Tee it Forward – Spring Net: Philmont

Altieri, Kellock lead Spring Net at Philmont

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HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa. – A severe thunderstorm, mixed in with thousands of lightning strikes, washed play off the course as the last group stood on No. 18 fairway. Gus Altieri, playing in his first competitive event, waited inside as his ball sat lonely in the short grass.

The wait was well worth it for Medford Village Country Club’s Altieri. Despite the 90-minute lightning stoppage, the overall champion eventually carded a net par to take the Tee it Forward – Spring Net Championship with 42 Stableford Net points.

On a sizzling hot day at Philmont Country Club (par 70, 6,275 yards), Altieri, playing to a 26 USGA Handicap Index, fired a 20-over 90 for the win in a match of scorecards with playing partner and friend Joe Zulli of Trump National Golf Club – Philadelphia.

“I just started playing golf four or so years ago, and I wanted to take things up a notch by playing in a competitive event. This was a great start,” said Altieri, 66, of Ocean City, N.J. “Joe has been very influential in kind of motivating me to get better. He was the reason I was out here today.”

In the end, ironically enough, it was Altieri who beat out Zulli for the top spot with a clutch performance down the stretch. On No. 16 (par 4, 420 yards), Altieri’s 3-wood, 3-wood combination landed just in front of the green. From there, a chip up to six feet left a net-eagle putt that was jarred. On the par-3, 117-yard 17th, Altieri’s 9-iron tee sheet came up just short, as did his greenside wedge attempt. Left with another six-foot tester, Altieri stepped up and drained it. After teeing off with a perfect 3-wood on No. 18 (par 4, 307 yards), Altieri’s ball was abandoned for the weather delay. As the only group left on the course, the foursome waited it out in Philmont’s grill room.

“All day, I had no idea where I stood. I wasn’t even thinking about the points,” said Altieri. “But once we got inside for the delay, I knew where I stood and what I needed to do.”

Consider the pressure a plus. After play resumed, Altieri’s wedge approach rolled in the right fringe. Then Zulli stepped up and threw a wedge approach that landed within a foot of the cup and rolled out to 10 feet. Altieri would putt next, leaving his birdie short, followed by a second miss. Zulli’s birdie putt — which would have won the overall prize — lipped out. Altieri’s bogey putt earned him a net par and the two points needed to take the scorecard tiebreaker.

“If you would have told me that I would win at the beginning of the day, I would be the last guy to believe that,” said Altieri. “It feels great to win. It shows that I’m improving.”

Today’s event also marked a record-breaking Spring Net field in the Women’s Division with 19 players teeing it up Tuesday.

Playing to a scorecard of par-72, 5,222 yards, the overall Women’s prize went to Flourtown Country Club’s Alison Kellock, who finished with 37 Stableford Net points.

Both the highlight and lowlight of Kellock’s day both came in the sand. On No. 16 (par 5, 420 yards), Kellock blasted out of a fairway bunker with a wedge and placed her ball to 15 feet. That gross birdie putt was jarred, and with it came four crucial net points. Following that, Kellock was forced to pick up on No. 17 (par 3, 117 yards) after finding bunker issues and unable to escape, leading to zero points. Kellock got into the clubhouse with the lead, which prevailed over the rest of the field. Kellock bettered LedgeRock Golf Club’s Charlotte Kocher, who won last week’s Women’s Division in the Francis B. Warner Cup (Net) at Talamore Country Club, by two net points.

“After winning the [Winter Series Women’s Net Player of the Year], my game was kind of up-and-down to start the season. I took some time off because all of the snow in February, and I think that’s what hurt me a little,” said Kellock, 55, of Oreland, Pa. “My game is starting to settle down now and I’m starting to consistently shoot around the 80s, and that’s what I saw today. I’m proud of how I played today.”

This marks the fifth year of a Women’s Flight in the Spring Net. Two years ago in 2019, Kellock was the only Women’s competitor in the field at Heidelberg Country Club. Two years later, a crowded field had Kellock beaming with pride.

“It’s amazing to see how many ladies we had show up and play today. The word really has started to get out,” said Kellock, who also took home the 2019 title. “I’ve been encouraging others to come out and play, and today we had some other ladies out here from Flourtown, so that was really exciting for us to see.”

The Spring Net Championship, formerly known as the First Handicap Tournament, is open to players 18 years of age and older with handicap index less than 36.0. The event began in 1946. The Association adopted the Tee It Forward parameters in 2012. It also changed the scoring format to net Stableford. The 2020 edition of the Spring Net was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Tee It Forward initiative encourages golfers to play the course at a length that is aligned with their average driving distance.

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The Association’s 300 Member Clubs and 80,000 individual members are spread across the Eastern half of Pennsylvania and parts of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.