Diorio dominates front nine at Old York, wins Warner (Net)

  CHESTERFIELD, N.J. – The Warner Cup (Net) was a tale of two drastically different nines – and two brothers – for The Springhaven Club’s R.B. Diorio, Jr. | Scorecards | History |

  Playing alongside his younger sibling, and runner-up, Dwight, the eldest Diorio fired a net 5-under 66 to firmly grab the Warner (Net) title Tuesday at Old York Country Club (par 71, 5,750 yards). His wide-ranging net splits of 8-under on the front and 3-over on the back equaled a natural score of 8-over 79 while playing under a 13 handicap.

  The win marks the first individual GAP title for Springhaven’s former president of four years.

  The title was the 59-year-old’s to lose after just a few holes. R.B. converted up-and-down pars on Nos. 1 (par 4, 361 yards) and 3 (par 5, 465 yards) to pair with a solid birdie on No. 2 (par 3 157 yards). Then, a major propeller of R.B.’s 1-under gross front nine, which he called a personal record, arrived on the par-3, 109-yard 5th.

  With confidence stemming from a great start, R.B. selected wedge there and flipped it to 25 feet above the hole, then made the sliding putt for his second birdie of the day. But he wasn’t done there. After a phenomenal drive on the par-4, 275-yard 6th, R.B. again nestled a wedge approach safely on the green. He drained that 8-foot attempt for his third and final natural red number of the round.

  “I was feeling pretty good because I had a good swing going, and I usually struggle with tempo. I kept it going for the first 13 holes,” said R.B. “Then it was a different story.”

  On No. 14, R.B. says his “bad swing came back”, eventually leading to tough triples on Nos. 16 (par 5, 543 yards) and 17 (par 4, 342 yards). It didn’t matter in the end, though. R.B. finished two shots clear of Dwight, and most importantly, on top of the 56-player leaderboard.

  After the round, Dwight, a member of Rolling Green Golf Club, had plenty of high post-round praise for his playing partner. He says he and his brother play a ton of golf together, and usually share success. R.B, however, did give Dwight a nod of approval despite who won title today.

  “For years I had the upper hand. Now he’s the better player,” said R.B. “He hits the ball far, and the older I get, I’m happier to just get the ball straight and in the fairway.”

  “Yeah, but you won a GAP event! I can’t believe it,” said Dwight, 55, of Media, Pa., while embracing his newly-crowned brother.

  “I’ll probably catch a lot of flak from the members, but it’s nice,” said R.B., glancing at his newest piece of hardware. “I think its recognition for not only myself, but also the club. I’m thrilled.”

  Last year’s champion William McCabe, Jr. of McCall Golf & Country Club carded an even-par 71, placing him tied for fifth.

  Today’s event marked the rescheduled date of the Warner Cup from earlier this season. The original date in late May was rained out.

  Francis B. Warner of Philadelphia Cricket Club served as the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s secretary-treasurer for 18 years. After his death in 1933, the Association started the Francis B. Warner Cup as an ongoing tribute in his memory.

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 151 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.