Lone sub-par round earns Olseski second Caddie Tournament title

DOYLESTOWN, Pa.- With one Tiger Woods-like pump of his fist, Rob Olseski, a caddie at Chester Valley Golf Club and member at Sandy Run Country Club, took home a Caddie Tournament flight title and bragging rights for the low overall score on the day. | Scorecards | History |

     Olseski, a rising junior at Saint Joseph’s University, fired a 1-under 71 Monday at Doylestown Country Club (par 72, 6, 271 yards) to win the 18 to 20 Division for the second year in a row. His low round — the lone sub-par round of the day — bettered a field of 144 caddie-players in the 70th playing of the event.

  It was a 25-foot birdie from distance, and a powerful fist pump in celebration, that signed, sealed and delivered Olseski’s newest piece of hardware.

  “It was a bomb. It actually broke three different times, three different ways,” said Olseski, of Wayne, Pa. “It was good to get that one. That ended up being a big one for me.”

  Two other birdies also contributed to the 1-under round. On No. 2 (par 3, 160 yards), the 20-year-old placed a 7-iron to the left-center surface of the green. Olseski’s 30-foot attempt for birdie then found a home in the bottom of the cup. The other birdie on Olseski’s card came on No. 14 (par 5, 481 yards) after a beautiful blast out of a greenside bunker left him with a three-foot tap-in.

  Olseski’s love for the game started at age five. His caddie days began at age 13.

  “I became a caddie seven years ago over at Chester Valley. My dad sells food to the club, so he was my connection over there,” said Olseski, who won the Junior Division in the 2014 Francis X. Hussey Memorial. “That’s just a great place. It’s been a blast ever since

  Elsewhere, in the Division below Olseski’s (17 and under), Ron Robinson came out on top thanks to an all-around-solid round of 2-over 74.

  It was the first Golf Association of Philadelphia win for the Commonwealth National Golf Club caddie and Talamore Country Club member.

  “I hit a bunch of greens today which turned into a bunch of two putts,” said Robinson, 17, of Hatfield, Pa. “I hit the green, and every time I told myself, ‘Two putts and you’re golden’.”

  Robinson became a Commonwealth National caddie in high school. He’s in his third year there, and says he has fully reaped the benefits so far.”

  “I felt like it would help me read greens better and help me improve my game at the same time,” said Robinson. “It’s been a great opportunity for me. I’ve learned a lot about the game and life.”

  Earlier this year, Robinson barely missed out on a U.S. Junior Amateur berth by two shots. He is currently slated in the first Alternate spot thanks to a 3-over 36-hole total in a Qualifier at Chesapeake Bay Golf Club (Rising Sun). Robinson also recently competed as one of the youngest players in the BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship.

  It is no secret his game is heating up at the right time.

  “My game is in a good spot right now,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the Junior Boys’ [Championship] at the end of this week. It’ll be a good test for me.”

  The Caddie Tournament had five flights. There is no overall champion.

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 151 Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of 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.