21st Christman Cup

HVCC’s Isztwan inks 68, captures Christman

GLENSIDE, Pa. — Patrick Isztwan, like most Americans these days, needed to make a schedule change due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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He intended on competing in the North & South Junior Championship at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, N.C. this week. But the ever-evolving health crisis forced Isztwan to withdraw. The Huntingdon Valley Country Club member instead enlisted in the 21^st Christman Cup at LuLu Country Club (par 71, 6,479 yards) Thursday.

The switch yielded success. Isztwan, a rising senior at William Penn Charter School, carded a 3-under-par 68 to take his third GAP title in as many weeks. He earned the First Flight trophy in the 106^th Junior Boys’ Championship and teamed with his dad Andy to capture the 63^rd Father & Son (Younger) a week ago.

Aromink Golf Club’s Jake Maddaloni finished two strokes back of Isztwan at LuLu. The Christman Cup, typically a one-day, 36-hole event, was shortened to 18 holes this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was very fortunate. Chris (Roselle, GAP Tournament Director) was lucky enough to let me into the Christman Cup late because I was scheduled to play in North Carolina this week,” Isztwan, 17, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., said. “The governor said you have to quarantine for 14 days now when you come back if you’re traveling to North Carolina. I was bummed, but you have to move forward.”

He moved forward alright. In fact, Isztwan leapt up the leaderboard after opening with three straight birdies.

On No. 1 (par 5, 479 yards), Isztwan caught the left greenside bunker on his second shot: a 6-iron from 190 yards. He splashed to eight feet and sunk the ensuing birdie. Isztwan’s pitching wedge set up the next two red figures. He knocked it 140 yards to 25 feet above the hole location on No. 2 (par 4, 356 yards) and drained the right-to-left slider. With a yardage of 135 for his approach on No. 3 (par 4, 424), Isztwan again grabbed that glistening pitching wedge, entrusting it to set up a five-footer for birdie.

“I think it’s smart to look at leaderboards if you’re trying to qualify. But I just wanted to relax, have fun and play some good golf.”

Patrick Isztwan

Three holes, 3 under.

“That was the plan, but I didn’t expect it to actually happen,” Isztwan, a University of Richmond commit, said. “I just wanted to keep making birdies.”

The red streak came to a screeching halt on No. 4 (par 3, 84 yards) thanks to a three-putt bogey. Isztwan, playing in one the day’s final groups, reversed into a tie with clubhouse leader Maddaloni following a misstep on the tempting yet troublesome 10^th hole (par 5, 522 yards). Driven by a jolt of aggression, he went for the green in two strokes with a hybrid from the right rough. The result? A “weird lie” at the rear of a sprawling green complex. Isztwan nudge a chip to 20 feet and three putted for bogey.

Now in tournaments past, Isztwan likely glances at the leaderboard at this point, sees his status as co-leader and trembles coming in. But he firmly broke that habit in 2020, and it served the lanky lancer well at LuLu.

“I found this year that I’ve been playing better when I’m more relaxed. When I look at leaderboards, I get really intense,” Isztwan said. “I think it’s smart to look at leaderboards if you’re trying to qualify. But I just wanted to have some fun, relax and play some good golf.”

The good golf continued down the stretch. Isztwan moved a stroke clear of Maddaloni with a birdie on No. 15 (par 3, 148 yards), where he drew a pitching wedge toward a tucked left hole location. He made the ensuing 15-footer. Insurance came on the par 5, 515-yard 17^th hole. Isztwan buried a challenging downhiller after sending a smooth wedge from 75 yards to 20 feet above the flagstick. A safe 3-wood on LuLu’s 18^th hole (par 4, 403 yards), a closer that can intimidate given its accuracy demands, assured. A gap wedge to 15 feet reassured.

“I loved the greens today. Some people said they were having trouble with them. I don’t know why. I just felt good on them,” Isztwan said.

Felt even better in the winner’s circle.

“This was a lot of fun. I was bummed when I saw that I couldn’t play in the Christman Cup because I love playing in all of the GAP Junior events,” Isztwan said. “It ended up working out.”

Maddaloni, 17, of Newtown Square, Pa., relied on tee position to navigate LuLu in 1 under. Despite a runner-up finish Thursday, not to mention a semifinals appearance in the Junior Boys’ Championship and a Top-5 finish in the Delaware State Golf Association’s Junior Championship, he is “meh” about his golf game of late.

“The last few tournaments, my swing hasn’t been there, so I’ve been playing a pull-cut, which isn’t my go-to. I was finally starting to hit it well yesterday. I got the draw going, which is my normal ball flight,” Maddaloni, a rising senior at The Haverford School, said.

Maddaloni leads Isztwan by a stroke in the Harry Hammond Award race. The Harry Hammond Award is comprised of the Junior Boys’ Championship Qualifier, Christman Cup and Jock MacKenzie Memorial, set for July 20 at Sandy Run Country Club.

The Christman Cup is named in honor of J. Fred Christman, former GAP Executive Committee member (1980-89) and Director of Competitions (1989-99). chaired the organization’s Junior Committee and thereby oversaw the administration of its Junior schedule annually. “Fred has been part of the glue that has held this organization together, making things work and handling many tough situations. Certainly, with the exception of Jim Sykes, no other individual has been as closely identified with GAP activities and players as Fred regardless of their status on the Executive Committee or staff,” former GAP President Ray Cross (1997-99) wrote in a letter published in the October 1999 Philadelphia Golfer. Christman died on Sept. 14, 2019 at the age of 86.

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 288 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.