The year of firsts continues for Philadelphia Cricket Club. More than a month after winning its first GAP Team Matches title, the famed Flourtown, Pa. venue captured the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 94th Team Championship June 25 at Lehigh Country Club. It (27 points) bested Huntingdon Valley Country Club (18), Commonwealth National Golf Club (14) and Llanerch Country Club (13).
“It’s been an awesome year. To get [the GAP Team Matches and Team Championship] is very exciting,” Robert Savarese, Jr., Philadelphia Cricket’s captain, said.
“The group is ecstatic,” team member Scott Storck added. “We’ve been trying to just reach the Championship itself for the last 10 years, and this was only the second time we made it through. It kind of reinforces the GAP Team Matches win. It lets everyone know that wasn’t a fluke.”
Far from a fluke it seems. Philadelphia Cricket posted 10 points in the morning foursomes portion at Lehigh and accelerated into the winner’s circle with a 17-point effort in the afternoon.
“Everything about the day couldn’t be better,” Storck said. “If you look at Lehigh, they have such a great compliment of par 3s. You’re really forced to bear down and hit good shots.”
Prior to its triumph, Philadelphia Cricket, one of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s founding Member Clubs, only had six Team Championship appearances — five of which occurred within a decade (1949-58). It erased a 54-year drought by advancing into the Championship proper a year ago, when it finished as runner-up to hosts Overbrook Golf Club.
Now that Philadelphia Cricket’s shed the team monkey off its back, the club appears poised to build upon its 2013 gold.
“There is such good chemistry with people at the club now. We really feel like this is the start of something special,” Storck said. “There’s a tight camaraderie away from the course as well. Not only do you know them as a fellow competitor, but you know them on a much deeper personal level.”
“The future is bright for us,” Savarese added. “We are very deep. We’re going to be competitive. I think we may go on a run here. I wouldn’t be surprised.”
The last club to pull a double and win the GAP Team Matches and Team Championship in the same year was Commonwealth National in 2009.
FOURSOMES (morning)
Commonwealth National GC
Pts
Llanerch CC
Pts
Mike Moffat/Tom Krug
2
Kevin McDermott/Mike Rogers
1
Kyle Martin/Scott Carney
1
Ed Johnson/Stephen Seiden
.5
Scott McLaughlin/John Robinson
0
Brian McDermott/Tom Spano
1
John Alterman/John Nottage
0
J.P. Glynn/Sean Coyle
1.5
Total
3
Total
4
Philadelphia Cricket Club
Pts
Huntingdon Valley CC
Pts
John Brennan/Rob Savarese, Jr.
3
Sean Seese/James Sullivan, Sr.
0
Joe April/Marc Mandel
2.5
Dan Pinciotti, Jr./Will Weihenmayer
2
G. Patrick Dougherty/Kevin Kelly
3
Ben Cooley/Kevin Bondi
2
Scott Storck/Steve Oh
1.5
Andy Achenbach/Greg O’Connor
3
Total
10
Total
7
SINGLES (afternoon)
Commonwealth National GC
Pts
Llanerch CC
Pts
John Robinson
0
Mike Rogers
3
Scott Carney
2
J.P. Glynn
.5
Mike Moffat
2
Brian McDermott
0
Kyle Martin
3
Kevin McDermott
1
Scott McLaughlin
3
Stephen Seiden
0
Tom Krug
.5
Tom Spano
.5
John Alterman
.5
Ed Johnson
2
John Nottage
0
Sean Coyle
2
SINGLES
11
SINGLES
9
FOURSOMES
3
FOURSOMES
4
TOTAL
14
TOTAL
13
Philadelphia Cricket Club
Pts
Huntingdon Valley CC
Pts
Steve Oh
1
Sean Seese
2
John Brennan
3
Dan Pinciotti, Jr.
.5
Rob Savarese, Jr.
1
Ben Cooley
3
Kevin Kelly
1.5
Kevin Bondi
.5
G. Pat Dougherty
2
Andy Achenbach
1
Scott Storck
2.5
Will Weihenmayer
2.5
Marc Mandel
3
Greg O’Connor
.5
Joe April
3
James Sullivan, Sr.
1
SINGLES
17
SINGLES
11
FOURSOMES
10
FOURSOMES
7
TOTAL
27
TOTAL
18
