Hrynkiw tops U.S. Open Local Qualifier at DuPont CC

  WILLMINGTON, Del. – Jason Hrynkiw, an assistant professional at Philadelphia CC, began his day with an eagle and earned medallist honors with a 1-over-par 72 in a local qualifier for the U.S. Open Championship at a finely manicured DuPont Country Club (par 71, 7,091 yards).

  Chris Gallagher, an amateur, the 2006 Delaware Open Champion and a former Patterson Cup Champion, qualified second with a 2-over-par 73. Zac Oakley from Lewes, Del., and Paul Gagliardi, a professional playing on the Gateway Tour, also advanced to the U.S. Open Sectional qualifiers set for June 4 at multiple nationwide sites with 3-over-par 74s.

  Amory Davis, an amateur from Chadds Ford, Pa. and a member of DuPont CC, beat out David McNabb from Newark, Del., the head professional at Cavaliers CC, in a one-hole playoff to become the remaining qualifier.

  This local qualifier (field of 74 players, 42 amateurs, 32 pros) is one of 109, 18-hole local qualifiers for the U.S. Open Championship that will be played June 14-17 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa.

  “I think the two on No. 1 (par 4, 448 yards) started me off pretty good,” Hrynkiw jokingly said when asked what stood out from his field-low round.

  Hrynkiw, a former professional on both the Canadian and Hooters tours, jarred a 5-iron from the left fairway bunker 182 yards from the hole to begin his day. But before Hrynkiw teed off, his caddie Chris Kopko, who is also the caddie master at Philly CC, gave him some interesting ground rules for the day.

  “I don’t rake bunkers and if you three-putt you’re carrying your bag on the next hole,” Kopko jokingly said to Hrynkiw.

  Hrynkiw, who hit 15 greens in regulation, said he attributed his success to the fact that he drove the ball in the fairway and hit good iron shots.

  “The fairways were generous in some areas,” he said. “You just had to pick and choose when to be aggressive and when not be.”

  Gallagher, who won the Delaware Open Championship at the very same course last year, looked back on his experiences to qualify second and move on to his first sectional qualifier (Rockville, Md).

  “Just like at the Delaware Open last year, coming to No. 16 (par 5, 574 yards), I knew I needed a big shot,” said Gallagher who birdied the hole Monday. “I had been there before and that definitely helped me down the stretch today.”

  Oakley, too, had success on the final par five of the day when the second-year pro, who plays on the Minor League Golf Tour in West Palm Beach, Fla., reached the 16^th green in two and almost made eagle when his shot trickled just inches past the cup.

  “I was just hitting it pretty solid all day and the greens were rolling really nice,” he said.

  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.