Edgmont’s Clossick repeats; tops Chapman (Net)

  LAFAYETTE HILL, Pa. – Jim Clossick of Edgmont CC repeated as the Chapman Memorial (Net) champion Wednesday on the strength of a 41-point total under the Stableford point format at Green Valley CC (par 71, 6,163 yards).

  Clossick’s 3-under-par net score of 68 allowed him to top the 94-player field under ideal tournament conditions.

  “I was very surprised [to win],” said Clossick, who carded a gross birdie on the par 5, 3^rd hole (480 yards). “I had some trouble out there at times but I played a little better on the back nine.”

  After a miscue on the par 5, 11^th hole (478 yards) caused Clossick to make a quadruple bogey, the 64-year old calmed down and played the final seven holes in 3-over-par.

  “My putting definitely helped me out,” he said. “I was able to scramble out there for a lot of pars, especially from some long distances.”

  One of those long putts came on No. 13 (par 4, 353 yards) when the Newtown Square, Pa., resident sent in a 25-foot, downhill, left-to-right-breaking bomb that slammed into the back of the cup, bounced up into the air and dropped in for a remarkable 4.

  “In cases like that, when you’re not playing as well as you could be, it’s great because you still pick up a good score,” he said. “It was a lucky roll.”

  Lucky or not the Edgmont CC member bested the field with his decent play.

  “It’s crazy to win this again,” said Clossick, who took last year’s contest at Linwood CC with a net score of 64. “It was a shock last year, too. I’m absolutely elated.”

  Finishing in a close second place with 40 points was Bill Smith of Sandy Run CC who torched the front nine with four consecutive gross birdies to start his day.

  “It was unbelievable, I was just putting it together,” he said of his 4-under-par start. “My drives were all straight and my irons were perfect and close. I think the [longest] putt I had was 12 feet.”

  Smith could have kept it going but got a little too risky with his putting and unfortunately four putted the par 3, 8^th hole (137 yards).

  “I got a little aggressive,” he joked. “I was making the birds so I got a little too aggressive, lipped it out and rolled it six feet by [the hole].

  “Oh well, I guess I came back to reality.”

  The Chapman Memorial Net was changed to an individual Stableford format this year after two years as an individual net stroke play event.

  Don Donatoni of White Manor CC carded a birdie on the first extra hole to defeat Richard Umani of Philadelphia Publinks GA in a sudden-death playoff for the gross portion of Chapman Memorial Cup held at North Hills CC this past July.

  The Chapman Memorial Cup is named for Frank H. Chapman, who served as the Association’s Secretary-Treasurer for 23 years. Players with a USGA Handicap Index of 7.1 and above were eligible to compete in today’s tournament.

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  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 136 Member Clubs and 56,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The purpose of the Association is simple: To promote, protect and preserve the game of golf in the region.

Results
Net Stableford Points
Overall
1. Jim Clossick, Edgmont Country Club 41

T2. Bill Smith, Sandy Run CC 40

T2. Brendan Kearney, Sandy Run CC 40

4-11 Handicap
1. Robert Zowney, Sandy Run CC 37

12-15 Handicap
1. Charles White, Merion GC 37

16 & Over Handicap
1. Gus Pedicone, Sandy Run CC 36