117th #GAPOpen: Round Two

Hinckley takes 117^th #GAPOpen

YORK, Pa. –Eat. Sleep. Golf. Repeat. That’s been Blake Hinckley’s daily schedule since turning professional in April 2019. A necessary monotony for those looking to someday find the bright lights of the PGA TOUR. Wednesday at the Country Club of York (par 70, 6,610 yards), that preparation resulted in the biggest – and only – win of Hinckley’s career. The Philadelphia PGA Section member playing out of Wilmington Country Club outlasted a throng of challengers to capture the 117^th Open Championship.

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Hinckley finished the 36 holes at 5-under par, a shot clear of amateur Ron Robinson of LuLu Country Club. His victory earned him the low professional top prize of $6,000. There was a four-way tie for third place at 3 under. Defending Open Champion Michael Little, Lookaway Golf Club’s pro, tied for 30^th at 5 over.

“I’ve played in a lot of these events. I’ve been around GAP since I started playing golf and haven’t made any noise,” said Hinckley, who failed to qualify for any GAP Major since he started trying nine years ago before this Open. “The fact I could win one of the biggest tournaments, and my name is going to be on the [John J. McDermott Open Trophy] means a lot to me.”

Hinckley, 24, of Greenville, Del., advanced into the Championship proper from the Trenton Country Club Qualifying site. He posted a 77 to qualify on the cut line.

At York, with all players halfway home, Hinckley trailed leader Troy Vannucci of Little Mill Country Club by two strokes.

That was until a quick burst of red numbers vaulted him into the lead. On No. 11 (par 4, 426 yards), Hinckley holed a sand wedge from 87 yards for an eagle 2. A par on No. 12 (par 3, 198 yards) followed before Hinckley went birdie-birdie. On No. 13 (par 4, 308 yards), he converted a 20-foot left-to-right breaker for a 3 and then followed up on No. 14 (par 5, 525 yards) with a two-putt birdie from 40 feet after reaching the green in two shots.

“It was almost like I could relax knowing that I was back in the mix,” said Hinckley of the hole-out. “I don’t like forcing things if I don’t have to. I like to hit the shot I envision. If I make birdie I make birdie. When I’m playing from behind it’s tough to think that way.”

Hinckley finished with three pars and a “smart” bogey on No. 18 (par 4, 382 yards) after missing the fairway right and in the treeline. He held a two-shot lead on Robinson at that point.

Robinson, who bogeyed 18 to fall back to 4 under, moved into contention with a birdie-birdie run of his own on Nos. 13 and 14. He also made a pair of great up-and-down par saves, one on the inviting and delectable No. 16 (par 4, 394 yards), sinking a 15-footer for par after missing the green short, and then again on No. 17 (par 3, 170 yards) by jarring a 10-footer.

“Obviously it stinks not winning but it’s definitely an honor being the low amateur,” said Robinson, 22, of Hatfield, Pa. “I know my game was in really good form coming in. The Country Club of York is pretty hard, and I feel like I hit every shot in the 36 holes this week. I putted phenomenal. If you told me I was going to shoot 67 before the day, I would have taken it. The course wasn’t playing easy.”

Hinckley’s top professional finish before this win came in the Delaware State Golf Association’s 2020 Open Championship, where he tied for seventh.

“I usually think I have a chance coming in,” said Hinckley. “Coming out strong yesterday helped a lot in terms of confidence and being comfortable out there.”

Although York has never played host to a GAP Major thus far, championships have been in its pedigree since opening in 1899.  The club has a multitude of Pennsylvania Golf Association events to its name, including last year’s R. Jay Sigel Match Play Championship, while also playing host to the 1999 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, the highlight of the club’s centennial season.

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 300 Member Clubs and 80,000 individual members are spread across the Eastern half of Pennsylvania and parts of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.