Irey earns No. 1 seed at Brewer Cup; Housen, Brewer top Super-Senior

 SPRING HOUSE, Pa.–Roc Irey has registered enough rounds at Old York Road CC (par 71, 6, 327 yards) to know its smallish, extremely undulating greens pose a constant threat to the scorecard. So with that mindset, Irey took his medicine at the Brewer Cup when he had to – four three-putts – and took advantage of opportunities when presented, to post an even-par 71 on Monday to earn the top seed of the 16 players who advanced to match play of the Senior Division.

  The first round of match play for the Brewer Cup begins at 8 a.m. tomorrow with the quarterfinals to follow. The semifinals and final is set for Wednesday.

  “I played smart. I’ve played here enough in the past to know you have to be patient,” said Irey, 57, of Lookaway GC. “The Road always wins. I had four three putts. You always have them. If you gave yourself two [three-putts] a round you would be happy. You actually have to play the ball over the green on some holes because it’s easier chipping back at it then having a long putt.”

  Irey opened his round in style on No. 1 (par 3, 359 yards) with a 58-degree wedge from 70 yards that stopped eight inches from the cup for birdie. However, three-putts on No. 3 (par 3, 152 yards), from 30 feet, and No. 7 (par 4, 407 yards), when he missed a three-foot par saver, dropped the Furlong, Pa., resident to 1-over par. Irey rebounded quickly, though, registering back-to-back birdies on No. 8 (par 4, 321 yards), he hit a 54-degree wedge from 100 yards to eight inches, and No. 9 (par 5, 530 yards), when he flipped a 60-degree wedge from 60 yards to five feet. He made the turn at 1 under.

  Two more three-putts, on No. 13 (par 4, 403 yards) from 25 feet, and No. 16 (par 3, 170 yards) from 50 feet, followed before Irey drilled a 9-iron from 150 yards to six feet for birdie on No. 17 (par 4, 402 yards).

  “Anytime you shoot even par or better you have to be happy,” said Irey. “This is a tricky little golf course. Thank god the greens weren’t fast.

  You can’t hit your normal shots at the flag. You have to control your flight, hit higher shots so they land soft and really control your spin.”

  Ed Chylinski of Chester Valley GC is the No. 2 seed after carding a 2-over-par 73. Defending champion David Brookreson of Huntingdon Valley CC also qualified for match play as the 12th seed.

  The cut line for the Senior Division fell at 77.

Super-Senior Division
  O. Gordon Brewer, Jr., the tournament namesake and defending Super-Senior champion, and Bob Housen, both members of Pine Valley GC, carded 3-over-par 74s to share medalist honors in the 65 years of age and older division of the Brewer Cup. By virtue of a tiebreaker, Housen will be the top seed and Brewer, No. 2, in the eight-player flight.

  The Super-Senior quarterfinals begin at 9 a.m. tomorrow with the semifinals to follow. The final is scheduled for Wednesday.

  “It would have been a disappointment [to miss match play],” said Brewer, 72, of Pine Valley, N.J.

  Housen, playing in the same group with Brewer, made the turn in 1 over and was still at that number through 14 holes after two more bogeys and two birdies, but three putted No. 17 (par 4, 391 yards) for bogey and hit a driver through the fairway on No. 18 (par 4, 381 yards) for a five.

  Brewer made the turn in 2-over par but fought his way back to even with birdies on No. 10 (par 4, 390 yards) and No. 12 (par 4, 329 yards). On the 10th, he hit a 4-iron from 195 yards to 10 feet and, on the 12th, he knocked a wedge from 96 yards to a foot. A couple of poor shots on the way in and a short par miss on the final hole saw Brewer fall back to 3 over.

  Brewer, the current president of Pine Valley GC, is a two-time U.S. Senior Amateur Champion and veteran of 42 USGA Championships. He’s captured two Golf Association of Philadelphia Amateur Championship titles (1967, 1976), a GAP Senior Amateur Championship crown (1997) and a Senior Player of the Year (1997) as well as countless invitational titles. And just last year was recognized for his contributions to the game with the USGA’s Bob Jones Award.

  The cut line for the Super-Senior Division fell at 80.

  The Brewer Cup is open to Senior players with a handicap index of 7.0 or less and Super Seniors with an index of 12.0 or less.

  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 134 Member Clubs and 56,000 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.