West Shore’s Herbsts take inaugural Mixed Foursomes at Concord

| Scorecards |

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Twenty eight playing pairs made up the first-ever Mixed Foursomes field. The historic event not only featured a plethora of fist bumps and laughs, but also a mother-and-son team that surfaced as inaugural champions.

West Shore Country Club’s Kim and David Herbst fired a 2-over round of 72 to claim the overall trophy Wednesday at Concord Country Club (par 70, 6,133 yards), which featured sparkling fall conditions.

The event’s inaugural Net title was claimed by Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Amy and Dan Feeney, who combined to card a 3-under 67 score, winning in a scorecard tiebreaker.

As a shotgun start was implemented, the Herbsts began their day on No. 16 (par 4, 393 yards). After four-straight pars to begin, their first red number was jotted down on No. 2 (par 4, 310 yards).

“She basically just told me to hit driver as far as I could. [We] had 65 yards in, and she hit a wedge in there to 12 feet, and I made the birdie,” said David.

The round’s other birdie was jarred on No. 8 (par 3, 158 yards) after David’s 8-iron beauty nestled within a foot, leading to the highlight 2.

Trouble eventually surfaced on the par-3, 169-yard 11th when David went right and Kim went left off the tee. The team chose Kim’s drive, chipped out, and then four putted for triple bogey. Doubt began to linger in their minds, but they remained composed. Three pars coming in closed out the one-stroke victory.

The Herbsts, who reside in Mechanicsburg, Pa., practiced for “two or three weeks” before the event, getting down the selective drive/alternate shot format. Both players usually play different golf balls, so deciding on a common ball was also a factor. Ultimately, the Callaway Chrome Soft was the winning choice. It helped out on Concord’s quick greens today.

“We played well, and the greens were really fast today,” said David. “I usually play a Titleist and she plays a Ladies’ Callaway, so we had to compromise. We chose the Callaway Chrome Soft and that was kind of a good in between for us.”

David, a standout at Lebanon Valley College and recent graduate, is slated to begin working with KCA Wealth Management next week, and used today as a “last hoorah” of sorts. Playing in GAP Majors has been a frequent hobby of his as of late. Kim is no stranger to GAP events, either. She’s enjoyed watching her son compete in GAP Majors the past two seasons.

“I always thought they looked like fun, and I’ve always wanted to try one myself. When we saw this one [on the schedule], we thought we’d come out before he started work,” said Kim, 57.

Today’s Mixed Foursomes Championship gave the mother-son squad its first chance to play competitively. It also gave them a lifelong memory — and a trophy to cherish it forever.

“We just really enjoyed it. Anybody that has this opportunity should really come out to play. The course was beautiful, and we enjoyed the format,” said Kim.

“We’ve never gotten the chance to play in a tournament together before. We just wanted to have fun out there,” said David, 23. “If you and your mom both play golf, it’s a great thing to do.”

In an effort to further promote women’s golf, GAP created a Mixed Foursomes Championship in 2019. The event’s format is selective drive/alternate shot. Open to one female and one male golfer teams who are 19 years of age and who have 36.0 handicap index or less. Only one player from each two-person team must be a member of a Member Club with a GAP handicap.

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The Association’s 274 Full Member Clubs and 75,000 individual members are spread across the Eastern half of Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey and Delaware. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.