Glenmaura’s Brandon Matthews repeats, makes history

BLUE BELL, Pa. – The magnificence of Brandon Matthews left the 111th Joseph H. Patterson Cup, presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance, field shaking its collective head. Matthews defended both his Patterson Cup and Silver Cross titles from a year ago with a Cedarbrook Country Club (par 72, 7,093 yards) competitive course record of 65 on Friday. His 134 total of 10 under, a tournament scoring record, was five shots clear of his nearest foe. 

  Matthews, a Temple University sophomore, became the first player in Association history to win both the Patterson Cup and Silver Cross in successive seasons. Both have run concurrently since 1902. Matthews is also the only player to win the Open Championship (which started in 1903), Patterson and Silver Cross in the same year. 

  Matthew Teesdale, his college teammate, finished second. He posted a final round 71. Peter Barron, III of Stone Harbor Golf Club was third. First-round leader, and another Temple teammate, Matthew Crescenzo of Philmont Country Club carded a closing 75 and tied for fourth at 3 under.

  “That’s pretty cool because there are a lot of very good players that have come through here, Jay Sigel, Bill Hyndman [to name a few],” said Matthews afterward. “To do something like that is very special. I appreciate the opportunity. I was lucky enough to do it.”

  Sigel, in fact, was the last player to win back-to-back Patterson Cups. Glenn Smeraglio, then of Yardley Country Club, was the last to win consecutive Silver Crosses.

  To repeat in the Silver Cross, the 19-year-old Matthews, of Glenmaura National Golf Club, overcame a final-round, six-shot deficit to Kyle Sterbinsky of Yardley.

  Believe it or not, the tournament’s result was unclear as all groups made the turn, before Matthews caught fire. He eagled No. 10 (par 5, 570 yards) after smashing a 6-iron from 185 yards to three feet before registering three straight birdies on Nos. 12-14 to put the tournament on ice. He two-putted from 30 feet on No. 12 (par 5, 556 yards) after cutting a 5-iron from 220 yards around the right trees – a crazy shot; chipped in from just off the left fringe on No. 13 (par 3, 194 yards) and knocked a sand wedge from 112 yards to 10 feet on No. 14 (par 4, 447 yards). A three-putt bogey on the treacherous 15th green (par 4, 430 yards) gave one back before he lofted a 141-yard pitching wedge on No. 17 (par 4, 427 yards) to six feet for his eighth and final birdie of the day.

  As Matthews’ red scores climbed, the field had no answers.

  “I’ve been hitting the ball very well this summer,” said Matthews, of Dupont, Pa., who made a name for himself in U.S. Open Sectional qualifying in May. “Mainly, I’ve gotten a lot better this year. It’s nice to see my game progressing. It felt like yesterday and today I was just going out there and playing golf. I made a couple more putts today. It’s a special thing [to win these tournaments].”

  Teesdale, a Temple junior from Commonwealth National Golf Club, turned as the leader at 6 under. He held a one-shot lead on teammates Matthews and Crescenzo.

  However, Teesdale opened with three straight pars to start his back side as Matthews sprinted clear.

  “It feels good. It’s a good thing he’ll be on my team in the fall,” quipped Teesdale, 22, of Maple Glen, Pa. “I’m just happy I don’t have to play against him in the fall.”

  This was Teesdale’s top Golf Association of Philadelphia Major finish, and a point of redemption. Teesdale led the 2011 Patterson Cup at White Manor Country Club before triple bogeying the 17th hole.

  Teesdale also placed second in the Silver Cross, a stroke behind Matthews.

  And thoughts on Temple’s upcoming season?

  “The sky’s the limit,” said Teesdale.

  The sky appears to be limitless for Matthews as well. He’ll compete in the U.S. Amateur Championship at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., starting Monday.

  “I can not tell you how excited I am [about the U.S. Amateur],” said Matthews. “I think I can do something big.”

  NOTES –The prior tournament scoring record mark was 136. Jeff Osberg, then of Llanerch Country Club, in 2010 was the last to post that number at RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve.

*****   Joseph H. Patterson was one of Philadelphia Cricket Club’s founding members. In his memory, friends and family donated a trophy honoring Patterson to the Golf Association of Philadelphia in 1900. Patterson is regarded as a pioneer of Philadelphia golf in the late 1890s. He helped foster the game in its infancy throughout the region. The Joseph H. Patterson Cup is the Association’s stroke-play championship. It is a two-day event and serves as the fourth and final Major of the amateur tournament season.

  The Joseph H. Patterson Cup also determines the Silver Cross Award recipient. The Silver Cross is emblematic of the player with the lowest aggregate score in the qualifying rounds of the Amateur Championship and both rounds in the Patterson Cup.

  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 143 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.