Glenmaura’s Mitchell cards 6-under 66 at Elkview #PatCup Qualifier

July 25, 2018

Patrick Mitchell didn’t need to play Elkview Country Club more than he already had to prepare for Wednesday’s Golf Association of Philadelphia Joseph H. Patterson Cup Qualifier.

| Scorecards |

  Mitchell estimated that he has played the Lackawanna County track close to 100 times throughout his lifetime.

  The Glenmaura National Golf Club member tapped into that knowledge and claimed his first GAP medalist honor in the Patterson Cup Qualifier at Elkview (par 72, 6,521 yards) after carding a sizzling round of 6-under-par 66.

  The Championship proper, the 116th Joseph H. Patterson Cup, will be held at Gulph Mills Golf Club Aug. 8-9.

  “I played here all weekend in the Member-Guest,” said Mitchell, 37, of Scranton, Pa. “So I got in a good four practice rounds for today to try and qualify for the Patterson Cup. I spent Thursday to Sunday here, so that helped a lot.”

  However, Mitchell started his round at 1-over par through four holes after a three-putt bogey on No. 4 (par 4, 331 yards).

  “I was a little stiff to start,” said Mitchell. “I didn’t really get off to a great start. I was hitting it fine but it was just wet and windy out there.”

  The driver was Mitchell’s best club on Wednesday. In each of his seven total birdies on the day, he hit driver off the tee.

  A coincidence? Mitchell doesn’t think so.

  “My driver is usually my best club,” said Mitchell. “At Glenmaura, you have to use driver a lot so I have become a decent driver of the golf ball over the years. I played really solid and hit my driver quite well today. That put me in a lot of positions to hit wedges close. You have to take advantage of the par 5s at Elkview. Hitting solid drives allows you to do that.”

  Mitchell played the four par 5s in 3 under. He reached the green in two on three of them. On No. 8 (par 5, 548 yards), he hit a 4-hybrid to 35 feet and two-putted. He used a pure 5-iron to 20 feet on No. 14 (par 5, 466 yards) and a laser 6-iron to 15 feet on No. 17 (par 5, 502 yards) to make birdie.

  Mitchell’s game has traveled quite well throughout the summer. Most recently a Round of 16 effort in the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s R. Jay Sigel Match Play Championship at Schuylkill Country Club before losing to eventual champion Nathan Smith, 6&5, in the opening round.

  “It was nice,” said Mitchell about gaining his first GAP medalist honor. “I knew the field was going to be a little stronger at the top so I figured I would have to go low. After being 4 under through 16 it was good to close out the round with a couple more birdies.

  “I have been trying to rest more and take better care of myself. Eating better is key also. I usually run out of gas when the summer comes. It has made a big difference. I don’t want to be beat up when the middle of July comes.”

  The second oldest Championship in the Golf Association of Philadelphia, the Joseph H. Patterson Cup memorializes a man who fostered the game in its infancy. Joseph Henry Patterson, a Philadelphia Cricket Club member, competed in the first out-of-town match played by a team of Philadelphians. Friends of Patterson donated the Cup, designed by J.E. Caldwell & Co., to the Association in 1900.

Golf Association of Philadelphia
Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) 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 Association’s 260 Full Member Clubs and 75,000 individual members are spread across Eastern Pennsylvania and parts of 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.