Llanerch’s Osberg cruises to Patterson victory; takes Silver Cross - The Golf Association of Philadelphia

Aug 12, 2010

Llanerch’s Osberg cruises to Patterson victory; takes Silver Cross

 PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. – Jeff Osberg of Llanerch CC emerged from a compact Patterson Cup leaderboard with four straight second-round opening birdies to turn the Association’s final Major into a runaway on Friday at RiverCrest GC & Preserve (par 71, 6,677 yards). Osberg, who along with half the field, completed yesterday’s postponed first round in the morning, finished at 6-under-par 136, four shots clear of the field. He carded consecutive 3-under-par 68s.

  Golf Association of Philadelphia newcomer Michael Johnson of Talamore CC, 18, of Ambler, Pa., turned in a fabulous two rounds to place second at 2 under. It was his first Patterson Cup. Travis Gahman of Philadelphia Publinks GA and Robert Galbreath, Jr. of Huntingdon Valley CC, playing together in the group ahead of Osberg, tied for third at 1-under par.

  Osberg’s Patterson Cup victory also propelled the 26 year-old from West Chester, Pa., to the top of the Silver Cross Award standings, emblematic of the player with the lowest aggregate score in the qualifying rounds of the Amateur Championship and the Patterson Cup. He edged Mike Meisenzahl of Hidden Creek GC by a shot. Osberg finished at 288.

  “It’s pretty special,” said a humbled Osberg of winning two trophies. “Obviously it’s something they can’t take away from me. It will be there forever. You see all these good players who have won these tournaments and it’s finally good to be one of them.”

  The victories were his first in the Golf Association of Philadelphia.

  Osberg’s the first individual from Llanerch CC to win the Patterson Cup since James Robertson in 1977 and the first to top the Silver Cross standings since Michael McDermott in 2003.

  Heading into the second round of the 36-hole tournament, Osberg and Bill Jeremiah of Bidermann GC were tied atop the scoreboard at 3 under. Gahman and Galbreath stood a shot back.

  A mere four holes later, Osberg had already distanced himself by a substantial margin.

  He recorded four consecutive birdies to open up a four-shot lead at the time.

  Osberg knocked a sand wedge from 85 yards to six feet on No. 1 (par 4, 343 yards); rifled a piercing 4-iron from 227 yards on the lengthy No. 2 (par 5, 529 yards) to 25 feet and two putted; drained a smooth 35 footer on No. 3 (par 3, 175 yards) after pulling his 7-iron a touch left; and on No. 4 (par 5, 525 yards) hit a 6-iron from 205 yards to 25 feet and two putted again.

  He did bogey Nos. 7 (par 4, 426 yards) and 8 (par 4, 419 yards) courtesy of a three putt and bad swing, respectively, to give the field some hope, but drove it long on No. 9 (par 4, 320 yards), only four paces over, before chipping up to a foot for a fifth opening-nine birdie. He made the turn at 6 under, still four shots to the good.

  “Obviously it’s a pretty good start. I didn’t expect to start 4 under through four [holes]. My goal was to birdie the two par 5s and par the other two holes,” said Osberg of the red-hot beginning. “I knew I was ahead but at the same time if you miss any hole here it’s a double bogey waiting to happen.”

  Osberg carded a birdie, a bogey and four pars in the next six holes to hold steady, before salting the victory away on No. 16 (par 5, 592 yards) in atypical Osberg style. The long-hitter found trouble off the tee and was left with 195 yards for his third shot. For Osberg, usually all and any par 5s are reachable in two. Staring at a 50 footer from the hollow next to the green, Osberg, looking to just get it close, putted it up the hill, across the green and into the hole.

  A conservative 18th (par 4, 438 yards) resulted in a meaningless bogey. No matter, he had clinched a victory in the Association’s second oldest championship.

  Johnson, a recent Hatboro-Horsham High School graduate who is heading to La Salle University in a couple weeks, finished with a 2-under 69. A quiet Johnson, who only started taking golf seriously the last three years after previously focusing on baseball, carded three birdies and a bogey on his final nine to slide up the leaderboard.

  “This will give me great confidence,” said Johnson. “All the top Golf Association of Philadelphia players are here.”

  Defending champion James Kania, Jr. of Overbrook GC placed in a tie for 45th with a 151 total.

NOTES–G. Patrick Dougherty of Philadelphia Cricket Club aced No. 3 (par 3, 175 yards) with a 6-iron in the second round. His ball landed short of the hole and hopped forward before finding the bottom of the cup. It was his fourth career hole-in-one … The cut line after the completion of Round 1 fell at 76. A total of 65 players advanced.

Name, clubRd. 1Rd. 2Score
Jeff Osberg, Llanerch Country Club6868136
Michael Johnson, Talamore Country Club7169140
Travis Gahman, Philadelphia Publinks GA6972141
Robert Galbreath, Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club6972141
Cory Siegfried, Philadelphia Country Club7370143
Glenn Smeraglio, Mercer Oaks Golf Course7172143
Tucker Koch, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve7272144
Mike Meisenzahl, Hidden Creek Golf Club7173144
Andy Achenbach, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve7471145
John La Dow, Spring Ford Country Club7273145
Scott Klee, Bellewood Golf Club7273145
Michael Kania, Overbrook Golf Club7372145
Robin McCool, Saucon Valley Country Club7372145
Matthew Mattare, Saucon Valley Country Club7174145
William Jeremiah, Bidermann Golf Club6877145
Chris Lange, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club7471145
Paul Kovalcheck, Lu Lu Country Club7372145
Greg Matthias, Hartefeld National7670146
Nicholas Reach, Glenmaura National Golf Club7571146
Jeffrey Griest, Waynesborough Country Club7274146
Thomas Gramigna, Tavistock Country Club7274146
James Braunsberg, Blue Bell Country Club7275147
Geoffrey Cooper, Laurel Creek Country Club7572147
Stephen Seiden, Concord Country Club7374147
Michael Brown, Lookaway Golf Club7374147
Oscar Mestre, Overbrook Golf Club7374147
Robert Robertson, Philadelphia Cricket Club7671147
John Brennan, Spring Ford Country Club7276148
Mark Endres, Overbrook Golf Club7573148
Connor McNicholas, Commonwealth National Golf Club7573148
G. Patrick Dougherty, Philadelphia Cricket Club7276148
Justin Martinson, Hartefeld National7177148
Daniel Charen, Makefield Highlands Golf Club7474148
John Nottage, Lu Lu Country Club7376149
Michael Hyland, Little Mill Country Club7574149
Ben Feld, Blue Bell Country Club7574149
Robert Bechtold, Loch Nairn Golf Club7376149
Ryan Gelrod, Commonwealth National Golf Club7673149
Benjamin Smith, Little Mill Country Club7574149
Vinny Alessi, Five Ponds Golf Club7179150
Michael Quinn, Edgmont Country Club7575150
Roc Irey, Lookaway Golf Club7674150
Brett Diakon, Commonwealth National Golf Club7179150
Edward McCrossen, Jr., Whitemarsh Valley Country Club7476150
John LeBoeuf, Philadelphia Country Club7378151
James Kania, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club7378151
Matthew Walsh, Overbrook Golf Club7378151
Paul Rogowicz, Yardley Country Club7576151
Joseph Roeder, Links Golf Club7577152
Greg Forster, Radnor Valley Country Club7676152
Jim Schulz, Jr., Mercer Oaks Golf Course7677153
Chip Culp, Philadelphia Cricket Club7677153
Sam Pancoast, Radley Run Country Club7678154
Nelson Hargrove, Merion Golf Club7084154
Peter Moran, Edgmont Country Club7381154
Sean Coyle, Llanerch Country Club7679155
James Bea, Spring Mill Country Club7680156
Matt Raudenbush, Pine Valley Golf Club7581156
Andrew Dietz, Laurel Creek Country Club7681157
Max Matejik, Yardley Country Club7682158
Thomas Hyland, Little Mill Country Club7682158
Ryan O’Donnell, Rolling Green Golf Club7584159
Jimmy Wolfe, Bellewood Golf Club7488162
P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia Country Club73WDWD
Tom Borsello, White Clay Creek Country Club75WDWD
Failed to qualify
Ari Flaisher, Philadelphia Publinks GA77 
Joe Viechnicki, Saucon Valley Country Club77 
Charles Bernard, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve77 
Tom DiCinti, Links Golf Club77 
David Shields, Philadelphia Publinks GA77 
Drew Panebianco, Talamore Country Club77 
Brad McFadden, Overbrook Golf Club77 
Brian Creghan, Philadelphia Publinks GA77 
Marc Mandel, White Manor Country Club78 
Lance Hornung, Wedgwood Country Club78 
Scott Carney, Commonwealth National Golf Club78 
John Inman, Cherry Valley Country Club78 
John Murphy, II, Wildwood Golf & Country Club78 
Ryan McCarty, Little Mill Country Club78 
Mark Coassolo, Brookside C.C. of Allentown78 
Michael Ashcraft, Brookside C.C. of Allentown79 
Pierce Dever, Yardley Country Club79 
Erik Thorn, Links Golf Club79 
Tim Westfall, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve79 
Shawn Lavin, Philadelphia Publinks GA79 
Brian Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club80 
Dan Bernard, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve80 
Brian Herman, Merchantville Country Club80 
Hunter Hanson, Waynesborough Country Club80 
Brad Flickinger, Country Club of Scranton80 
Andrew Strock, Makefield Highlands Golf Club81 
Matthew Pesci, Makefield Highlands Golf Club81 
Nick Iacono, Fieldstone Golf Club81 
Daniel Pinciotti, Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club81 
Ed Chylinski, Chester Valley Golf Club81 
Greg Jarmas, Philadelphia Publinks GA81 
Jamie Slonis, Tavistock Country Club81 
Jason Kowalski, Downingtown Country Club81 
Justin Cifra, Sunnybrook Golf Club81 
Michael O’Keefe, Little Mill Country Club82 
Jeffrey Romines, Philadelphia Publinks GA82 
Zac Robertson, Edgmont Country Club82 
Craig LaBarbera, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve82 
Christopher Reedman, Makefield Highlands Golf Club82 
Ryan Fraser, Linwood Country Club83 
Jimmy Johnston, Merion Golf Club83 
Matthew Teesdale, Commonwealth National Golf Club83 
Thomas Greenwood, Old York CC at Chesterfield84 
Todd Cappelli, Philadelphia Publinks GA84 
Paul Carbone, Jr., Old York Road Country Club84 
Rand Mendez, Fieldstone Golf Club85 
James Ridgway, Wildwood Golf & Country Club85 
Andrew Mason, Five Ponds Golf Club85 
Robert Loftus, Overbrook Golf Club85 
Greg O’Connor, Philadelphia Publinks GA86 
Justin Smith, Huntingdon Valley Country Club87 
Michael Carr, Plymouth Country Club87 
Michael Boden, Aronimink Golf Club87 
Jim Rattigan, Schuylkill Country Club91 
Bob Whartenby, Trenton Country ClubWD 
Doug Marcincin, Northampton Country ClubWD 
Alexander Maguire, Jr., Brookside Country ClubWD 
Ted Brennan, Philadelphia Country ClubWD 
Sean Leonard, Tavistock Country ClubWD 
John Mullins, Five Ponds Golf ClubWD 
Peter Barron, III, Stone Harbor Golf ClubWD 
Brendan Mohler, Northampton Country ClubWD 
Louis Giovi, Mercer Oaks Golf CourseWD 
Bobby Svigals, Radnor Valley Country ClubWD 
Arthur Kania, Jr., Merion Golf ClubWD 
 
WD-withdrawal

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