Saucon Valley’s Frisch cards low score at Caddie Tournament

*Photo gallery
*Scorecards
*History

COATESVILLE, Pa.–Stephen Frisch, III of Saucon Valley Country Club needed to gauge his game prior to next week’s Pennsylvania Amateur Championship Qualifier. The meter readings are high.

  Frisch, 30, of Northampton, Pa., registered a 1-under-par 70 to top the 68th Caddie Tournament Ages 24-30 Flight at Coatesville Country Club (par 71, 6,276 yards). It was the tournament’s lone under-par score.

  “I’m real excited to play here today. It’s nice to have such an event for caddies from all the clubs. This is the start up of the year for me,” said Frisch, who played four years at Coker College. He graduated in 2006. “Last year was the first year I got back into playing competitively. Work is why I stopped playing. It’s more or less comfort and feeling right now. I’ve been swinging for so long. It’s really about setting up and making a good swing.”

  Frisch unsuccessfully attempted to qualify for the State Amateur and U.S. Mid.-Amateur Championship a year ago.

  He heads to Wyoming Valley Country Club next week searching for a berth to the Pennsylvania Amateur at Oakmont Country Club.

  Frisch cited the need to strengthen his short game as a focus.

  With that said, it was a clutch play around the green, in particular No. 9 (par 4, 335 yards), that made the difference on Monday.

  Frisch, who has been caddying at Saucon for the last six years, stood 1 under after eight holes. He hit a wedge from 74 yards on No. 3 (par 5, 531 yards) to 10 feet for birdie and added a fantastic 5-iron on No. 6 (par 3, 188 yards) to 15 feet for a 2. A poor chip on No. 7 (par 4, 323 yards) resulted in his lone front-side bogey. On No. 9, it was that aforementioned clutch shot that became a decisive factor. He holed a 54-degree wedge from 35 yards out for eagle.

  “I was just short of the bunker right. I hit it over the bunker, it landed in the fringe and I heard it hit the flag,” said Frisch.

  He made the turn at 3 under.

  Frisch bogeyed two of his next three holes, Nos. 10 (par 5, 519 yards) and 12 (par 3, 200 yards), with a couple of loose pitch shots and three-putted No. 16 (par 4, 309 yards) for a third over-par number on the inward side. However, Frisch finished strong, lifting a 54-degree wedge from 105 yards to 12 feet and made the birdie putt.

  “I putted really well today but I have to tighten up my short game,” said Frisch. “I played competitively right out of college but I haven’t done so for the last four or five years.”

  Steven Owens, III, 20, of Commonwealth National Golf Club took the Ages 18-23 Flight with an even-par round.

  In his third year of caddying at CNGC, Owens’ game is in prime condition. He and father Steve placed second in the Father-Son (Middle) the last week of May. He, too, looks to challenge his talents. His coming in a Golf Association of Philadelphia Open Championship Qualifier on Wednesday at Greate Bay Country Club.

  “I was excited coming in here today because I have been hitting it well,” said Owens, who won the 2011 Philadelphia Catholic League Championship while at Father Judge High School. “I kept it in play pretty well. I hit 15 greens.”

  Owens turned in 1-under par and had his round to 3 under after birdies on Nos. 11 (par 4, 304 yards) and 12. He hit a gap wedge from 84 yards to five feet on 11 before rocketing a 3-hybrid on No. 12 up the hill to 40 feet. However, a double-bogey on the ensuing 217-yard, par-3 13th came as a result of bunker issues. He finished with two pars, two bogeys and a birdie.

  The Caddie Tournament had five flights. There is no overall champion.

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 150 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.

Ages 17 and under
1. Sawyer Wolfers, Waynesborugh CC, 78

Ages 18 to 23
1. Steven Owens, III, Commonwealth National GC, 71

Ages 24 to 30
1. Stephen Frisch, Saucon Valley CC, 70

Ages 31 to 42
*1. Nigel Scott, Philadelphia CC, 72

Ages 43 and over
1. Lance Hornung, Merion GC, 78