a) Patrick Buckley, Rolling Green Golf Club
85
(a) Ryan Walker, St. Davids Golf Club
85
(a) Larry Gauger, Radnor Valley Country Club
85
Jim Smith, Jr., Philadelphia Cricket Club
85
Jeff Orleski, Yardley Country Club
85
(a) Nick Pocceschi, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
86
(a) Michael Ritchie, Ravens Claw Golf Club
86
(a) Philip Formica, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
87
(a) Jason Miller, Lu Lu Country Club
87
(a) Robert Olseski, Sandy Run Country Club
88
(a) George Jiruska, Lu Lu Country Club
88
(a) Kyle Allan, Phoenixville Country Club
89
Bob Doria, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
91
Anthony Shields, The ACE Club
94
(a) Nicholas Johnson, Glenmaura National Golf Club
WD
(a) Gregory Buliga, Yardley Country Club
NC
(a) Joshua Isler, Chester Valley Golf Club
WD
(a) Rob Moses, Concord Country Club
WD
(a) Tom Gravina, Aronimink Golf Club
WD
(a) Paul Polinsky, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
WD
(a) Carl Scaramuzza, Cedarbrook Country Club
WD
(a) Zack Mulhern, Fox Hill Country Club
WD
