Gray, Pelet, Robertson top GOGC Open Qualifier - The Golf Association of Philadelphia

Jul 11, 2007

Gray, Pelet, Robertson top GOGC Open Qualifier

Posted in:
Tournaments

Tagged:
GOGC Open Qualifier

  FLEETWOOD, Pa.– Christopher Gray, a professional who splits his time between Hartefeld National and the North Carolina-based Tarheel Tour, John Michael Pelet, an amateur out of Wyncote GC, and Robert Robertson, the 2007 GAP Junior Boys’ runner-up out of Sunnybrook GC, earned tri-medallist honors with 5-under-par 67s at the Open Championship Qualifier at Golden Oaks GC (par 72, 7,106 yards) Wednesday to join 12 others in advancing to the field of 72 for 103rd Open Championship set for Aug. 6 at the historic East Course of Merion GC.

And although each player turned in the same scores, each followed their own different path to their field low rounds.

  Gray, who said he took time off from his first season on the Tarheel Tour just for this chance to play in the Open, carded six birdies and one bogey to finish tied atop the field.

  “That’s the only reason I took off this week,” said the pro out of Hartefeld National. “It was to try to get into Merion.”

  “I’m thrilled,” said Pelet of his return to Merion GC. “The goal in these things is just to get through [it]. It’s great if you can shoot well but that’s a bonus.”

  Added Pelet, “The idea is to go out there and not make too many mistakes. I think I did a pretty good job of that today and managed my way around the course.”

  Robertson, who comes off a win at last week’s 22nd Francis X. Hussey Memorial Championship and a second-place finish at the 93rd Junior Boys’ Championship the week before that, carded five birdies on the day but managed to string together the only bogey free round of the tri-medallists.

  “I got off to a fast start,” said Robertson who birdied three of the first five holes with a solid putting game. “Once I got on the green, my distance [on my putts] was always good.”

  But when he came to No. 9 (par 3, 213 yards), his bogey-free round was in jeopardy as he sent his shot off the cart path and into the bushes behind the green. From there, Robertson was forced to take a drop but was able to get up-and-down for par and continue his sub-par round.

  “That could have gone either way and I could have easily made double [bogey],” Robertson said. “That just kept me going.”

  Roberston now heads off to play Merion GC for only his second time.

  “I’m pumped,” said the co-captain of the Chestnut Hill Academy golf team on playing Merion GC. “I’m playing pretty confident right now, especially on the greens with my putter. I’m rolling it well.”

  Gray, who has yet to play the famous Ardmore, Pa. course, was given some advise from a couple friends who played in the 2005 U.S. Amateur at Merion.

  “‘It’s brutal. Hit fairways’ they said to me,” Gray said. “That’s one of my strong points and I can roll it most of the time so I’m looking forward to it.”

  This is the first year the Golf Association of Philadelphia will solely administer the Open Championship and its qualifiers. The field of 72 players will be comprised of 29 exempt entrants and 43 qualifiers. The remaining qualifier is scheduled for July 16 at Little Mill CC (12 qualifying positions). The Open Championship will have a record purse of $40,000.

  Dave Quinn, the director of golf at Links GC, is the defending champion. Quinn defeated then Philadelphia CC assistant Michael Ladden in a four-hole playoff.

  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 135 Member Clubs and 60,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The purpose of the Association is simple: To promote, protect and preserve the game of golf in the region.

Qualifiers
Name Club Total
(a) Robert Robertson Sunnybrook Golf Club 67
(a) John Michael Pelet Wyncote Golf Club 67
Christopher Gray Hartefeld National 67
Eric McNamee Stonewall 68
(a) Logan Terry Plymouth Country Club 68
Adam Corson Toftrees Resort 69
(a) Patrick Hardin Northampton Country Club 69
(a) Douglas Zelner Coatesville Country Club 70
David Olexson Lehigh Country Club 70
(a) Robert Galbreath, Jr. Huntingdon Valley Country Club 70
Travis Deibert Commonwealth National Golf Club 70
(a) Greg Wolfe Cavaliers Country Club 70
(a) Mark Miller Yardley Country Club 70
(a) Billy McCrossan White Manor Country Club 70
Paul Viola Bethlehem Golf Club 70
Alternates (in order)
*(a) David West Whitford Country Club 71
* James Maack Kimberton Golf Club 71
* J.R. Delich The Reserve 71
Failed to qualify
* Gary Hardin Northampton Country Club 71
* William Sautter Philadelphia Cricket Club 71
* (a) Tyler Glassman Meadowlands Country Club 71
* (a) Robert Savarese Sand Barrens Golf Club 71
Andrew Barbin Chesapeake Bay GC 72
(a) Kevin Genuardi Cedarbrook Country Club 72
Peter Carmain French Creek Golf Club 72
Eric Shillinger Moselem Springs Golf Club 72
(a) Donny Wessner Golden Oaks Golf Club 72
(a) James Rattigan Philadelphia Cricket Club 72
(a) Travis J Gahman Philadelphia Publinks GA 72
George Forster, Jr. Radnor Valley Country Club 72
Tom Ryan Green Valley Country Club 72
(a) Kevin Frost Honeybrook Golf Club 72
(a) Michael Schunke Hartefeld National 73
(a) P. Chet Walsh Philadelphia Country Club 73
John Allen Sunnybrook Golf Club 73
Christopher Stager Brookside C.C. of Allentown 73
Theron Harvey The ACE Club 73
(a) Jeff Osberg Brandywine Country Club 73
(a) Tom Piersanti Applebrook Golf Club 73
Darren Mills Northampton Country Club 73
(a) Bertus Wessels Green Valley Country Club 73
Michael Grabosky Heidelberg Country Club 73
(a) John Simone Blue Bell Country Club 74
(a) Frank Petrash Philadelphia Cricket Club 74
(a) Byron Whitman Philadelphia Publinks GA 74
(a) Brendan Mohler Northampton Country Club 74
(a) Jacob Pleczkowski Saucon Valley Country Club 74
(a) Scott Lightbody Coatesville Country Club 74
(a) Doug Marcincin Northampton Country Club 74
(a) Duncan Zeiders Old York Road Country Club 74
Matthew Ujfalusi Aronimink Golf Club 74
John Spina Philadelphia Cricket Club 75
(a) Anthony DeNicco Brookside Country Club 75
Bill Kindoll Heidelberg Country Club 75
(a) Michael Gross Glenmaura National Golf Club 75
(a) Scott Klee Indian Valley Country Club 75
(a) Michael Moffat Commonwealth National Golf Club 75
(a) Jeffrey Stanford The ACE Club 75
(a) Jamie Wallace Laurel Creek Country Club 75
Kevin Nicholson Overbrook Golf Club 75
Michael Dean Cedarbrook Country Club 75
Jeff Van Etten Hickory Heights GC 75
(a) C.J. Sturgell Applebrook Golf Club 75
(a) Michael Decapua Northampton Country Club 75
(a) Scott Orr Brookside Country Club 75
Robert Shutte Lehigh Country Club 75
(a) Bo Maguire Brookside Country Club 76
(a) Mike Chambers Wyncote Golf Club 76
(a) Phil Over Penn Oaks Golf Club 76
(a) Anthony List, Jr. Philadelphia Publinks GA 76
(a) Christopher Kaspar Lu Lu Country Club 76
(a) Dominic Schiavone The ACE Club 76
Paul Galczyk Westover Inn & Golf Club 76
(a) Christopher Terebesi Chester Valley Golf Club 76
Dong Lee The ACE Club 76
Donald Stutts LedgeRock Golf Club 76
Josh Lewis Philadelphia Cricket Club 76
Ryan Gray French Creek Golf Club 76
Brian Gardner Chester Valley Golf Club 76
(a) Robert Bechtold Fieldstone Golf Club 77
(a) John Salamone Meadowlands Country Club 77
Frank Palumbo Rolling Green Golf Club 77
(a) Paul Liebezeit Aronimink Golf Club 77
(a) Jason Mustapich Huntsville Golf Club 77
Fred Purdy Sandy Run Country Club 77
Peter Kowalinski LedgeRock Golf Club 78
(a) Matt Dolinsky Honeybrook Golf Club 78
Kevin Edwards Riverview Country Club 78
(a) Robert Gill Fox Hill Country Club 78
(a) Greg Forster Radnor Valley Country Club 78
(a) Joe Bevevino Huntsville Golf Club 78
Jim Smith, Jr. Philadelphia Cricket Club 78
(a) Christopher Wallin Indian Valley Country Club 79
(a) Ken Sim Commonwealth National Golf Club 79
William Walker Bala Golf Club 79
(a) William Hoese Links Golf Club 79
Andy Watters Philadelphia Cricket Club 79
(a) Eric Fonner Huntingdon Valley Country Club 79
(a) Joey C Garrity Northampton Country Club 79
(a) Charles Meadows RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve 79
(a) Jeffrey Wuerstle Indian Valley Country Club 79
(a) Mark J Coassolo Berkleigh Country Club 79
Bill Barrick LedgeRock Golf Club 79
James Larkin Fieldstone Golf Club 79
(a) Kevin DeHaven Hopewell Valley Golf Club 80
(a) Michael Domenick Phoenixville Country Club 80
(a) Greg Verde Spring Ford Country Club 80
(a) Steve Scarpetta Glenmaura National Golf Club 80
Jim Haus Bent Creek Country Club 80
(a) Peter Moran Edgmont Country Club 80
Daniel Malley Paxon Hollow Country Club 80
Pete Cunningham Overlook Golf Course 81
(a) Michael S. Boden Burlington Country Club 81
Butch Johnson Concord Country Club 81
Benjamin Lesniak Llanerch Country Club 81
(a) Marc Delong Golden Oaks Golf Club 81
(a) John Olszewski Wyoming Valley Country Club 81
(a) Francis McFadden Overbrook Golf Club 81
(a) Ted Kerschner Overbrook Golf Club 82
(a) Jason Barkley Huntsville Golf Club 82
(a) Santo Lafoca Huntsville Golf Club 82
Wesley Hollis Fore Seasons Golf Phoenixville 82
(a) Kenneth Ralston Huntsville Golf Club 82
Stephen Wright St. Davids Golf Club 82
(a) Michael Costonis Blue Bell Country Club 83
(a) Patrick Welsh Huntingdon Valley Country Club 83
(a) Jake Asplundh Huntingdon Valley Country Club 83
(a) David Milkowski Llanerch Country Club 83
(a) Brian Corbett Huntsville Golf Club 84
(a) Zac G Robertson Edgmont Country Club 84
(a) Marty Crounse Mercer Oaks Golf Course 84
Dave Roberts Cedarbrook Country Club 84
(a) Matt Dudas Indian Valley Country Club 85
(a) Robert Pina Chester Valley Golf Club 86
(a) Kevin Melnick, Jr. Plymouth Country Club 86
(a) Motohiro Yogo Rolling Green Golf Club 86
(a) William Ciccotti Glenmaura National Golf Club 86
(a) A.J. Tomasello Plymouth Country Club 86
(a) Brian Walsh Llanerch Country Club 86
Bradley Kane Dauphin Highlands Golf Course 86
John Diamond Talamore at Oak Terrace Country Club 87
James Dendy Ed Porky Oliver Golf Club 88
(a) Nick Verrecchio Rolling Green Golf Club 88
(a) John Lupica ACE Club 88
(a) Craig Lozak, Jr. Bucks County Golf Club 90
(a) Alex Rupple Philadelphia Publinks GA 90
(a) Chuck Kraatz Talamore at Oak Terrace Country Club 91
(a) Samuel Ryder Aronimink Golf Club WD
(a) Joshua Krumholz Berkleigh Country Club WD
David Fields Brookside C.C. of Allentown WD
(a) Joseph Costanzo Blue Bell Country Club WD
*-decided in a playoff
(a) – denotes amateur
WD-withdrawal

Share This: