#PattersonCup Qualifier: Great Bear

Irem’s Wilson tops #PattersonCup Qualifier at Great Bear

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STROUDSBURG, Pa. – It took a week later than expected, but Irem Country Club’s Jonathan Wilson qualified for his first Joseph H. Patterson Cup.

After the original qualifying date (July 23) was wiped out due to severe weather, Wilson fired a 1-under par 70 Thursday at Great Bear Golf Club (par 71, 6,711 yards) to take medalist honors in the third and final #PattersonCup Qualifiers.

The cut line stopped at 72 by day’s end. Due to a tie, two players secured invitations in the second slot available: Scranton Municipal Golf Course’s Michael Thomas and Huntingdon Valley Country Club’s Ben Cooley, who both finished at 1-over 72.

The 117^th Joseph H. Patterson Cup, presented by Callaway Golf, will take place Aug. 7-8 at Applebrook Golf Club.

Wilson sunk under par early with his first birdie on the par-5, 475-yard 4th. After a perfectly-positioned driver off the tee, a 6-iron lay up left Wilson with 90 yards in. His wedge approach from there nestled up to three feet, resulting in an easy make. He’d go on to make the turn at 1-over after bogeys arrived on Nos. 5 (par 4, 413 yards) and 8 (par 5, 578 yards).

“I thought the course may be hard because it was tree lined. At the beginning of the round, I assumed the cut would around 3 or 4 over,” said Wilson, 22, of Dallas, Pa.

That imaginary cut line would be thrown out the window on Great Bear’s back side. After six-straight pars to begin the second nine, a red figure surfaced on No. 16 (par 3, 191 yards). Wilson willed his 7-iron off the tee to 12 feet and made the birdie look. On Great Bear’s finisher, the par-5, 535-yard 18th, Wilson got another one to fall. A drilled drive down the right side was followed by a lay up to 120 yards, and eventually a punched 9-iron approach to eight feet. The putt found its home at the bottom of the cup.

“I was happy to be under par. I had never played [Great Bear] before, but I knew it played to my advantages. I’m accurate off the tee, so that helped me out today,” said the medalist.

Wilson recently graduated from Penn State Wilkes-Barre where he was a consistent standout. Before he heads to the University of Scranton to pursue a Masters degree, he’ll play in his second GAP Major championship.

“I played in the GAP Open at Huntingdon Valley earlier this summer which was awesome,” said Wilson, who shot a 7-over 77 in the first round to miss the cut by a shot. “I’m sure the [Patterson] will be just as enjoyable. Applebrook will be another new course for me and I can’t wait to go play it. I have heard that it is a very good golf course.”

The second oldest Championship in GAP, the Joseph H. Patterson Cup memorializes a man who fostered the game of golf in its infancy. Joseph Henry Patterson, a Philadelphia Cricket Club member, competed in the first out-of-town match played by a team of Philadelphians. Friends of Patterson donated the Cup, designed by J.E. Caldwell & Co., to GAP in 1900.

Callaway Golf
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.

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 274 Full Member Clubs and 75,000 individual members are spread across the Eastern half of Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey and Delaware. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.