Makefield Highlands’ Feeney caps Mid.-Am. Qual. at Torresdale-Frankford

  NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Daniel Feeney of Makefield Highlands GC birdied four of his first five holes en route to a 1-over-par 71 and medalist honors in Wednesday’s Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier at Torresdale-Frankford CC (par 70, 6,359 yards).

  “I putted well. I made everything inside about six-feet, and that sure helped,” the Newtown, Pa. resident said.

  Feeney led a field of 111 players attempting to earn one of the 27 qualifying spots and ties available for the 27th edition of the Golf Association of Philadelphia Middle-Amateur Championship set for May 26-27 at Philadelphia Cricket Club (Militia Hill). Starting on the back nine, he opened his round by drilling his 5-iron 200 yards to reach the No. 10 green (par 5, 484 yards) in two strokes. He left an uphill 20-footer for eagle a few feet short and delicately drained his next putt for birdie.

  Feeney, 29, dug deeper into red figures by carding birdies on Nos. 12 (par 4, 330 yards) and 13 (par 5, 557 yards). On the first, he sunk an 8-footer for birdie after striking his approach sand wedge 100 yards. And on the latter, Feeney again relied on his wedge, this time from 85 yards out, and tapped in a 2-footer for birdie. A fourth birdie came on No. 15 (par 4, 295 yards) when Feeney, a manager at Philadelphia Sport and Social Club, smoked his driver 280 yards to the edge of the green. He chipped up to within 10-feet from the flagstick and drained an ensuing birdie putt.

  “At that point, I’m thinking I can go pretty low, and then I lost my ball on the 17th hole,” Feeney said. “The middle was not so good.”

  On No. 17 (par 3, 205 yards), Feeney saw his 5-iron tee shot drift drastically into the right-side trees. He later two-putted for a double bogey. Feeney went on to bogey four of his final nine holes, but earned redemption on the par 3, 169-yard 9th hole. His 6-iron settled six-feet from the flagstick, and Feeney knocked in a straight-ahead birdie putt.

  This is the first time Feeney qualified for the Middle-Amateur Championship. He feels excited to be a part of the tournament field.

  “It feels good,” Feeney said. “It would’ve been nice to post a 70, but I’ll take it. It’s just a fun tournament to play. I’ve played in the New Jersey (State Golf Association) Amateur the past couple of years, and I get paired with 19 year-olds, so it’s nice to be play with people closer to your age.”

  Ed Chylinski of Chester Valley GC and Bill Murray of Merchantville CC each carded a 2-over-par 72 to place second. The cut line settled at 79 by day’s end.

  Wednesday’s qualifier was the second of two Middle-Amateur Championship qualifiers used to determine who will play in the Championship later this month. Sean Coyle of Llanerch CC and Robert Gill of Fox Hill CC shared medalist honors at the first qualifier, which took place Tuesday at Plymouth CC.

  The GAP Middle-Amateur started in 1984, three years after the USGA created the U.S. Mid-Am as a formal championship for post-college amateurs. The Association followed suit with the USGA in creating a Mid-Am, but initially differed in its administration of the tournament in a couple of respects.

  The most obvious difference was the age requirement. Prior to 2001, the GAP Mid-Am was for players 30 years of age and older.

  The Association’s Executive Committee reviewed and revised that age requirement in 2001 to match the USGA’s guidelines of 25 years of age or older for eligible players. Also at that point, the Committee changed the format of the event to a two-day stroke play tournament (instead of a one-day medal play event) with a cut to the low 70 players and ties after the first round. The field begins with 132 players. Players must have a GAP/USGA Handicap Index of 7.0 or lower.