WEST CHESTER, Pa. — Meadia Heights Golf Club’s Alan and Craig Kliewer birdied their first three holes and never looked back en route to victory in the Father & Son (Middle) Thursday at a humid Radley Run Country Club (par 72, 6,337 yards). The duo, making its father and son tournament debut on the Golf Association of Philadelphia circuit, posted a 2-under-par 70 to top the 60-team field.
“It’s pretty special,” Craig, 53, of Ephrata, Pa., said. “There is nothing better than playing golf with your son and enjoying a beautiful day on a beautiful golf course. We play in club and better-ball tournaments together. This was another tournament to get in and enjoy our competitiveness. It’s always fun when you succeed.”
“For me, I’ve always watched him winning tournaments. It’s finally good to feel victory with him,” Alan, 25, of Denver, Pa., added. “I don’t win too many and he wins a lot. It feels very exciting.”
Craig captained Meadia Heights’ Division AA team in the GAP Team Matches this year. He’s won four club championships and two Lancaster County Senior Championships. At Radley Run, he shared the victor’s stage with Alan. On No. 1 (par 4, 405 yards), Craig hit a gap wedge 95 yards to eight feet, and his son cleaned up the birdie putt. An even shorter wedge shot — this time from 20 yards by Alan — resulted in a gimme birdie on the par 5, 505-yard No. 2. Craig had an identical yardage into the No. 3 (par 4, 322 yards) green and stopped a wedge at four feet.
“There is nothing better than getting off to a good start,” Craig said. “When we made par on the next hole, we were really feeling good and confident.”
The Kliewer team sandwiched a five-foot birdie on No. 8 (par 4, 325 yards) with bogeys on Nos. 7 (par 5, 514 yards) and 9 (par 4, 327 yards), courtesy of a poor approach and three-putt, respectively. In command of his wedges, though, Craig used the sand brand from 75 yards on the par 4, 340-yard 10th hole, leaving Alan with a kick-in birdie from five feet below the hole. A poor 6-iron on the par 3, 173-yard 11th hole left Alan with a difficult chip, which ran 12 feet past the jar. Craig missed the par putt. Wayward drives by both players on No. 12 (par 5, 570 yards) led to a bogey.
With their scorecard floundering and Alan fighting off migraines, the Kliewer team needed a strong finish to avoid a playoff. They did so by carding back-to-back birdies on Nos. 15 (par 4, 274 yards) and 16 (par 5, 530 yards). Craig nearly drove the green, and Alan lofted a chip to seven feet on the first. Alan felt more confident hitting the team’s third shot into the No. 16 flagstick, so Craig powered a 3-wood to 60 yards. His senses were accurate as Alan then stopped a wedge at eight feet and Craig converted the left-to-right breaker.
“We got our confidence back again. We persevered,” Craig said. “He’s a gamer. He’s not going to quit. He did a fantastic job today.”
Links Golf Club’s Bob and Brad Hennefer
A bogey on the par 4, 432-yard 18th merely meant a three-stroke margin of victory.
The Father & Son (Middle) isn’t just about red numbers, winners and trophies, however. Links Golf Club’s Bob Hennefer and his son Brad, who has Down syndrome, bond through golf and enjoyed their experience together at Radley Run.
“It was an awesome day,” Bob, 56, of Cherry Hill, N.J., said. “We have a lot of experiences playing golf together. We play about three times a week together.”
“It was a great day,” Brad, 24, added with a smile.
Throughout the year, Brad travels the country to participate in celebrity and pro-am events that support children with disabilities.
The Father & Son (Middle) tournament is for those father and son teams with sons 18 to 29 years old. The event was conceived in 2008 because of the high demand for participation in both the Father & Son (Younger), which celebrates its 56th anniversary this year, and the Older tournament, an event in its 102nd year.
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 143 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.
Gross Division
Name, club
Score
Alan Kliewer/Craig Kliewer, Meadia Heights Golf Club
70
Tony DePaul/Tony Depaul, Jr., North Hills Country Club
73
Frank Pancoast/Sam Pancoast, Radley Run Country Club
73
Jim Krass/Matt Krass, Radley Run Country Club
74
Jef Fogel/Ryan Fogel, Penn Oaks Golf Club
74
Robert Galbreath, Sr./Evan Galbreath, Huntingdon Valley Country Club/Philmont Country Club
74
Rob Francis/Ryne Francis, Brookside Country Club
74
Robert Galbreath, Sr./Rob Galbreath, Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club/Philmont Country Club
74
Alex Bauman/Ward Bauman, The Ridge at Back Brook
75
Jay T. Deakins/Scott Deakins, St. Davids Golf Club
75
Alex Kane/Matthew Kane, Radley Run Country Club
76
Pete Widdoes/Aaron Widdoes, Inniscrone Golf Club/Loch Nairn Golf Club
76
Mac Walsh/Michael Walsh, III, Aronimink Golf Club
77
Jeff Klagholz/Martin Klagholz, Aronimink Golf Club
77
Daniel Rexon/G. Frederick Rexon, Jr., Tavistock Country Club
77
Charles Bernard/Dan Bernard, Aronimink Golf Club
77
Scotty Safford/Tom Safford, Waynesborough Country Club
78
Alex Blickle/James Blickle, LedgeRock Golf Club
78
David Smith/Zach Smith, Doylestown Country Club
78
John Marshalek/Steve Marshalek, Whitford Country Club
78
David Carney/Scott Carney, Commonwealth National Golf Club
78
Chris Michael/Scott Wight, Merchantville Country Club
78
Jim Tutelman/Matt Tutelman, Green Valley Country Club
79
John Fasy/William Fasy, Wilmington Country Club
79
Andrew Willadsen/John Willadsen, Sakima Country Club
79
James W. Ryan/Jim Ryan, Waynesborough Country Club
79
Charles Bernard/Joe Bernard, Aronimink Golf Club
79
Brian Rothaus/Zachary Rothaus, Five Ponds Golf Club/Philmont Country Club
80
Phillip Villari, Jr./Phillip Villari, Sr., Riverton Country Club
80
George Kerschner/Ted Kerschner, Overbrook Golf Club
80
Daniel Furman/Edward Furman, Commonwealth National Golf Club
81
Joseph Dulka, Jr./Joseph Dulka, Bellewood Golf Club/DuPont Country Club
82
Laurence Hirsh/Max Hirsh, Philadelphia Cricket Club/Plymouth Country Club
82
Scott Henry/Kenneth Henry, 1757 Golf Club of Virginia/Medford Lakes Country Club
83
Christopher Logan/Robert Logan, Overbrook Golf Club
83
Brian Ginty/Kyle Ginty, Talamore Country Club
83
Patrick Marshalek/George Marshalek, French Creek Golf Club/Honeybrook Golf Club
84
Joe Paris/Zach Paris, Penn Oaks Golf Club
84
Chris Wert/John Wert, Merion Golf Club
85
Kyle Graham/Scott Graham, Trump National Golf Club – Philadelphia
85
Alan Wagenschnur/Jeffrey Wagenschnur, Back Creek Golf Club
85
Jules Siskind/Max Siskind, Radley Run Country Club
86
Gene Carroll/Ryan Carroll, Chester Valley Golf Club
87
Danny Noone/John Noone, The Springhaven Club
87
Chet Woolard/Mark Woolard, Coatesville Country Club
88
David Defazio/John Defazio, Whitford Country Club
88
Stephen Murta/Steve Murta, Radley Run Country Club
88
John C. Leighton, Jr./John Leighton, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
88
Joe Montgomery/Patrick Montgomery, Riverton Country Club
89
Ernest Menold/Ernie Menold, IV, The Springhaven Club
90
Drew Templin/Joseph Templin, LedgeRock Golf Club
90
Del Markward/Dutch Markward, North Hills Country Club
90
Edward Bader/Kurt Bader, Links Golf Club/Little Mill Country Club
91
Jimmy Mastroni/Tom Mastroni, Jr., Sandy Run Country Club
91
Richard Cohen/Keith Cohen, Limekiln Golf Club/Middletown Country Club
92
Adam Bubes/Ken Bubes, Wilmington Country Club
96
Jack Crowley/Jack Crowley, White Manor Country Club
98
Bob Hennefer/Brad Hennefer, Links Golf Club
99
Chris Matteo/Nick Matteo, Lu Lu Country Club
110
Michael Baranowsky/Ryan Baranowsky, Stone Harbor Golf Club
NC
Net Division
Name, club
Score
Frank Pancoast/Sam Pancoast, Radley Run Country Club
68
Alan Kliewer/Craig Kliewer, Meadia Heights Golf Club
68
Tony DePaul/Tony Depaul, Jr., North Hills Country Club
69
Alex Kane/Matthew Kane, Radley Run Country Club
70
Daniel Rexon/G. Frederick Rexon, Jr., Tavistock Country Club
70
John Marshalek/Steve Marshalek, Whitford Country Club
70
Chris Michael/Scott Wight, Merchantville Country Club
70
Jim Krass/Matt Krass, Radley Run Country Club
71
Rob Francis/Ryne Francis, Brookside Country Club
71
Christopher Logan/Robert Logan, Overbrook Golf Club
71
Robert Galbreath, Sr./Evan Galbreath, Huntingdon Valley Country Club/Philmont Country Club
72
Robert Galbreath, Sr./Rob Galbreath, Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club/Philmont Country Club
72
Alex Bauman/Ward Bauman, The Ridge at Back Brook
72
Jay T. Deakins/Scott Deakins, St. Davids Golf Club
72
Mac Walsh/Michael Walsh, III, Aronimink Golf Club
73
Scotty Safford/Tom Safford, Waynesborough Country Club
73
Phillip Villari, Jr./Phillip Villari, Sr., Riverton Country Club
73
Jef Fogel/Ryan Fogel, Penn Oaks Golf Club
74
Pete Widdoes/Aaron Widdoes, Inniscrone Golf Club/Loch Nairn Golf Club
74
Jeff Klagholz/Martin Klagholz, Aronimink Golf Club
74
James W. Ryan/Jim Ryan, Waynesborough Country Club
74
Scott Henry/Kenneth Henry, 1757 Golf Club of Virginia/Medford Lakes Country Club
74
Brian Ginty/Kyle Ginty, Talamore Country Club
74
Ernest Menold/Ernie Menold, IV, The Springhaven Club
74
Jim Tutelman/Matt Tutelman, Green Valley Country Club
75
Andrew Willadsen/John Willadsen, Sakima Country Club
75
George Kerschner/Ted Kerschner, Overbrook Golf Club
75
Chris Wert/John Wert, Merion Golf Club
75
David Defazio/John Defazio, Whitford Country Club
75
Edward Bader/Kurt Bader, Links Golf Club/Little Mill Country Club
75
Charles Bernard/Dan Bernard, Aronimink Golf Club
76
Alex Blickle/James Blickle, LedgeRock Golf Club
76
John Fasy/William Fasy, Wilmington Country Club
76
Jules Siskind/Max Siskind, Radley Run Country Club
76
Danny Noone/John Noone, The Springhaven Club
76
David Smith/Zach Smith, Doylestown Country Club
77
Brian Rothaus/Zachary Rothaus, Five Ponds Golf Club/Philmont Country Club
77
Joseph Dulka, Jr./Joseph Dulka, Bellewood Golf Club/DuPont Country Club
77
Joe Montgomery/Patrick Montgomery, Riverton Country Club
77
David Carney/Scott Carney, Commonwealth National Golf Club
78
Charles Bernard/Joe Bernard, Aronimink Golf Club
78
Daniel Furman/Edward Furman, Commonwealth National Golf Club
78
Joe Paris/Zach Paris, Penn Oaks Golf Club
78
Kyle Graham/Scott Graham, Trump National Golf Club – Philadelphia
78
John C. Leighton, Jr./John Leighton, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
78
Richard Cohen/Keith Cohen, Limekiln Golf Club/Middletown Country Club
78
Alan Wagenschnur/Jeffrey Wagenschnur, Back Creek Golf Club
79
Gene Carroll/Ryan Carroll, Chester Valley Golf Club
79
Chet Woolard/Mark Woolard, Coatesville Country Club
79
Patrick Marshalek/George Marshalek, French Creek Golf Club/Honeybrook Golf Club
80
Stephen Murta/Steve Murta, Radley Run Country Club
81
Drew Templin/Joseph Templin, LedgeRock Golf Club
81
Laurence Hirsh/Max Hirsh, Philadelphia Cricket Club/Plymouth Country Club
82
Bob Hennefer/Brad Hennefer, Links Golf Club
82
Del Markward/Dutch Markward, North Hills Country Club
83
Adam Bubes/Ken Bubes, Wilmington Country Club
85
Jack Crowley/Jack Crowley, White Manor Country Club
88
Jimmy Mastroni/Tom Mastroni, Jr., Sandy Run Country Club
91
Chris Matteo/Nick Matteo, Lu Lu Country Club
92
Michael Baranowsky/Ryan Baranowsky, Stone Harbor Golf Club
NC
