Talamore Country Club’s Abramski takes Warner Cup (Net)

  LAFAYETTE HILL, Pa.–The cliché no pain, no gain isn’t for Bob Abramski of Talamore Country Club. Saddled with back issues since a freak high school injury, Abramski employed the services of David Ostrow with Body Balance for Performance this year to alleviate the chronic issue from his golf game. Tuesday at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, the now pain free Abramski carded a 76 net 64 to take the Warner Cup (Net) for players 55 years of age and older.

  “The last two years I had to wear a brace every time I played,” said Abramski, 63, of Fort Washington, Pa. “I’ve been seeing David, who specializes in evaluating how your body parts move when you swing the club. I’ve played at least 30 rounds this year and I haven’t worn the brace once. He’s a miracle worker.”

  Abramski’s longtime friend, fellow club member and group mate, Gary Tiller, placed second with a net 65. The two rode in the same cart today. Both players carried a 12 handicap at Whitemarsh.

  “I love these events, the courses and the competition. I love being a part of the Golf Association of Philadelphia,” said Abramski. “It is special to win something like this.”

  Added Tiller with a smile, “It’s great. My only disappointment is I didn’t beat [Bob].”

  Abramski is a retired underwriter from ACE Insurance who said his game made the turn just this Sunday.

  “I was struggling to break into the low 80s prior to this Sunday when I started feeling better with my tempo,” said Abramski. “Monday I shot a 76 at Talamore and I haven’t been close to 80 all season. My Handicap Index is up more than 2½ strokes since last year.”

  Abramski’s magic potion Tuesday spelled 14 pars and four bogeys. He had two over-par blemishes on each side, three of those – on No. 6 (par 4, 302 yards), No. 8 (par 4, 394 yards) and No. 17 (par 5, 454 yards) – the result of poor approach shots. His bogey on No. 11 (par 5, 456 yards) resulted from a poor third shot.

  “I didn’t hit the ball that well off the tee but I scored well,” said Abramski. “I probably hit only seven or eight fairways, but what I did do was hit my approach shots well. I hit really crisp irons. On the longer holes I played to a yardage. I tried to leave myself with a 90- or 100-yard shot I’m comfortable with.”

  Abramski’s competed in Golf Association of Philadelphia individual tournaments since the year he retired, 2006. Tiller, on the other hand, is a newcomer to the local competitive circuit. He’s only played in Association events the past few seasons.

  However, Whitemarsh Valley brought Tiller back to the 1970s when his boss was a member at the Lafayette Hill club and he would tee it up regularly.

  “It brought back some memories for sure,” said Tiller.

  Tiller, 60, of Hatboro, Pa., and Abramski were neck-and-neck all day. In fact, after nine holes, both started their rounds on No. 10, Tiller held a one-stroke advantage.

  “I haven’t broken 85 all year. I’ve been struggling to break 90,” said Tiller. “I putted well today though, I didn’t have one three putt and five or six one putts.”

  Tiller recorded five bogeys and a birdie on his inward nine, two more strokes than Abramski and one more overall.

  “I kept waiting for the real Gary to show up,” joked Tiller.

  A Talamore member since 2003, Tiller and Abramski and their wives are close friends. That doesn’t make the two men any less competitive, however. Tiller defeated Abramski last year in the club net tournament. They two are set to square off again in a few days.

  “That’s the big one,” said Abramski.

  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 145 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.