GLENSIDE, Pa. — Geoffrey Cooper is a rookie among the North Hills Country Club membership, but he played the course (par 71, 6,428 yards) like a savvy veteran Thursday. He carded a 2-over-par 73 to earn medalist honors in a Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier presented by Callaway Golf.
Cooper led a field of 105 players hoping to earn one of 33 qualifying spots and ties for the Championship proper, presented by Callaway Golf. It will take place May 21-22 at Gulph Mills Golf Club.
At the end of the day, the cut line stopped at 79.
Yesterday’s heavy rainfall left North Hills oversaturated and thus prompted Golf Association of Philadelphia officials to implement a 1 p.m. shotgun start. The club’s maintenance crew prepared the golf course accordingly throughout the morning. Cooper adapted to — and marveled at — the conditions, all things considered.
“It’s a pleasant surprise to be at the top of the leaderboard today,” the Erdenheim, Pa. resident said. “I can’t believe what they did to the golf course in such a short time. It was perfect.”
That surprise comes from only playing “four or five” rounds at North Hills since joining the club earlier this year. Plus, competitive golf comes and goes these days for Cooper because of family obligations. He and his wife recently celebrated the birth of their third child.
But Cooper, 37, continues to consult with Steve Sieracki on a stack and tilt approach, which keeps his golf game in shape.
“I’m working on a system where I can play any golf course and hit it straight,” he said. “My work with Steve allows me to be competitive and have fun.”
Cooper, who started on No. 17 Thursday, eased any competitive golf jitters with a spectacular chip-in for 4 on the 18th hole (par 4, 323 yards). He airmailed the green with punch 7-iron from under the trees. “Too cute” of a chip off the hillside left Cooper 30 feet from the hole location. He responded with a clutch par save. However, Cooper carded a double bogey on the next hole (par 4, 338 yards) after finding the fairway bunker with his drive. He extricated himself accordingly, but left his third shot — a wedge from 100 yards — short of the green and three-putted.
Cooper’s lone birdie occurred on the par 3, 160-yard No. 7, where he hit a 7-iron to eight feet. He made par on eight of his next nine holes, with the par 4, 321-yard 10th being the exception. Cooper found the fairway with a monstrous drive, but flew the green with a wedge from 40 yards. His ensuing chip stopped 20 feet from the flagstick, and Cooper failed to save par.
He will, however, save May 21-22 on his calendar.
“I would just like to play well,” Cooper, who works in pharmaceutical sales, said. “My starting point is to play well enough to at least be in the running for a spot in the Top 25. If I play well and get hot at any point during the round, I can contend.”
Thursday’s qualifier was one of three used to determine who will compete in the Championship proper. Hartefeld National’s Tom Borsello and Ronald Jamarowicz shared medalist honors in an event at White Clay Creek Country Club last week. The final qualifier will take place May 8 at Radley Run Country Club.
The Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Middle-Amateur Championship started in 1984, three years after the USGA created the U.S. Mid-Am as a formal championship for post-college amateurs. The Association followed suit with the USGA in creating a Mid-Am, but initially differed in its administration of the tournament in a couple of respects. The most obvious difference was the age requirement. Prior to 2001, the GAP Mid-Am was for players 30 years of age and older.
The Association’s Executive Committee reviewed and revised that age requirement in 2001 to match the USGA’s guidelines of 25 years of age or older for eligible players. Also at that point, the Committee changed the format of the event to a two-day stroke play tournament (instead of a one-day medal play event) with a cut to the low 70 players and ties after the first round.
Callaway Golf was founded in 1982 by the late Ely Callaway, a visionary entrepreneur who operated under a simple but profound business promise: Deliver Demonstrably Superior, Pleasingly Different products and services. That philosophy turned what was originally a boutique manufacturer of high-quality wedges and putters into the world’s largest maker of premium, performance golf products. The Callaway mission and vision has remained the same; we passionately pursue advanced, innovative technologies that help golfers of all abilities find more enjoyment from the game. Under the Callaway and Odyssey brands, Callaway manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells golf apparel, footwear and accessories in more than 110 countries worldwide.
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 143 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.
Qualifiers
Name, club
Scores
Geoffrey Cooper, North Hills Country Club
73
Brendan Young, North Hills Country Club
74
Matthew Gaffney, Little Mill Country Club
74
Christopher Reedman, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
74
John Samaha, Old York Road Country Club
75
Jamie Slonis, Tavistock Country Club
75
James Donnelly, Merion Golf Club
75
Brian Shevland, Waynesborough Country Club
76
Mark Czerniakowski, Blue Bell Country Club
76
Bill Burke, Sea Oaks Golf Club
76
Richard Atcavage, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
77
Scott McLaughlin, Commonwealth National Golf Club
77
Patrick Conroy, Llanerch Country Club
77
Jim Gavaghan, Jericho National Golf Club
77
Sean Torpey, Commonwealth National Golf Club
77
Robert Good, Merion Golf Club
77
Len Fox, Jr., Tavistock Country Club
77
Mike Cavanaugh, Jericho National Golf Club
78
Tom Spano, Llanerch Country Club
78
Adam Bracy, Rancocas Golf Club
78
Patrick Murray, North Hills Country Club
78
Robin McCool, Saucon Valley Country Club
78
Rich Thon, The Springhaven Club
79
Brian Sokolowski, Greate Bay Country Club
79
Edward Kelly, Jr., Old York Road Country Club
79
Drew Garis, North Hills Country Club
79
Marc Mandel, Philadelphia Cricket Club
79
Doug Fedoryshyn, Concord Country Club
79
Phil Cillo, Little Mill Country Club
79
William Bello, Metedeconk National Golf Club
79
Thomas Lindberg, St. Davids Golf Club
79
Jason Barkley, Huntsville Golf Club
79
Bobby Kershner, Spring Ford Country Club
79
Sean Coyle, Llanerch Country Club
79
J.J. Berenato, Llanerch Country Club
79
Failed to qualify
Daniel Mahoney, Lu Lu Country Club
80
Kyle Garis, North Hills Country Club
80
David O’Malley, Commonwealth National Golf Club
80
Daniel Pinciotti, Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club
80
David Sirolly, Country Club of York
80
Thomas Mallouk, Lookaway Golf Club
80
Robert Zaleski, Fox Hill Country Club
80
Eric Fonner, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
80
Joseph Costanzo, Five Ponds Golf Club
80
Lance Oberparleiter, Laurel Creek Country Club
80
Jon Lavin, Rolling Green Golf Club
81
Robert Brown, Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club
81
Patrick Cahill, III, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
81
Matthew Yorgey, Golden Oaks Golf Club
81
Alexander Maguire, Jr., Brookside Country Club
81
Andrew Harmer, The Springhaven Club
81
Frank Polizzi, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
81
Steve Tazza, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
82
Steve Lubin, Philadelphia Cricket Club
82
Joe Kerrigan, Jr., Llanerch Country Club
82
John Campanelli, Running Deer Golf Club
82
Ryan Orcutt, Philadelphia Publinks GA
82
Vincent Budny, Metedeconk National Golf Club
82
Alex Hanna, Overbrook Golf Club
82
Dan Clark, Old York Road Country Club
82
Gary Ames, Bala Golf Club
82
Andrew Carnevale, North Hills Country Club
82
Carl Scaramuzza, Cedarbrook Country Club
82
James Austin, Five Ponds Golf Club
82
Lucas Serbun, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
83
Carlo Fitti, Llanerch Country Club
83
Adam Gelwarg, Green Valley Country Club
83
Tim Westfall, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
83
Matthew Hilbush, Commonwealth National Golf Club
84
Matthew McFarlane, Doylestown Country Club
84
Nicholas Damm, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
84
John Nottage, Commonwealth National Golf Club
84
G. Patrick Dougherty, Philadelphia Cricket Club
84
Mike Good, Merion Golf Club
84
Robert Loftus, Overbrook Golf Club
84
Gary Smith, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
85
Bob Beck, Lehigh Country Club
85
Jeff Klagholz, Aronimink Golf Club
85
Brad Sokol, Green Valley Country Club
85
Nick Madden, Lu Lu Country Club
85
Luis Diaz, Rancocas Golf Club
85
Jason Miller, Lu Lu Country Club
85
Michael Grimes, Chester Valley Golf Club
85
Michael Ceribelli, Stonewall
86
Charles Meadows, Whitford Country Club
86
Brian Sexton, Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club
86
Frank Corrado, Jr., Jericho National Golf Club
87
Burton McHugh, Sunnybrook Golf Club
87
Mike O’Keefe, French Creek Golf Club
88
Pat Pasquariello, Philadelphia Country Club
88
Nicholas Stoyer, Laurel Creek Country Club
88
Patrick Serfass, St. Davids Golf Club
88
John Manfredi, Woodcrest Country Club
88
Nick Corper, Skippack Golf Club at Evansburg State Park
89
Gary Yeager, Philadelphia Cricket Club
89
Brendan May, North Hills Country Club
90
Joe Waterman, Jr., Yardley Country Club
90
William Curran, Gulph Mills Golf Club
91
Jonathan Kruse, Bala Golf Club
91
Duane Pinnock, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
91
Jules Quinones, Blue Bell Country Club
91
Linc Treadwell, Saucon Valley Country Club
94
Jason Kowalski, Yardley Country Club
97
Francis Hamm, Country Club of Scranton
DQ
Jay Vasil, Greate Bay Country Club
WD
David Blair, Gilbertsville Golf Club
DQ
