Philmont’s Kelly cards 65, caps Open Qualifier at North Hills

 GLENSIDE, Pa. — With an endgame of earning a living on tour, Louis Kelly, Jr. is looking to prove to potential sponsors that he’s worth the investment. His stock rose Tuesday. | Scorecards | Photo gallery | History |

  Kelly, a Philmont Country Club member who plans to turn professional in the fall, carded a 6-under-par 65 to earn medalist honors in a Golf Association of Philadelphia Open Championship Qualifier at North Hills Country Club (par 71, 6,488 yards). He grabbed one of 29 qualifying positions available for the Championship proper, set for July 18 at The Ridge at Back Brook.

  The cut line fell to 73 by day’s end.

  “This is a big summer because I’m still trying to show people that I can play,” Kelly, 23, said. “I already had seven college wins and made it to a national championship [NCAA Division II in 2014]. I know that I can play; it’s just a matter of showing that I can make it to the next level. This is a good start.”

  Is it ever.

  Kelly, who graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in May with a business degree, separated from a sea of red by firing seven birdies against a bogey on the day. With conditions soft early due to overnight rain, he pounced with a 4 on the par 5, 505-yard No. 2, knocking a 60-degree wedge 70 yards to 12 feet. Kelly rolled in a four-footer on the next par 5 (No. 4, 612 yards), using that same wedge from 112 yards. On No. 8 (par 4, 430 yards), he executed a left-to-right breaking 25-footer for birdie following a 52-degree wedge from 150 yards. Kelly became one of 15 players in the morning wave to turn in red figures.

  “I know that I’ve been working really hard on my game, so I was just like, ‘Let’s see what you got. Hit shots, don’t worry about score,’” he said.

  Numbers remained an afterthought for the dialed-in Deptford, N.J. resident. He carded back-to-back birdies on Nos. 10 (par 4, 326 yards) and 11 (par 3, 143 yards); Kelly hit a 60-degree wedge 106 yards to 11 feet on the first, spun a gap wedge to 12 feet on the latter. He drained a 12-foot, left-to-right slider on the par 5, 512-yard 15th hole following a 56-degree wedge set-up from 121 yards. Even a wayward 3-wood off the 18th (par 4, 349 yards) failed to disrupt a birdie destination. Kelly, after receiving a fortuitous tree-kick on the dogleg right, chopped a 52-degree wedge 134 yards to five feet.

  Tuesday marked Kelly’s first competitive tournament since, ironically, a Golf Association of Philadelphia Open Qualifier a year ago. He lost in a 12-for-1 playoff at Running Deer Golf Club. Work and school obligations thereafter kept Kelly off the course. He caddied at Philmont and Trenton Country Club last summer, then took a position in the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s athletic department during his senior year.

  Kelly now works as a caddie at Wilmington Country Club. He also assisted with tournament operations during the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club. In between, events such as the Open and Joseph H. Patterson Cup will fill his summer schedule.

  During the winter, Kelly, under the aid of Athletic Motion Golf, underwent a swing change that’s transformed his game.

  “I was down and to the left, hitting eight degrees down on the driver. Now I’m hitting three degrees up and gained 75 yards,” Kelly said. “I’m not taking those beaver pelts, digging up the whole range. I’m eco-friendly now. I’m actually a better player than I was. [Today’s round] is definitely a sign that I’m moving in the right direction.”

  Amateurs John Samaha of Old York Road Country Club and Troy Vannucci of Little Mill Country Club, playing together in the day’s final group, carded respective 5-under-par 66s to share second place. Vannucci, 24, of Marlton, N.J., inked a 30 coming in to tie Samaha, who went out in 31. Overall, 14 players posted subpar scores.

Golf Association of Philadelphia
  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 153 Full Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. 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.