#PattersonCup Qualifying: White Clay Creek - The Golf Association of Philadelphia

Jul 22, 2021

#PattersonCup Qualifying: White Clay Creek

Huntingdon Valley’s Cerbara sizzles, shoots 68

WILMINGTON, Del. — With the No. 18 flagstick leaning on his shoulder, Stephen Cerbara removed his hat and gradually shook his head. The proverbial run of the hand through the hair followed.

| Scoring portal | Photo gallery |

Such nonverbal cues suggest the worst. A poor performance, a missed cut. Quite the opposite for Cerbara Thursday.

The Huntingdon Valley Country Club member carded a 4-under-par 68 to earn medalist honors in Joseph H. Patterson Cup Qualifying presented by Provident Bank at White Clay Creek Country Club (par 72, 6,477 yards). As a result, Cerbara grabbed one of 24 qualifying positions and ties available for the Championship proper.

The cut line stopped at 4-over-par 76 by day’s end. The 119th Joseph H. Patterson Cup presented by Provident Bank will take place Aug. 4-5 at Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club.

“I figured I hit a better chip than that,” Cerbara said in justifying the aforementioned headshake on No. 18. “It was a great day. I was definitely happy with the way I played. I’m just looking forward to Manaufacturers’.”

Cerbara made par on No. 18 (par 4, 340 yards), for the record. The chip — albeit for eagle from 40 yards — released 25 feet past the hole location. Cerbara narrowly missed the birdie putt on the high side. No damage done.

On a course with penalty areas aplenty, Cerbara, a recent Drexel University graduate, kept the damage to a bare minimum. Course management, club selection and positioning proved paramount. Cerbara didn’t lose a golf ball, either.

“It’s a lot of placement golf out there,” Cerbara, 23, of Langhorne, Pa., said. “I was focusing on the process, making sure that I was focused on every shot. I wasn’t getting ahead of myself. Playing with [friend and Huntingdon Valley member] Brett (McGrath) had me pretty relaxed. We just had fun out there.”

Fun also came in the form of five birdies. On No. 8 (par 5, 511 yards), Cerbara rocketed a 6-iron to 12 feet below the hole location. His eagle attempt barely missed on the high side. The gettable par 4, 318-yard No. 9 meshed with Cerbara’s mojo.

“I felt good with the big stick and figured, ‘Why not?’” he said.

A drive greenside right, a chip to five feet and a birdie. Why not? Back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 (par 4, 369 yards) and 15 (par 5, 534 yards) came courtesy of a newly-acquired 50-degree wedge: 120 yards to five feet on the former, 130 yards to 15 feet on the latter. Cerbra also converted a 15-footer for birdie on No. 17 (par 3, 143 yards) after landing a crisp 9-iron above the hole location.

Cerbara’s lone bogey — a missed green, missed putt affair on No. 7 (par 3, 182 yards) — exemplified his headspace of late. He didn’t think ahead. He didn’t let his emotions skyrocket one way or the other. Remaining levelheaded is Cerbara’s gospel.

“I want to try to stay in the moment,” he said. “I’ve gotten a little ahead of myself in past tournaments. You make birdie, and you forget the process on the next hole.”

Golf’s allowed Cerbara to stay levelheaded these days. He’s hoping to gain a position in the finance realm. Between job searches, practice or playing sessions fill the schedule. Golf offers a reprieve from the anxiety any recent college graduate faces.

“You hit the nail right on the head,” Cerbara said. “It’s a little bit of a confusing time right now. It’s definitely a big transition. I’m figuring it out day by day. I’ve always had aspirations [of playing golf professionally] after college. It’s maybe not going to happen, so I’m having fun with golf now. I’m having fun playing with those guys at Huntingdon Valley.”

Fun no matter the headshakes.

Joseph H. Patterson Cup
The second oldest Championship in GAP (Golf Association of Philadelphia), the Joseph H. Patterson Cup memorializes a man who fostered the game 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 the Association in 1900.

Provident Bank
Provident Bank, a community-oriented financial institution offering “Commitment you can count on” since 1839, is the wholly owned subsidiary of Provident Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE:PFS), which reported assets of $12.92 billion as of December 31, 2020. With $9.84 billion in deposits, Provident Bank provides a comprehensive suite of financial products and services through its network of branches throughout northern and central New Jersey, as well as Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania and Queens County in New York. The Bank also provides fiduciary and wealth management services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Beacon Trust Company and insurance services through its wholly owned subsidiary, SB One Insurance Agency, Inc. For more information about Provident Bank, visit www.providentbank.com or join the conversations on Facebook (ProvidentBank) and Twitter (@ProvidentBank).

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.

Qualifiers
Name, clubScore
Stephen Cerbara, Huntingdon Valley Country Club68
Robert Bechtold, Fieldstone Golf Club70
Jason Loehrs, McCall Golf Club71
Nikita Romanov, Loch Nairn Golf Club71
Todd Baron, Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association71
Jake Fazio, Huntingdon Valley Country Club72
Caleb Ryan, The 1912 Club72
David Colleran, Overbrook Golf Club73
Richie Kline, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club73
Rodney Anders, Indian Valley Country Club74
Stephen Barry, Running Deer Golf Club74
Ryan Borrmann, Five Ponds Golf Club74
Adam Bracy, Tavistock Country Club74
Matt Graeff, Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club74
Drue Nicholas, Galloway National Golf Club74
Jim Rosenbaum, Old York Road Country Club74
John Bradbeer, Merion Golf Club75
Kyle Ginty, Talamore Country Club75
Troy Kelleher, Country Club of Scranton75
P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia Country Club75
Will Weihenmayer, Huntingdon Valley Country Club75
Matthew Bastian, Rolling Green Golf Club76
Christopher Dalglish, Sunnybrook Golf Club76
Evan Drummond, Applecross Country Club76
Michael Fioravante, LedgeRock Golf Club76
Bo Maguire, Brookside Country Club76
Brad Mills, Wedgwood Country Club76
Alex Seelig, Reading Country Club76
D.J. Pinciotti, Huntingdon Valley Country Club76
Gary Schoeman, Gulph Mills Golf Club76
Failed to qualify
Ed Brown, Loch Nairn Golf Club77
Justin Gohn, Concord Country Club77
Brandon Raihl, Philadelphia Cricket Club77
Ajeet Bagga, Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club78
Connor Bekefi, Manasquan River Golf Club78
Mark Benevento, Philadelphia Cricket Club78
Mark Hill, Rolling Green Golf Club78
Josh Lewis, Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association78
Lance Oberparleiter, Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association78
Kevin Scherr, Southmoore Golf Club78
Mark Wachter, Loch Nairn Golf Club78
Jackson Debusschere, The Springhaven Club79
Epi Delapaz, Gilbertsville Golf Club79
Justin Howe, Applecross Country Club79
Cooper Kronenberger, Little Mill Country Club79
Mitchell Nase, Jeffersonville Golf Club79
Shane Nocito, Yardley Country Club79
Eric Shenyo, White Clay Creek Country Club79
Andrew Sterge, Applebrook Golf Club79
Luis Diaz, Rancocas Golf Club80
Steve Kollias, Concord Country Club80
Michael Schwert, Llanerch Country Club80
Connor Vanin, Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association80
John Venne, Laurel Creek Country Club80
Cal Buonocore, Philadelphia Cricket Club81
Stephen Butler, Indian Valley Country Club81
Stephen McIntyre, Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association81
Brian Bygott, Tavistock Country Club82
Tom DiCinti, Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association82
Mike Dietrich, RiverWinds Golf & Tennis Club82
Luke Fagley, LedgeRock Golf Club82
Jeff Gardiner, Hartefeld National82
James Gradisek, Philadelphia Country Club82
Liam McGrath, Huntingdon Valley Country Club82
Mac Walsh, Aronimink Golf Club82
Roy Anderson, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club83
Nick Baird, Medford Lakes Country Club83
Lars Beck, Bala Golf Club83
Nathan Guertler, Merion Golf Club83
Brett McGrath, Huntingdon Valley Country Club83
Tim Pici, Jeffersonville Golf Club83
Oliver White, Stonewall83
Andrew Willadsen, Sakima Country Club83
Gerald Haftmann, Rolling Green Golf Club84
Ed Kahn, Little Mill Country Club84
William Bennink, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club85
Fran Migliocco, DuPont Country Club85
J.B. Reibstein, Philadelphia Cricket Club85
Brad Sokol, Green Valley Country Club85
Timothy Casale, Moorestown Field Club86
Rand Mendez, Fieldstone Golf Club87
Zach Miller, Five Ponds Golf Club87
Kevin Lee, Pitman Golf Course88
Michael Boden, Aronimink Golf Club90
Joshua Gallagher, Hartefeld National91
Colton Murray, DuPont Country Club91
Max Parry, Broad Run Golfer’s Club97
Ron Jamarowicz, DuPont Country ClubNC
Michael Rogers, Overbrook Golf ClubNC
Eric Schram, Lookaway Golf ClubNS
Joe Dulka, Bellewood Country ClubWD
Robert Grife, Little Mill Country ClubWD
Jon Rudisill, Little Mill Country ClubWD
NC – no card; NS – no show; WD – withdrawal

Share This: