Former ballplayer Hill medals in #GAPMidAm Qual. at Whitford

EXTON, Pa. — Golf isn’t slated number one on Mark Hill’s priority list, but after a standout performance Monday, it may overcome baseball for the top spot sooner rather than later.

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  The former George Mason University standout and minor league baseball player carded a 1-over 73 amid gusty conditions on his way to medalist honors in a Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier presented by Callaway Golf at Whitford Country Club (par 72, 6,607 yards).

  By day’s end, the cut line stopped at 7-over 79 in the final of three #GAPMidAm Qualifiers. The field is now officially set for the Championship Proper on May 24-25 at Overbrook Golf Club.

  After going 2 over on the back nine — his first side of the day – Rolling Green Golf Club’s Hill utilized a pair of jarred birdies on Whitford’s front to finish with the day’s low round.

  His first of the day came on the par-3, 189-yard No. 2. It was there where Hill put a solid 6-iron off the tee to four feet short of the hole, followed by an easy putt left for the red figure.

  His round’s second birdie came on No. 6 (par 4, 398 yards). Hill selected hybrid off the tee and left himself 130 yards in to the flagstick. Again, he left himself four feet in front of the cup before converting.

  “The conditions were great out here today. The wind didn’t really hit us until the last few holes, so it was nice to get out early,” said Hill, who has been a Rolling Green member for four years. “In high school we played here but only got nine in. I came over here last week to get a feel for the course and try and get familiar with it because I didn’t remember anything here.”

  Hill, who has played in the previous two Middle-Amateurs, has chosen golf as a replacement to baseball in terms of competing. The 29-year-old was a third baseman for George Mason before playing a season with the Rockland Boulders, an independent minor league baseball team who competes in the Canadian-American Association.

  After suffering a broken hand with the Boulders, Hill eventually returned to the Philadelphia region. He currently serves as an instructor at Maplezone Baseball Institute and coaches travel baseball.

  “This is the next best thing, competing in golf tournaments,” said Hill, a Media, Pa. resident. “I played golf when I was younger, so I wanted to continue competing at a high level. Beer league baseball or softball wasn’t an option for me.”

  With his playing focus now on golf, it may just be matter of time before Hill becomes a familiar name on GAP leaderboards.

  “I just started playing in these bigger GAP events a few years ago. I’ve competed in a few [Middle-Amateurs], two [Joseph H. Patterson Cups] and a GAP Open,” he said. “They are always fun to play in. I’m excited for the future.”

  The Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Middle-Amateur Championship started in 1984, three years after the USGA created the U.S. Mid-Amateur as a formal championship for post-college amateurs. The Association followed suit with the USGA in creating a Mid-Am, but initially differed in its administration of the tournament in a couple of respects.

  The most obvious difference was the age requirement. Prior to 2001, the GAP Middle-Amateur was for players 30 years of age and older.

  The Association’s Executive Committee reviewed and revised that age requirement in 2001 to match the USGA’s guidelines of 25 years of age or older for eligible players. Also at that point, the Committee changed the format of the event to a two-day stroke play tournament (instead of a one-day medal play event) with a cut to the low 70 players and ties after the first round. The field begins with 132 players.

Callaway Golf
Callaway Golf was founded in 1982 by the late Ely Callaway, a visionary entrepreneur who operated under a simple but profound business promise: Deliver Demonstrably Superior, Pleasingly Different products and services. That philosophy turned what was originally a boutique manufacturer of high-quality wedges and putters into the world’s largest maker of premium, performance golf products. The Callaway mission and vision has remained the same; we passionately pursue advanced, innovative technologies that help golfers of all abilities find more enjoyment from the game. Under the Callaway and Odyssey brands, Callaway manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells golf apparel, footwear and accessories in more than 110 countries worldwide.

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 153 Full Member Clubs and 57,000 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.