Grady, Hyland share lead in 35th #GAPMidAm presented by Callaway Golf - The Golf Association of Philadelphia

May 23, 2018

Grady, Hyland share lead in 35th #GAPMidAm presented by Callaway Golf

An Association babyface and a multiple-time Major champion sit atop a clustered scoreboard after Round 1 of the 35th #GAPMidAm Championship presented by Callaway Golf. Upstart Tom Grady of Radley Run Country Club and champion golfer Michael Hyland of Little Mill Country Club share the lead after Wednesday’s opening 18 holes at Llanerch Country Club (par 71, 6,752 yards). Both players posted 1-under-par 70s as competitors battled day-long wind and firm conditions.

Scorecards | History | Notebook | Day 1 Video |

  There are 20 players within six shots of the lead. The Day 1 scoring average was an eye-opening 80.2 with 73 players making the cut, which fell at 10-over-par 81. It is the highest Mid.-Am. cut since 2001 at Coatesville Country Club when 13-over-par 84 advanced. This was the first time the Middle-Amateur was played over two rounds.

  Tee times for Thursday’s second and final round begin at 7:30 a.m. The last group of Hyland, Grady and Eddie Johnson of Llanerch tee off No. 1 at 11:50 a.m. Johnson, as well as Matt Finger of DuPont Country Club, finished at level par.

  Grady’s low finish in an event since starting to play regularly in Association tournaments beginning in 2016 was a T31 in that year’s Mid.-Am. Hyland, on the other hand, is a two-time #BMWPhillyAm Champion (2000, 2011) and has recorded a number of high Mid.-Am. placings, including a tie for third-place in 2011 and a solo fifth place in 2010.

  “I’ve been hitting it OK but I didn’t necessarily expect a 1 under out here,” said Grady, 32, of West Chester, Pa. “I kept the ball in play all day. To have one bogey at this place was a really, really solid round.”

  Said Hyland, 39, of Medford, N.J., who has battled chronic back issues the last few years, “This one and the Patterson Cup are my nemesis. I can’t seem to get by them. I haven’t played competitive in so long, it was fun to be here.”

  Grady’s and Hyland’s red-figure scores were loins of the same cloth. Both cited fantastic lag putting on the Alexander Findlay design and spirited greens.

  Grady’s round was almost ho-hum, making two birdies and one bogey. Starting on the back nine, the former Widener University baseball player and golfer birdied Nos. 11 (par 4, 456 yards) and 15 (par 4, 318 yards). On No. 11, he knocked a pitching wedge to the back of the green from 135 yards and sank a 30-foot birdie putt. After saving par on No. 12 (par 3, 175 yards) with a 30-footer up the hill, Grady made another birdie on the short par-4, 15th after driving the ball hole high and chipping it up to eight feet.

  His lone bogey came on No. 3 (par 4, 467 yards) after missing the green right.

  “This is the whole point of playing in these, to get in the hunt and see what happens,” said Grady, who works in software sales. “We’ll see what game shows up tomorrow. I’m hitting my driver well enough to have an advantage here. I just have to make putts.”

  Hyland, who started on No. 10 as well, made two birdies and two bogeys on his first nine.

  On his inward spin, he made it through the difficult Nos. 1-4 stretch in even par before making birdie on No. 5 (par 5, 554 yards). He hit a 58-degree wedge from 98 yards to four feet.

  He three-putted No. 6 (par 4, 418 yards) but rallied on No. 7 (par 4, 393 yards) with another birdie when he hit a 58-degree wedge from 93 yards to three feet. He closed with two pars.

  “It’s totally unexpected but I played well here in a BMW GAP Team Match a few weeks ago,” said Hyland, who works in the real estate business. “I love this golf course. If I was going to join any other golf course across the river it would be this one. You hit every shot here. It’s always in great shape.”

NOTES–Johnson posted the lowest score of the eight Llanerch members to make the Championship Proper. Seven made the cut.

Callaway Golf
Callaway Golf was founded in 1982 by the late Ely Callaway, a visionary entrepreneur who operated under a simple but profound business promise: Deliver Demonstrably Superior, Pleasingly Different products and services. That philosophy turned what was originally a boutique manufacturer of high-quality wedges and putters into the world’s largest maker of premium, performance golf products. The Callaway mission and vision has remained the same; we passionately pursue advanced, innovative technologies that help golfers of all abilities find more enjoyment from the game. Under the Callaway and Odyssey brands, Callaway manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells golf apparel, footwear and accessories in more than 110 countries worldwide.

Golf Association of Philadelphia
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 260 Member Clubs and 75,000 individual members are spread across 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.

Qualifiers
Name, clubScore
Tom Grady, Radley Run Country Club70
Michael Hyland, Little Mill Country Club70
Matthew Finger, DuPont Country Club71
Eddie Johnson, Llanerch Country Club71
Scott McLaughlin, Lu Lu Country Club72
Scott McNeil, Bala Golf Club72
Thomas Timby, Jr., The Bucks Club72
Clayton Davidson, West Shore Country Club73
William Jeremiah, Bidermann Golf Club73
Stephen Seiden, Llanerch Country Club73
Kevin McDermott, Llanerch Country Club74
Gregor Orlando, Philadelphia Cricket Club74
Michael R. Brown, Jr., Lu Lu Country Club75
Ben Feld, Huntingdon Valley Country Club75
Mike Korcuba, Medford Village Country Club75
Michael McDermott, Merion Golf Club75
Chris Meares, Running Deer Golf Club75
Jeff Osberg, Huntingdon Valley Country Club75
John Samaha, Old York Road Country Club75
Troy Vannucci, Little Mill Country Club75
Dave Marshall, Running Deer Golf Club76
Benjamin Smith, Huntingdon Valley Country Club76
Christopher Thude, Union League Golf Club at Torresdale76
Bill Charpek, Merion Golf Club77
James Gillespie, Little Mill Country Club77
Robert Good, Merion Golf Club77
Jason Loehrs, Cobbs Creek Golf Club77
Christopher Reedman, Makefield Highlands Golf Club77
David Shields, Flourtown Country Club77
Jarred Texter, Conestoga Country Club77
Joe April, Waynesborough Country Club78
Dan Bernard, Aronimink Golf Club78
John Brennan, Philadelphia Cricket Club78
Christopher Clauson, Lu Lu Country Club78
Kevin Haag, Glenmaura National Golf Club78
Rodney James, Five Ponds Golf Club78
Brian McDermott, Llanerch Country Club78
Cory Siegfried, Aronimink Golf Club78
Grant Skyllas, LedgeRock Golf Club78
Conrad Von Borsig, Philadelphia Cricket Club78
Eric Williams, Honesdale Golf Club78
Peter Barron, III, Greate Bay Country Club79
Robert Bechtold, Fieldstone Golf Club79
Matthew Crescenzo, Philmont Country Club79
Stephen Dressel, St. Davids Golf Club79
Scott Ehrlich, White Manor Country Club79
Ryan Gelrod, Philadelphia Cricket Club79
Clark Holle, Mercer Oaks Golf Course79
Edward Kelly, Jr., Old York Road Country Club79
Christopher Lange, Overbrook Golf Club79
Matthew Mattare, Saucon Valley Country Club79
Oscar Mestre, Overbrook Golf Club79
Frank Petrash, IV, Philadelphia Cricket Club79
Jamie Slonis, Tavistock Country Club79
Tom Spano, Llanerch Country Club79
Ashley Brasfield, Rolling Green Golf Club80
Gregory Buliga, Yardley Country Club80
Luis Diaz, Rancocas Golf Club80
James Gardas, Glenmaura National Golf Club80
Thomas Gramigna, Tavistock Country Club80
Alex Hargaden, Woodcrest Country Club80
Frank Kohute, Running Deer Golf Club80
Rand Mendez, Fieldstone Golf Club80
Greg O’Connor, Bellewood Country Club80
Michael Quartermain, Llanerch Country Club80
Sean Seese, Huntingdon Valley Country Club80
Glenn Smeraglio, Lu Lu Country Club80
Dan Brown, Llanerch Country Club81
Andrew Keeling, Hershey’s Mill Golf Club81
Chris Lange, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club81
David Liotta, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club81
John Moore, Jr., Greate Bay Country Club81
Kevin Rossi, Scranton Municipal Golf Course81
 
Failed to qualify
Christopher Ault, Yardley Country Club82
Ed Brown, Wild Quail Golf & Country Club82
Michael Carr, Philadelphia Cricket Club82
Mark Czerniakowski, Lu Lu Country Club82
Don Donatoni, White Manor Country Club82
Michael Fireman, Talamore Country Club82
Brian Herman, Merchantville Country Club82
Will Holt, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club82
Bryan Keeling, Spring Mill Country Club82
Ben Keyser, Woodcrest Country Club82
Keith Matt, Talamore Country Club82
Steve Oh, Philadelphia Cricket Club82
Daniel Pinciotti, Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club82
Rich Pruchnik, Coatesville Country Club82
Daniel Charen, Makefield Highlands Golf Club83
Geoffrey Cooper, North Hills Country Club83
Brian Degnan, Cobbs Creek Golf Club83
Eamon Evans, Glenmaura National Golf Club83
Mark Kosko, Little Mill Country Club83
Connor McNicholas, Lu Lu Country Club83
Philip Mortell, III, Honeybrook Golf Club83
John Murphy, II, Stone Harbor Golf Club83
Jason Wilson, Philadelphia Publinks GA83
Daniel Wu, Blue Bell Country Club83
Adam Bracy, Rancocas Golf Club84
Kevin Cahill, Merion Golf Club84
Brett Cybulski, Medford Village Country Club84
Roc Irey, Lookaway Golf Club84
Chris Wagner, Bluestone Country Club84
P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia Country Club84
Larry Benedetto, Concord Country Club85
Brian Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club85
Neil Gordon, Five Ponds Golf Club85
Michael Lynch, Country Club of Scranton85
Andrew Mason, Huntingdon Valley Country Club85
Joseph Russo, Running Deer Golf Club85
Mark Coassolo, Brookside CC of Allentown86
Brian Davis, DuPont Country Club86
Jason Kowalski, Downingtown Country Club86
Francis Nattle, Philadelphia Publinks GA86
Daniel Rexon, Tavistock Country Club86
Michael Shevlin, Sr., Lu Lu Country Club86
Scott Storck, Philadelphia Cricket Club86
Jason Barkley, Moselem Springs Golf Club87
Andy Beittel, Manufacturers  Golf & Country Club87
Andrew Jaskel, Union League Golf Club at Torresdale87
Nick Paone, Glenmaura National Golf Club87
Gary Daniels, Applebrook Golf Club88
Joe Kerrigan, Jr., Llanerch Country Club88
Fran Begley, Wedgwood Country Club93
Robert Curry, North Hills Country Club93
Chris Binder, Valleybrook Country ClubWD
Ari Flaisher, McCall Golf & Country ClubWD
Sean Semenetz, Philadelphia Cricket ClubWD
Michael Stamberger, Manasquan River Golf ClubWD
 
WD-withdrawal

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