June 28, 2018
Philadelphia Cricket Club, the two-time reigning BMW GAP Team Matches Champions, has officially swept the team championship slate in 2018. In result, they’ve deservingly earned the title of best team in the Philadelphia region.
The Team Championship features eight-man teams playing an alternate shot format in the morning, with singles matches in the afternoon.
Today’s win marks the first time a Member Club has won both the #BMWGTM title and Team Championship in the same calendar season since 2016 when Little Mill took both.
“Our goal is continue winning the Team Matches and Team Championship titles to prove that the previous ones weren’t a fluke. Having won three out of the four titles these past two years, I think that speaks a testament to itself,” said Frank Petrash, IV, who was selected Cricket’s team captain after winning the club championship last year. “It feels great to bring another one back home.”
In the morning, alternate-shot portion, Little Mill held a .5-point advantage over Cricket (8 to 7.5). Running Deer garnered 5 points in the first round, while Overbrook came away with 3.5 points.
The most impressive performances coming out of the morning belonged to Ryan Gelrod and Conrad Von Borsig who swept for Cricket while Zach Arsenault and Jack Irons did the same for Little Mill.
The afternoon wave hosted the singles portion. Three-point wins by Von Borsig and Robby Walizer there were the standout performances for the champs in the afternoon. With his anxious teammates waiting in suspense, Gelrod showed up to the scoring table with 2.5 points in hand and Cricket was crowned.
“Whether you’re the first or last guy in, those points matter,” said Gelrod. “This is a really important event for us and I’m happy to have helped us win it again.”
“This win really speaks a testament to how strong of a talent pool we have at our club. We lost a few guys this season, and a few first-teamers like Gregor Orlando weren’t able to play today, so that just shows how much depth we’ve got,” said Petrash. “That makes it even more special.”
The victory earned Cricket their third title in the championship (2013, 2015). Overbrook holds 14 (1949-50, 1981, 1984, 1987-88, 1996-99, 2005, 2010-12) Team Championship trophies. Little Mill took home their first and only title in 2016. Running Deer, which advanced to Division AA in the BMW GAP Team Matches this season, made its debut today.
Lu Lu Country Club, last year’s champion at Galloway National Golf Club, finished fifth in qualifying and failed to reach this year’s Championship proper.
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 260 Full Member Clubs and 75,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. 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.
