#GAPMidAm Qualifying at Five Ponds

April leads way in Middle-Amateur Qualifying

WARMINSTER, Pa. – The proverb “April Showers Bring May Flowers” was quite evident in the first #GAPMidAm qualifying event of the season at Five Ponds Golf Club (par 71, 6,379 yards).

| Scorecards |

Two weather delays Saturday caused a Sunday morning finish. 

For Waynesborough Country Club’s Joe April, those showers turned to flowers by way of a spot in the 40th Middle-Amateur Championship Presented by NJM Insurance Group at Old York Road Country Club in Ambler, Pa. May 22-23.

April, 38, of Berwyn, Pa., carded a round of 2 under 69 to secure medalist honors. A total of 22 players advanced to the Championship Proper with the cut falling at 74. 22 qualifying spots plus ties were available.

April has plenty of Middle-Amateur experiences under his belt. He led after Day One of the 2013 Middle-Amateur at Fieldstone Golf Club.

He was one of two players to break par at Five Ponds. April made a total of six birdies across the Warminster, Pa. layout.

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.

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 340 Member Clubs and 100,000 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.