Gerney, Texter take low honors in #GAPOpen Qual. at Blue Bell

BLUE BELL, Pa. — One familiar professional of Philadelphia and one former pro recently returning to amateur status topped the first of two Golf Association of Philadelphia Open Championship Qualifiers at Blue Bell Country Club (par 71, 6,674 yards).

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  Jakob Gerney, an assistant at Trump National Golf Club – Philadelphia, and Jarred Texter, a former pro himself playing out of Conestoga Country Club, each fired rounds of 2-under 69 to grab medalist honors Wednesday.

  The day’s cut line stopped at 6-over 77. Starting at 4:19 p.m., there was an hour weather delay due to heavy winds and rain passing through the Blue Bell area.

  The championship proper, which will feature a new two-day playing format, will be played July 17-18 at Philadelphia Country Club.

  Five birdies sent Texter to the top of a leaderboard featuring 141 hopefuls. On No. 2 (par 4, 455 yards), his 3-wood tee shot surfaced in the right rough, leading to a hybrid approach over a water hazard that ran up to the front of the green. Left with a 25-footer, the putt would fall for the first red number.

  Then, a triple bogey arrived on the par-4, 427-yard 4th hole. It was a blemish on the card, but it didn’t rattle Texter’s game.

  “I pulled the tee shot, and the OB was right there. It hit the cart path, went out and then I bogeyed my provisional ball,” said Texter. “But at that point, I knew there was a ton of golf left. I really just wanted to qualify and I got that done.”

  The rest of the birdies came on par 5s (Nos. 7, 9, 14, 17) – a rarity, he says.

“That was kind of a surprise. I don’t usually play those incredibly well, traditionally, because you always feel the pressure to make birdies and take advantage on those,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s always been a mental thing or not, but today I was able to get up and down really well today for birdies.”

  It may bode well for Texter, who regained his amateur-playing status back this season after competing professionally on mini-tours for seven years, that he’ll be appear in the #GAPOpen as an amateur. The last seven titles have gone their way.

  “Coming back as an amateur, I feel like I need to prove myself all over again,” said Texter, said Texter, a four-year member of UNLV’s golf team, including All-America honors in 2006 and 2007. “I’ve played in some pretty big stuff as a pro, but now that I’ve got my status back, I’m really looking forward to my future here playing in GAP [events].”

  Did we mention he’s fresh off his GAP Major debut just last week?

  Texter qualified for the BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship match play as the No. 11 seed after a 36-hole total of 3-over par 145 at Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissahickon), but ultimately fell to No. 22 seed David Hicks of Wildwood Golf and Country Club’s, 3&1, in the Round of 32.

  “These events have such a big feel to them. Whether it’s all the stuff the staff does at a tournament, or whether it’s the videos or social media, it just feels big time,” said Texter, of Millersville, Pa.

  Gerney, starting on Blue Bell’s back nine, bogeyed Nos. 12 (par 3, 173 yards) and 13 (par 4, 374 yards) to dig himself in a shallow hole early. That hole was kicked in quickly.

  A birdie dropped on No. 14 (par 5, 491 yards) after Gerney blasted his ball out of a greenside bunker, jarring the 10-foot attempt that followed. On No. 17 (par 5, 493 yards), he blasted a drive down the center followed by a 6-iron that left him in front of the dance floor. A two-putt birdie from 35 feet got him back to even. Another one fell on No. 18 (par 4, 422 yards), after a punch 7-iron led to a six-foot downhiller that was converted.

  A solid second nine, including a tap-in birdie from eight inches on No. 4 (par 4, 427 yards), was the cherry on top for the day’s low score.

Gerney, entering his seventh season at Trump National, is now set to make his eighth #GAPOpen appearance.

  “I love the new two-day format. It’ll give some other guys a chance, it’s a little more manageable. I’d play decent in the morning, but once I would get to the second back nine, it would be over for me,” said Gerney, 38, of Sewell, N.J.

  He’ll look to end the trend of amateurs winning when he steps up to the tee at Philly Country.

  “The [amateur] talent level is awesome. It’s very strong. You’ve got guys like Chris Crawford making back-to-back U.S. Open appearances,” said Gerney. “It’s good moving on in golf tournaments no matter where and what they are.”

  The second and final Qualifier will be administered June 27 at Radnor Valley Country Club.

  The 2017 #GAPOpen field has expanded to 132 players. The format remains 36 holes of stroke play, however, the Championship will be contested over two days this year, rather than one day. A cut to the low 60 and ties takes place after Round 1.

Golf Association of Philadelphia
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 153 Full Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. 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.