GAP Middle-Amateur Qualifying at Five Ponds

Jericho’s Tendler medals in Middle-Amateur Qualifying

WARMINSTER, Pa. – The first GAP Middle-Amateur Championship qualifying event of the season arrived on a gale.

With sails hoisted, Jericho National Golf Club’s Jared Tendler breezily guided himself to medalist honors at Five Ponds Golf Club (par 69, 6,102 yards).

| Scorecards |

The 41^st Middle-Amateur Championship, presented by NJM Insurance Group, will be contested May 21-22 at Commonwealth National Golf Club. 

Tendler, 45, of Lower Makefield, Pa., carded an even-par 69 to secure medalist honors by a shot over the field of 95 players. In total, 27 players qualified for the Championship Proper. The day’s cutline stopped at 77. An eagle on No. 12 (par 5, 460 yards) in addition to birdies on Nos. 1 (par 4, 369 yards) and 16 (par 4, 402 yards) presented on Tendler’s card.

The licensed mental health counselor, mental coach and three-time published author, made his GAP Major debut at the 2022 Mid-Am held at his home club. His rounds of 72 and 77 were good for a T19 finish in the event.

The Middle-Amateur is open to males of GAP Member Clubs 25 years of age or older with a Handicap Index of 5.0 or less. 

A William Hyndman, III Player of the Year points event, the Middle-Amateur started in 1984, three years after the USGA created the U.S. Mid-Amateur as a formal championship for post-college amateurs. GAP followed suit with the USGA in creating a Middle-Amateur, 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 only available to players 30 years of age or older.

The GAP 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. It also, as previously mentioned, changed the format of the event to a two-day stroke play tournament with a cut to the low 70 players and ties after the first round.

The Middle-Amateur Championship and the Joseph H. Patterson Cup expand from 36 to 54 holes, beginning in 2024. Each event will now be listed on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and eligible for points.

For the Mid-Am, the field of 144 players will be cut to the low 48 scores and ties after Round One. For Rounds Two and Three, players will be paired in twosomes. There will be no repairing before the final round. Click here for more details.

Notes:

Due to heavy rains on Thursday night and Friday morning, No. 5, originally set up to play as a 540 yard, par 5, was changed to a 190 yard, par 3.

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 110,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.

NJM Insurance Group

Founded in 1913, NJM is among the Mid-Atlantic region’s leading property and casualty insurers. One of the Company’s core values is to support the communities it’s privileged to serve, a value exercised through year-round employee volunteer efforts at local nonprofits and a formal corporate giving program. NJM operates in a mutual fashion for the exclusive benefit of its policyholders and is consistently recognized for its award-winning customer service, superior claims handling, and overall customer satisfaction. NJM’s personal insurance products are available direct to consumers in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The Company also works with a preferred network of independent agents to deliver business insurance in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Visit njm.com to learn more.