BETHLEHEM, Pa.–The Metropolitan Golf Association captured its record 11th Fred E. Williamson Cup on Wednesday at Saucon Valley Country Club’s Weyhill Course (par 72, 6,811 yards). Team MGA powered to a victory with solid and steady play, posting a 5-over-par 437 total for the 36 holes of the competition. The Washington Metropolitan Golf Association, who led by five strokes after Round 1, placed second at 7 over. Host Golf Association of Philadelphia tied the Pennsylvania Golf Association for third.
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Charles-Éric Bélanger of Golf Québec took individual medalist honors at 4 under. Bélanger carded rounds of 71-69 for a 140 total.
The Williamson Cup is regarded as one of the nation’s most prestigious Junior golf events. It is a 36-hole stroke play competition among teams from 10 state and regional golf associations. The low three scores of each four-man team in each round count toward the team total.
Team MGA members were Ryan Davis, John Felitto, Brent Ito and Ethan Ng.
Davis was the low MGA finisher, placing third in the individual portion with rounds of 73-71 (144 total). Felitto tied for fourth at 146 (74-72) and Ito seventh at 147 (72-75). Ng carded a pair of 76s (152 total), a 12th-place showing. Washington Metropolitan also placed three players in the Top 10 – Chris Navarro (2), Luke Schaap (8) and Tyler Koch (T9). Schaap was the 2014 Williamson Cup medalist.
“The guys played great today. To make up six shots on the front side in the afternoon was fantastic,” said Lou Cutolo, the MGA captain. “We definitely thought we would be competitive. The guys on our team play well both locally and nationally. They are very consistent players.”
Davis secured victory in spectacular style. On No. 18 (par 5, 536 yard), he knocked a 7-iron from 150 yards to 15 feet and made the sliding birdie putt. He needed a two-putt for the win.
It was a bit of redemption for Davis. The 17-year-old from Berkley Heights, N.J., narrowly missed out on qualifying for the U.S. Junior Amateur, finishing as the first alternate, and recently placed mid-pack at the Carter Cup, the MGA’s Junior Stroke Play Championship.
“My teammates wouldn’t tell me what the putt on the final hole meant, but luckily I made it,” said a jubilant Davis. “[To win] meant a lot. We knew we had a really good shot. After the first round we were down but we knew if we hung in there it would definitely be possible.”
The MGA’s last Williamson triumph came in 2012. Other title years were 1965, 1972, 1985-86, 1986, 1995-96, 2004 and 2011.
Bélanger, 16, of Québec City, Québec, was tied for second in the individual standings after an opening 1-under 71. The aforementioned Navarro of Washington opened with a 5-under 67. However, Navarro wasn’t as crisp in Round 2 and Bélanger made the turn on his second 18 at 2 under, one back at the time. With Navarro, bound for the University of Maryland in the fall still fighting his swing, Bélanger registered two more red figures to secure medalist honors.
Bélanger was a member of the 2014 Québec team that won the Williamson Cup. He entered this year’s edition just days removed from a victory in the 77th Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Québec.
“We won [the Williamson Cup] last year. I play for the team,” said Bélanger. “I just try to make every shot the best I could. I wish to play great every time I go on the golf course. I just focus on my process, hitting fairways and greens.”
Bélanger’s recipe for success on Wednesday, he hit 15 first-round greens and 16 in Round 2.
He is the third medalist to represent Golf Québec joining Dan McNeeley (1992) and Nicolas Archambau (2005).
Fred E. Williamson, the event’s namesake, was one of the founders of the famed Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. He was junior golf advocate and firm promoter of the game’s rules, disciplines and traditions.
In 1964, teams from the four original cities — New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Buffalo — met at Winged Foot to institute the Williamson Cup. Washington, D.C., won the competition — founded by Williamson’s son A. Fred Williamson.
The Syracuse District Golf Association hosts the 2016 Williamson Cup.
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 151 Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. 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.
| Association | R1-R2–Total |
| Metropolitan GA | 219-218–437 |
| Ryan Davis | 73*-71*–144 |
| John Felitto | 74*-72*–146 |
| Brent Ito | 72*-75*–147 |
| Ethan Ng | 76-76–152 |
| Washington Metropolitan GA | 214-225–439 |
| Luke Schaap | 78-71*–149 |
| Bennett Buch | 76*-78*–154 |
| Tyler Koch | 71*-80–151 |
| Chris Navarro | 67*-76*–143 |
| GA of Philadelphia | 226-230–456 |
| Kyle Vance | 72*-74*–146 |
| Max Siegfried | 75*-79*–154 |
| Jack Melville | 81-77*–158 |
| Evan Brown | 79*-81–160 |
| Pennsylvania GA | 234-222–456 |
| Gus Minkin | 75*-71*–146 |
| R.J. Wren | 81*-74*–155 |
| Alex Butler | 81-78–159 |
| Karsen Rush | 78*-77*–155 |
| GA of Ontario | 229-228–457 |
| Kyle MacDonald | 78*-75*–153 |
| Jake Bryson | 81-75*–156 |
| Brendan Seys | 73*-78*–151 |
| Sam Meek | 78*-78–156 |
| Quebec GA | 229-228–457 |
| Charles-Eric Belanger | 71*-69*–140 |
| Brendan Smith | 77*-82*–159 |
| Olivier Menard | 82-85–167 |
| Jared Dandy | 81*-77*–158 |
| Delaware State GA | 232-233–465 |
| Reed Winkler | 75*-82–157 |
| Ryan Bree | 79*-76*–155 |
| Austin Barbin | 78*-79*–157 |
| Zachary Barbin | 81-78*–159 |
| Western Pennsylvania GA | 237-233–470 |
| Brady Pevarnik | 81*-80*–161 |
| Mark Goetz | 79*-80–159 |
| Jason Li | 77*-74*–151 |
| Jackson Palmer | 81-79*–160 |
| Rochester District GA | 233-240–473 |
| Christian Chapman | 77*-80*–157 |
| Jack O’Donovan | 76*-78*–154 |
| Gavin Simon | 80*-85–165 |
| Frederic Shi | 89-82*–171 |
| Syracuse District GA | 242-232–474 |
| Danny Lapp | 84-77*–161 |
| Jon Petrin | 82*-75*–157 |
| Andrew Massa | 83*-80*–163 |
| Jeremy Sisson | 77*-90–167 |
| *-score used in total | |
| Individuals | |
| Name, association | R1-R2–Total |
| Charles-Eric Belanger, Quebec Golf Association | 71-69–140 |
| Chris Navarro, Washington Metropolitan Golf Association | 67-76–143 |
| Ryan Davis, Metropolitan Golf Association | 73-71–144 |
| Kyle Vance, Golf Association of Philadelphia | 72-74–146 |
| John Felitto, Metropolitan Golf Association | 74-72–146 |
| Gus Minkin, Pennsylvania Golf Association | 75-71–146 |
| Brent Ito, Metropolitan Golf Association | 72-75–147 |
| Luke Schaap, Washington Metropolitan Golf Association | 78-71–149 |
| Jason Li, Western Pennsylvania Golf Association | 77-74–151 |
| Tyler Koch, Washington Metropolitan Golf Association | 71-80–151 |
| Brendan Seys, Golf Association of Ontario | 73-78–151 |
| Ethan Ng, Metropolitan Golf Association | 76-76–152 |
| Kyle MacDonald, Golf Association of Ontario | 78-75–153 |
| Max Siegfried, Golf Association of Philadelphia | 75-79–154 |
| Bennett Buch, Washington Metropolitan Golf Association | 76-78–154 |
| Jack O’Donovan, Rochester District Golf Association | 76-78–154 |
| R.J. Wren, Pennsylvania Golf Association | 81-74–155 |
| Karsen Rush, Pennsylvania Golf Association | 78-77–155 |
| Ryan Bree, Delaware State Golf Association | 79-76–155 |
| Jake Bryson, Golf Association of Ontario | 81-75–156 |
| Sam Meek, Golf Association of Ontario | 78-78–156 |
| Reed Winkler, Delaware State Golf Association | 75-82–157 |
| Austin Barbin, Delaware State Golf Association | 78-79–157 |
| Christian Chapman, Rochester District Golf Association | 77-80–157 |
| Jon Petrin, Syracuse District Golf Association | 82-75–157 |
| Jack Melville, Golf Association of Philadelphia | 81-77–158 |
| Jared Dandy, Quebec Golf Association | 81-77–158 |
| Alex Butler, Pennsylvania Golf Association | 81-78–159 |
| Mark Goetz, Western Pennsylvania Golf Association | 79-80–159 |
| Zachary Barbin, Delaware State Golf Association | 81-78–159 |
| Brendan Smith, Quebec Golf Association | 77-82–159 |
| Evan Brown, Golf Association of Philadelphia | 79-81–160 |
| Jackson Palmer, Western Pennsylvania Golf Association | 81-79–160 |
| Brady Pevarnik, Western Pennsylvania Golf Association | 81-80–161 |
| Danny Lapp, Syracuse District Golf Association | 84-77–161 |
| Andrew Massa, Syracuse District Golf Association | 83-80–163 |
| Gavin Simon, Rochester District Golf Association | 80-85–165 |
| Jeremy Sisson, Syracuse District Golf Association | 77-90–167 |
| Olivier Menard, Quebec Golf Association | 82-85–167 |
| Frederic Shi, Rochester District Golf Association | 89-82–171 |
