YARDLEY, Pa. — Three weeks ago, Northampton Country Club’s Eric Ostrosky accepted friend Chris Lilley’s invitation to play Yardley Country Club, his home course. The practice session assured Ostrosky that he could reach a few of the venue’s par 4s with aggressive yet calculated drives. He implemented that assertive strategy Wednesday during a Golf Association of Philadelphia Amateur Championship Qualifier at a rainy Yardley (par 72, 6,378 yards). It worked like a charm as Ostrosky carded a 1-under-par 71 to earn medalist honors.
“There are no lay-ups here,” the Bethlehem, Pa. resident said. “I just hit it the way he (Lilley) told me to hit it. I wasn’t wild about having to qualify here because I like to hit it farther and spray it a hair. This was a day that fit into my schedule.”
Ostrosky, 41, led a field of 128 players attempting to grab one of 29 qualifying positions and ties available for the event’s 113th edition, set for June 18-20 & 22 at Aronimink Golf Club. Amid intermittent rainfall throughout the day, he deposited seven birdies to overcome four holes played in a combined 6 over.
Starting on No. 10 (par 5, 564 yards), he watched his drive ricochet off a tree and crinkle into the lip of a fairway bunker. A difficult lie led to a double bogey. Following a birdie on the par 5, 495-yard 13th hole, Ostrosky, who operates a medical billing company, encountered trouble on No. 14 (par 4, 436 yards), filing a 6 after his 9-iron from 154 yards splashed into the water hazard. To cap a crazy outward tour, Ostrosky birdied two his last three holes. He stopped an 8-iron at five feet on No. 15 (par 3, 149 yards). On the downhill par 4, 305-yard 18th hole, Ostrosky eased a chip to four feet after landing his drive in the right fringe.
“You survive the back nine because there are opportunities on the front,” Ostrosky said.
Ostrosky posted a 33 coming in to secure red on the scorecard. Feeling confident in his ball-striking, Ostrosky navigated the dogleg right No. 1 (par 4, 324 yards) with a towering drive that settled 10 feet from the jar; he then two-putted. He smacked a sand wedge 90 yards to 15 feet on No. 3 (par 4, 388 yards). Ostrosky fired back-to-back birdies on Nos. 5 (par 4, 376 yards) and 6 (par 4, 320 yards). He hit a sand wedge 121 yards to five feet below the hole on the first, and nearly holed a 20-yard wedge shot for eagle on the latter. Ostrosky ended his qualifying bid with an ultimately irrelevant 4 on the par 3, 155-yard No. 9. A 71, though, is certainly a solid score for a GAP newcomer; Wednesday marked Ostrosky’s first event, aside from the annual Team Matches.
“It’s always a scheduling thing for me,” he said. “This was just a good opportunity. It’s a time of year that I play a little more golf than usual. I feel very good about it, and thank God for my wife because she’s a saint. My game is a good as it is right now.”
Ostrosky plans to be primed for the Championship proper. He’ll compete in Northampton’s three-day Member-Guest during the first week of June. The following week, he heads to Saucon Valley Country Club to participate in its Member0Guest alongside his father.
“I’ll be about as golfed in as I can be at that point,” Ostrosky said. “I don’t ever expect to lose to anyone, anywhere for any reason, but it happens. I’m not going there to lose. I’ll put it that way.” The cut line stopped at 77 by day’s end.
Wednesday’s qualifier was the first of three used to determine who will play in the Championship proper. The next will be held Saturday, May 18 at Broad Run Golfer’s Club.
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
Eric Ostrosky, Northampton Country Club
71
David West, Whitford Country Club
72
Mark Czerniakowski, Blue Bell Country Club
72
Eamon Marone, Northampton Country Club
73
Matthew Gaffney, Little Mill Country Club
73
Rand Mendez, Fieldstone Golf Club
74
John Alterman, Commonwealth National Golf Club
74
Joseph Gunerman, Jericho National Golf Club
74
Zachary Herr, Jericho National Golf Club
74
Todd Vonderheid, Huntsville Golf Club
74
James Bea, Spring Mill Country Club
74
Peter Moran, Edgmont Country Club
74
Stewart Rickenbach, Talamore Country Club
75
Sean Torpey, Commonwealth National Golf Club
75
Christopher Crawford, Spring Mill Country Club
75
Stephen Hudacek, III, Glenmaura National Golf Club
75
James Braunsberg, Blue Bell Country Club
76
Peter Barron, III, Stone Harbor Golf Club
76
Andrew Jaskel, Torresdale-Frankford Country Club
76
Michael Moffat, Commonwealth National Golf Club
76
Jim Rattigan, Schuylkill Country Club
76
Phillip Villari, Jr., Riverton Country Club
76
Russell Hill, Old York CC at Chesterfield
76
Bobby Svigals, Radnor Valley Country Club
76
Brock Kovach, Berkshire Country Club
76
Rodney James, Golden Oaks Golf Club
76
Pat Pasquariello, Philadelphia Country Club
77
Kevin Delaney, Downingtown Country Club
77
Steve Oh, Philadelphia Cricket Club
77
Brian Kenny, Greate Bay Country Club
77
Sean Seese, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
77
T.J. Summers, Commonwealth National Golf Club
77
Michael Beran, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
77
Failed to qualify
Tom Spano, Llanerch Country Club
78
Daniel Furman, Commonwealth National Golf Club
78
Ted Harris, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
78
Andrew Wickersham, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
78
Zachary Melnick, Plymouth Country Club
78
Mike Hartsough, Edgmont Country Club
78
Scott McLaughlin, Commonwealth National Golf Club
78
Matt Krass, Radley Run Country Club
78
Beau Guarino, Burlington Country Club
78
Drew Guarino, Burlington Country Club
78
Brett Cybulski, Merchantville Country Club
79
Daniel Mahoney, Lu Lu Country Club
79
Damon Zappariello, Five Ponds Golf Club
79
Jamie Slonis, Tavistock Country Club
79
James Austin, Five Ponds Golf Club
79
Scott Storck, Philadelphia Cricket Club
79
Richard Marabella, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
79
Trevor Loeb, Cherry Valley Country Club
79
Craig Maurer, Reading Country Club
79
Bradley Roberts, Little Mill Country Club
80
Johan van Schalkwyk, Merchantville Country Club
80
Oscar Mestre, Overbrook Golf Club
80
Nicholas Lukow, Woodstone Country Club
80
James Gillespie, Wedgwood Country Club
80
Robert Loftus, Overbrook Golf Club
80
Kevin Haag, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
80
David Sim, Applecross Country Club
80
Ryan Gelrod, Philadelphia Cricket Club
81
David Shields, Philadelphia Publinks GA
81
Paul Liebezeit, Aronimink Golf Club
81
William Bello, Metedeconk National Golf Club
81
Alex Bauman, The Ridge at Back Brook
81
Richard Sinopoli, Jr., Galloway National Golf Club
81
Billy Reube, Merchantville Country Club
81
David O’Malley, Commonwealth National Golf Club
81
Will Flood, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
81
Charles Scalzott, Hidden Creek Golf Club
81
Tim Pici, Chester Valley Golf Club
81
Lance Oberparleiter, Laurel Creek Country Club
82
Matt Petrozelli, Saucon Valley Country Club
82
Kenneth Croney, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
82
Mike Krantz, Middletown Country Club
82
Philip Formica, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
82
Alex Willey, Burlington Country Club
82
Mac Ryan, Overbrook Golf Club
82
Andrew Sterge, Stonewall
83
L.J. Georgetti, Wildwood Golf & Country Club
83
Benjamin Kotler, Bala Golf Club
83
Charles Bernard, Aronimink Golf Club
83
Kevin Frost, Philadelphia Cricket Club
83
Brendan Papariello, White Manor Country Club
83
Chris Binet, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
83
Alec Kissell, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
83
Mike Lam, Yardley Country Club
84
Eric Chipin, Philmont Country Club
84
Jimmy Johnston, Merion Golf Club
84
David Waxman, Little Mill Country Club
84
Scott McKean, Chester Valley Golf Club
84
Brian Dempster, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
84
Jason Barkley, Huntsville Golf Club
84
Russell Hartung, Doylestown Country Club
84
Kenneth Matt, Commonwealth National Golf Club
85
William Breskman, Rolling Green Golf Club
85
Michael Boden, Aronimink Golf Club
85
Andrew Bauer, Burlington Country Club
85
Connor Sharp, Torresdale-Frankford Country Club
85
Patrick Conroy, Llanerch Country Club
85
David Blair, Ravens Claw Golf Club
86
Sam Gallen, Berkshire Country Club
86
Dan Clark, Five Ponds Golf Club
86
Ed Kahn, Little Mill Country Club
86
Patrick Phillips, Philadelphia Publinks GA
87
Sean Ebert, Commonwealth National Golf Club
87
Michael Fagan, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
87
Evan Galbreath, Philmont Country Club
87
Hank Kaufmann, Yardley Country Club
87
Timothy Anderson, Philadelphia Publinks GA
87
James Barr, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
87
Taylor Stansberry, Jericho National Golf Club
88
Jack Quirk, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
90
Duane Pinnock, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
90
James Kaiser, Tavistock Country Club
91
Chris Michael, Merchantville Country Club
92
Daniel Kilpatrick, Medford Village Country Club
93
Daniel Brooks, Commonwealth National Golf Club
97
Ted Hill, Merion Golf Club
99
Joseph Greenwald, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
WD
Bill Lippman, Jericho National Golf Club
WD
Michael Rogers, Llanerch Country Club
WD
Bill Albertus, Penn Oaks Golf Club
WD
John Robinson, Commonwealth National Golf Club
WD
Brian Sokolowski, Greate Bay Country Club
WD
Joseph Costanzo, Five Ponds Golf Club
NS
Daniel Heller, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
WD
Scott MacDonald, White Clay Creek Country Club
WD
WD – withdrawal; NS – no show
