Llanerch’s Osberg tops U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifier at Philadelphia CC

  GLADWYNE, Pa. — Jeffrey Osberg of Llanerch CC is becoming quite the expert when it comes to qualifying for a USGA event. He carded a 3-under-par 68 to top a USGA Mid-Amateur Qualifier administered by the Golf Association of Philadelphia at Philadelphia CC (par 71, 6,852 yards) Monday. Earlier this month, Osberg earned medalist honors in a U.S. Amateur Championship Qualifier at his home club and Rolling Green GC.

 Also qualifying Monday were Ryan Chin of New York, N.Y., Dave Fardon of Center Valley, Pa., Thomas Gramigna of Haddonfield, N.J., John Moheyer of Baltimore, Md. and Steve Owens of Philadelphia, Pa. Nine players who carded a 3-over-par 74 in regulation returned to Philadelphia CC Tuesday to participate in a sudden-death playoff for two remaining spots. Marc Mandel of Conshohocken, Pa. and Scott McLaughlin of Harleysville, Pa. parred No. 11 (par 3, 186 yards), the second extra hole, to advance.

  The backdrop behind Osberg’s medalist run this time around was quite different. Hurricane Irene wreaked havoc throughout the region over the weekend, causing severe damage to residences and golf courses alike. Osberg competed in the semifinals in Llanerch’s Club Championship Saturday morning before torrential rain and winds descended upon the area. He spent yesterday helping to remove a tree that fell into his girlfriend’s home. Osberg’s preparation was limited, but it didn’t show as he hit 15 greens in regulation Monday.

  “The course was fantastic,” the West Chester, Pa. resident said. “I maybe had one ball that had mud on it today. What they did here to get the course ready is unbelievable. It doesn’t even look like it rained here.”

  Osberg’s ball striking, as usual, proved monumental.

  “I just hit it well,” he said. “The goal in most of these qualifiers is to just try for even par. A course like this sets up well for me. I took advantage of some of the shorter holes and just played smart on some of the more difficult ones.”

  The diligent decimator birdied both par 5s on the front to find red figures early. He smashed a 3-wood 255 yards to the back of the No. 3 (par 5, 578 yards) green and two-putted. The par 5, 500-yard No. 6 was a similar story. Osberg hammered a 6-iron 205 yards to 40 feet and again traded two putts for red pen. Osberg, the 2010 Joseph H. Patterson Cup Champion, showed an affinity for the flagstick on No. 11 (par 3, 186 yards). He stopped an 8-iron six feet above the hole and coaxed in the birdie putt. A par 5 bit Osberg briefly. With 140 yards into the No. 12 (574 yards) hole location, Osberg flew a wedge over the green, lofted a chip to 15 feet and missed the par putt. Osberg corrected that wedge error by knocking one 82 yards to three feet on No.13 (par 4, 379 yards). Osberg erred on the cautious side coming in, registering five pars to post the day’s lone subpar score.

  In the U.S. Amateur Championship last week at Erin Hills, Osberg failed to advance into match play. He hopes to reverse his fortunes in the U.S. Mid-Amateur.

  “Coming back from the [U.S] Amateur where I didn’t have a good showing, it’s nice to qualify for this,” Osberg said. “It’s a lot more of the working-class people as opposed to the college students who are about to turn professional. I just hope to make match play and see how it goes from there.”

  Chin and Gramigna carded respective 1-over-par 72s to advance. A connection with a course architect compelled Chin, a Vancouver, Canada native, to migrate south Monday.

  “I played Cherry Hills [Country Club] in Denver in June and I loved it. It’s a [William] Flynn [design], and this [Philadelphia Country Club] is a Flynn,” he said. “I always shoot kind of around par, but you can get nipped in a small field. So I figured I loved the course and I just thought it would suit my game.”

  It did. Chin recorded 28 putts on the day and avoided trouble off the tee.

  “I drove it really poorly on Saturday, and I was actually debating going back to a 4 year-old driver that hits it really safe,” Chin said. “I thought the course would be too long if I did, so I took a chance with my new Adams [driver] and hit it pretty good all day.”

  Chin carded two bogeys against a birdie Monday. On par 5, 578-yard No. 3, he selected the wrong club for his second shot, which brewed problems.

  “I didn’t know how far the cross-bunker was, and I knew I couldn’t get over it,” he said. “I thought if I hit a little 3-iron up there, I’d be short of it. But I forgot it was downwind. There weren’t yardage markers where we hit our drives, so I had to guess how far I was. Downwind, I hit it a lot farther than I thought I would.”

  Chin did catch the cross-bunker with a 3-iron. He hit a heavy sand shot, sent a pitch 100 yards to the back of the green and two-putted. Chin recovered with a birdie on No. 9 (par 4, 414 yards). He drilled a 6-iron 164 yards to 12 and drained the downhill, left-to-right drooper. Chin’s only miscue heading into the clubhouse came on the par 4, 444-yard 17th hole. Addressing a sidehill lie from 171 yards, Chin thinned a 6-iron, bumped a chip to six feet and missed his par putt on the low side.

  Chin previously qualified for the 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Kiawah Island Club (Cassique). He’s competed in three Canadian Middle-Amateurs and two Canadian Amateurs.

  Gramigna, who plays out of Tavistock CC, hasn’t seen eye-to-eye with his golf game this year. They were on the same page Monday.

  “I wasn’t really feeling confident coming in,” he said. “Today was the best I’ve struck the ball all year. Ball striking was the difference. It’s a big deal to make the [U.S.] Mid-Am, so I’m obviously very happy. It makes my year a little bit better.”

  Gramigna, who started on the back nine, registered eight pars and a birdie on his outward tour. On the par 5, 574-yard 12th hole, he drilled a 9-iron 137 yards to 25 feet and snaked in a right-to-left curler for birdie. Gramigna, the 2010 GAP Middle-Amateur Champion, converted 10 consecutive pars before encountering trouble on No. 5 (par 3, 165 yards). He tugged a 5-iron left and failed to sway a sidehill chip onto the green. Gramigna would card a double bogey, but the reigning GAP Tournament of Champions victor responded in fine fashion with a birdie on No. 6 (par 5, 500 yards). He lasered a 3-wood 238 yards to 15 feet and two-putted.

  “It was probably the best shot I’ve hit all year,” Gramigna, 41, said of the approach.

  The U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship will be held Sept. 17-22 at Shadow Hawk GC in Richmond, Texas.