Huntingdon Valley’s Brookreson tops U.S. Senior Amateur qualifier

  PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – David Brookreson of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., continues to have a summer to remember.

  Brookreson, 55, of Huntingdon Valley CC, posted a 2-under-par 70 to top local qualifying for the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship on Wednesday at Whitemarsh Valley CC (par 72, 6,479 yards).

  Gary Daniels (71) of Center Valley, Pa., Ronald Vannelli of Edison, N.J. (72), Matthew Bellis (73) of Ambler, Pa., and Mike Rose of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. (73) earned the remaining four available qualifying positions. Bellis and Rose advanced in a playoff.

  The 50th U.S. Senior Amateur Championship is set for Oct. 9-14 at Bel-Air CC in Los Angeles, Calif. Amateur golfers who will have reached their 55^th birthday by Oct. 9 and have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 7.4 are eligible.

  A field of 82 players contended for the five qualifying and four alternate spots at Whitemarsh Valley. This was one of 52 national qualifiers for the U.S. Senior Amateur.

  Brookreson carded three birdies, three bogeys and an eagle on his round. He carded a 35 on each nine.

  It’s been an incredible year, to date, for Brookreson. In just the last three weeks he qualified for the U.S. Mid-Am Championship, captured the gross division of the Chapman Memorial Cup, earned the inaugural Senior Silver Cross Award and placed second in the Senior Amateur Championship.

  “I haven’t played this well since the early 1990s,” said Brookreson, who captured the Amateur Championship and Patterson Cup in 1991. “I’m bubbling over with excitement.”

  This will be Brookreson’s second trip to the U.S. Senior Amateur. He qualified last year but failed to advance into match play.

  In all, it will be Brookreson’s 16^th USGA Championship appearance. He’s made eight U.S. Amateurs and six U.S. Mid-Ams.

  On Wednesday, Brookreson did what he’s done the entire latter half of the summer – hit fairways and greens. Brookreson registered 14 greens in regulation and recorded just one three putt.

  He offset two bogeys with birdies on No. 3 (par 5, 529 yards), No. 5 (par 5, 494 yards) and No. 7 (par 4, 387 yards) on the front side. On the back nine, a three-putt bogey on No. 13 (par 4, 354 yards) preceded an eagle on No. 14 (par 4, 353 yards). Brookreson drained a wedge from 118 yards for the two.

  Daniels, who will turn 55 later this month, will be making his first trip to the U.S. Senior Amateur after posting a 1-under-par 71.

  In 2000, Daniels did qualify for the U.S. Senior Open Championship when Saucon Valley CC, his home club, hosted it. Players need to be only 50 years of age to play in the U.S. Senior Open.

  “It’s an honor,” said Daniels of qualifying. “It’s a great experience.”

  Daniels has battled a nerve issue in the right side of his neck for the last 1½ years. It was an issue that persisted until recent treatments alleviated the problem.

  “I knew I was driving it well,” said Daniels, “but I was still wondering [coming in here].”

  Vannelli, 56, of Metuchen G&CC in Edison, N.J., overcame four penalty strokes to post an even-par round of 72 and make his first U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. Vannelli was penalized when his caddie rode in a cart against USGA rules.

  He recorded an amazing six birdies on the day, including a superb bunker shot on No. 18 (par 4, 393 yards) from a 170 yards that he put six feet from the hole.

  “It wasn’t so bad because I had just birdied [No.] 10 to go 3 under,” said Vannelli, who remained amazingly calm after the caddie incident. “Then I birdied [No.] 11 after I found out. I was playing good at the time and I knew I had to keep playing good.”

  Vannelli is no stranger to USGA events. He qualified for two U.S. Senior Opens in 1999 and 2001. He made the cut in 1999 in Des Moines, Iowa.

  Rose, 57, of Ashbourne CC, and Bellis, 55, of Commonwealth National GC, both survived a playoff to make their first U.S. Senior Amateur.

  Rose carded a 1-under 35 on the front nine before finishing in 2-over 38 on the back. He birdied the first hole to advance.

  Bellis made the turn at 2-under-par 34 before finishing at 1-over-par for the day. His par on No. 2 (par 4, 393 yards) punched his ticket to Los Angeles.