WAYNE, Pa.–Scott McNeil officiates Junior Varsity basketball games during the winter; upwards of seven a day. That’s a lot of hours in tiny gyms with children and testing parents questioning your mental faculties.
| Scorecards | Round 2 Tee Times | Day 1 video recap |
On Wednesday, McNeil tuned out the challenge of a top-quality field and gusty conditions to lead after Round 1 of the 32nd Middle-Amateur Championship presented by Callaway Golf. McNeil, in the first group to open play at 7:30 a.m., finished at 2-under par at St. Davids Golf Club (par 70, 6,545 yards). His 68 was the lone under-par score of the day. McNeil holds a three-shot advantage over Michael Carr of Plymouth Country Club.
The second and final round begins at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow. A total of 71 players made the cut, which fell at 79. The final group of McNeil, Carr and Ryan Gelrod of Philadelphia Cricket Club begin at 11:20 a.m.
“In refereeing, you can’t get frustrated. You have to stay focused and busy in your mind for five to six hours,” said McNeil, 29, of Philadelphia, Pa. and Bala Golf Club. “If you can stay mentally busy there, you should be able to stay mentally busy here and focused between shots. This is no different than refereeing six basketball games in a row from the time you hit the range to the time you head out.”
This is McNeil’s third Middle-Amateur appearance. He tied for 10th in 2012 at Chester Valley Golf Club and tied for 28th in 2013 at Fieldstone Golf Club.
Carr, 28, of East Norriton, Pa., has competed in the last two Mid.-Ams. He finished tied for fifth in 2013 and, last year at Gulph Mills Golf Club, tied for sixth.
Defending champion Peter Barron, III of Stone Harbor Golf Club finished at 6-over 76 and finds himself tied for 25th.
“[Gulph Mills] and this are similar,” said the 39-year-old Barron. “I think this was a little firmer. Wedges would one hop and released a little bit. But if you struck it well with your irons, they pretty much stopped.”
Both are architect Donald Ross designs.
McNeil, the parking facilities manager at 10 Rittenhouse Square, turned his front-nine in even-par 35. He double bogeyed No. 2 (par 4, 444 yards) when his approach flew the green into the back bushes but responded with an eagle on No. 4 (par 4, 370 yards). He sank an 89-yard second shot with a 58-degree wedge.
“[It was a] back pin with firm greens and a little downwind. I was able to hit a 58-degree [wedge] that landed about 10 feet short of the pin, kicked a little to the left, right at the stick, checked and went in,” said McNeil. “It’s one thing to hit them close but you always have to execute and when they go in without having to execute that’s a great thing.”
McNeil tapped in a birdie putt on No. 8 (par 5, 490 yards) after reaching the green in two, but gave the stroke right back with a blocked 4-iron on No. 9 (par 3, 232 yards) that landed in the bunker. He failed to get up-and-down.
On the back nine, McNeil and his steady play continued. He registered seven pars and two birdies, not surprisingly, both on par 5s for the stout hitter. He sank a 25-foot putt for 4 on No. 11 (par 5, 545 yards) and reached No. 16 (par 5, 502 yards) in two shots with a wedge from 150 yards to 25 feet. He lagged his eagle try to tap-in range for birdie.
McNeil mentioned a change to his stance, widening it, and grip made in the winter that has helped his game grow.
Last week, he medaled in the U.S. Open Local Qualifier at Trump National Golf Club – Philadelphia.
“The changes I made in the winter allow me to be able to look at any shot and know I am going to strike it solid and put it in a good place a majority of the round. It’s going to allow me to stay mentally tough,” said McNeil. “Good ball-striking will go a long way in me being able to consistently keep my scores down lower.”
The Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Middle-Amateur Championship started in 1984, three years after the USGA created the U.S. Mid-Amateur 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 Middle-Amateur 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 began with 130 players.
Callaway Golf
Callaway Golf was founded in 1982 by the late Ely Callaway, a visionary entrepreneur who operated under a simple but profound business promise: Deliver Demonstrably Superior, Pleasingly Different products and services. That philosophy turned what was originally a boutique manufacturer of high-quality wedges and putters into the world’s largest maker of premium, performance golf products. The Callaway mission and vision has remained the same; we passionately pursue advanced, innovative technologies that help golfers of all abilities find more enjoyment from the game. Under the Callaway and Odyssey brands, Callaway manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells golf apparel, footwear and accessories in more than 110 countries worldwide.
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.
Name, club | Score |
Scott McNeil, Bala Golf Club | 68 |
Michael Carr, Plymouth Country Club | 71 |
Ryan Gelrod, Philadelphia Cricket Club | 72 |
Christopher Ault, Burlington Country Club | 73 |
Mark Peterson, Philadelphia Cricket Club | 73 |
Stephen Dressel, St. Davids Golf Club | 73 |
Benjamin Smith, Huntingdon Valley Country Club | 74 |
Brad McFadden, Overbrook Golf Club | 74 |
Brandon Murdock, Llanerch Country Club | 74 |
Chris Lange, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club | 74 |
David Liotta, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club | 74 |
David West, Whitford Country Club | 74 |
Geoffrey Cooper, North Hills Country Club | 74 |
Glenn Smeraglio, Mercer Oaks Golf Course | 74 |
Jack Wallace, Philadelphia Cricket Club | 74 |
Oscar Mestre, Overbrook Golf Club | 74 |
Scott McLaughlin, Commonwealth National Golf Club | 74 |
Andy Latowski, Philadelphia Cricket Club | 75 |
Gary Daniels, Applebrook Golf Club | 75 |
Jeff Osberg, Huntingdon Valley Country Club | 75 |
Jon Lavin, Rolling Green Golf Club | 75 |
Matthew Gaffney, Little Mill Country Club | 75 |
Serge Hogg, RiverWinds Golf & Tennis Club | 75 |
Thomas Timby, Jr., The Bucks Club | 75 |
Chris Lawler, Inniscrone Golf Club | 76 |
Christopher Thude, Union League Golf Club at Torresdale | 76 |
Edward Kelly, Jr., Old York Road Country Club | 76 |
John Brennan, Philadelphia Cricket Club | 76 |
Matthew Finger, DuPont Country Club | 76 |
Matthew Mattare, Saucon Valley Country Club | 76 |
Michael Hyland, Little Mill Country Club | 76 |
Michael McDermott, Merion Golf Club | 76 |
Peter Barron, III, Stone Harbor Golf Club | 76 |
Raymond Thompson, Overbrook Golf Club | 76 |
Robert Harrington, Merion Golf Club | 76 |
Roc Irey, Lookaway Golf Club | 76 |
Bill Jeremiah, Bidermann Golf Club | 77 |
Bo Maguire, Brookside Country Club | 77 |
Brett Cybulski, Merchantville Country Club | 77 |
Brian McDermott, Llanerch Country Club | 77 |
Christopher Lange, Overbrook Golf Club | 77 |
John Murphy, II, Wildwood Golf & Country Club | 77 |
John Samaha, Old York Road Country Club | 77 |
Kevin Cahill, Merion Golf Club | 77 |
Michael R. Brown, Links Golf Club | 77 |
Neil Gordon, Five Ponds Golf Club | 77 |
Robert Savarese, Jr., Philadelphia Cricket Club | 77 |
Rodney James, Golden Oaks Golf Club | 77 |
Sean McCauley, Jr., Galloway National Golf Club | 77 |
Dan Arison, Applebrook Golf Club | 78 |
Gary Schoeman, Gulph Mills Golf Club | 78 |
Grant Skyllas, LedgeRock Golf Club | 78 |
Joe April, Philadelphia Cricket Club | 78 |
Rand Mendez, Fieldstone Golf Club | 78 |
Sean Semenetz, Philadelphia Cricket Club | 78 |
Brendan Borst, Philadelphia Cricket Club | 79 |
Brian Corbett, Huntsville Golf Club | 79 |
Brian Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club | 79 |
Frank Petrash, IV, Philadelphia Cricket Club | 79 |
James Gillespie, Wedgwood Country Club | 79 |
James Kania, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club | 79 |
Jamie Slonis, Tavistock Country Club | 79 |
Jason Loehrs, Philadelphia Publinks GA | 79 |
Jeff Klagholz, Aronimink Golf Club | 79 |
John Grove, Chester Valley Golf Club | 79 |
John Nottage, Commonwealth National Golf Club | 79 |
Joshua Isler, Chester Valley Golf Club | 79 |
Rich Pruchnik, Downingtown Country Club | 79 |
Sean Torpey, Commonwealth National Golf Club | 79 |
Thomas Hyland, Little Mill Country Club | 79 |
Failed to qualify | |
Conrad Von Borsig, White Manor Country Club | 80 |
Jeffrey Moyher, Merion Golf Club | 80 |
Joe Perese, Philmont Country Club | 80 |
Justin VanHyning, Mercer Oaks Golf Course | 80 |
Mark Czerniakowski, Blue Bell Country Club | 80 |
Shawn Lavin, Rolling Green Golf Club | 80 |
Stephen Seiden, Llanerch Country Club | 80 |
Steve Oh, Philadelphia Cricket Club | 80 |
Tom Spano, Llanerch Country Club | 80 |
Christopher Clauson, Sandy Run Country Club | 81 |
Dan Rudershausen, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club | 81 |
Drew Garis, North Hills Country Club | 81 |
Gerard Rosato, Plymouth Country Club | 81 |
Kevin McDermott, Llanerch Country Club | 81 |
Michael Korcuba, Medford Village Country Club | 81 |
Michael Moffat, Commonwealth National Golf Club | 81 |
Mike Kidd, Wedgwood Country Club | 81 |
Patrick Hennigan, Tavistock Country Club | 81 |
Ryan Orcutt, Philadelphia Publinks GA | 81 |
Andrew Sterge, Applebrook Golf Club | 82 |
Fran Begley, Wedgwood Country Club | 82 |
George Steinmetz, Spring Ford Country Club | 82 |
Jason Whaley, Sakima Country Club | 82 |
Jim Engler, Sea Oaks Golf Club | 82 |
Leland Weaver, Hartefeld National | 82 |
Mark Hill, Rolling Green Golf Club | 82 |
Matthew Welsh, St. Davids Golf Club | 82 |
Stephen Hudacek, III, Glenmaura National Golf Club | 82 |
Thomas Humphrey, Wilmington Country Club | 82 |
Andy Achenbach, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve | 83 |
Chris Meares, Running Deer Golf Club | 83 |
Chris Storck, LedgeRock Golf Club | 83 |
David Brookreson, Huntingdon Valley Country Club | 83 |
J.J. Berenato, Llanerch Country Club | 83 |
Miguel Biamon, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club | 83 |
Tom DiCinti, Old York CC at Chesterfield | 83 |
David Waxman, Little Mill Country Club | 84 |
Elias Chua, Fieldstone Golf Club | 84 |
Jon-Michael Socaris, Broad Run Golfers Club | 84 |
Kevin Maguire, Trump National Golf Club – Philadelphia | 84 |
Michael Hodges, The Springhaven Club | 84 |
Bob Beck, Lehigh Country Club | 85 |
Brad George, Aronimink Golf Club | 85 |
Robert Gill, Fox Hill Country Club | 85 |
Trevor Seufer, Stonewall | 85 |
Brian Kenny, Greate Bay Country Club | 86 |
John Kopacz, Five Ponds Golf Club | 86 |
Kenneth Matt, Philadelphia Publinks GA | 86 |
Lodie Van Tonder, Sakima Country Club | 86 |
Marc Mandel, Philadelphia Cricket Club | 86 |
Robert Brown, Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club | 86 |
Todd Vonderheid, Huntsville Golf Club | 86 |
Andrew Jaskel, Union League Golf Club at Torresdale | 87 |
Kyle Ginty, Talamore Country Club | 87 |
Patrick Phillips, Philadelphia Publinks GA | 87 |
Tim Freeh, Back Creek Golf Club | 87 |
Michael Tash, Tavistock Country Club | 88 |
Jimmy Taylor, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve | 98 |
P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia Country Club | WD |
Richard Umani, Honeybrook Golf Club | WD |