The Amateur Championship, the crown jewel of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s tournament season, is set to add another chapter to its rich history. Beginning on June 14 at Cedarbrook CC/Green Valley CC (qualifying only), a field of 132 players will compete in the 105th Amateur and the right to have their name engraved on the J. Wood Platt Championship trophy.
The Amateur Championship is scheduled for June 14-16 with the 36-hole final set for Saturday, June 18. Qualifying on the first day is 36 holes, 18 at each course. The low 32 finishers advance into the match play draw.
First- and second-round matches are set for June 15 and the quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled for June 16. The final begins at 8 a.m. Saturday morning.
Last year, Scott Ehrlich of Meadowlands CC defeated Michael Tash, 43, of Tavistock CC, 5&4, for the championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Militia Hill Course. Ehrlich, 25, of Blue Bell, Pa., turned professional last winter leaving all 32 match play qualifying spots open. Typically, the Amateur Champion receives a bye into the match play field.
“It’s the most exciting week of the season. [The outcome] is totally up in the air every year,” said Michael McDermott of Merion GC, a three-time Player of the Year. “One year someone favored will win, but it’s most exciting because anyone can win any match.”
Michael Tash hopes to add his name a second time to a list of legendary winners that includes William Hyndman, III, J. Wood Platt, R. Jay Sigel and O. Gordon Brewer, to name a few. Tash took the 2003 Amateur title but fell just short in his repeat bid a year ago.
“I think people look at you a little differently than before,” said Tash of winning the title. “It’s one of the events generations of players are gauged by.”
Former champions in the field include Chris Anderson of Wilmington CC (1982-83), who recently earned his amateur status back, Charles Dowds, III of North Hills CC (1989), Brian Gillespie of St. Davids GC (2001), Chris Lange of Overbrook GC (1983-84, 94), William McGuinness of Tavistock CC (1996), Brian Rothaus of Philmont CC (1988) and Billy Stewart of Llanerch CC (2002).
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More than match play qualifying will be at stake on Day One of the Amateur Championship.
The match play qualifying rounds also serve as Open Championship qualifying. In addition, those two rounds also account for the initial pair of Silver Cross scores.
Eleven of the 15 amateur spots for the Open are available to qualifiers (the other four are exemptions). There are 60 spots in all for the Open, 45 going to professionals.
The Silver Cross is awarded to the player with the lowest aggregate score in the qualifying round(s) of the Amateur Championship and the Patterson Cup.
