Wallace tops Amateur Championship Qualifier at Penn Oaks GC

  WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Jack Wallace of Burlington CC took home medallist honors Monday with a 3-over-par 74 at the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Amateur Championship Qualifier held at a hard and fast Penn Oaks Golf Club (par 71, 6,547 yards). The Drexel University-senior led a field of 135 players attempting to earn 39 of the qualifying spots and ties for the 107^th running of GAP’s Amateur Championship set for June 11-13 & 16 at Applebrook GC and White Manor CC.

  “The greens were firm and fast which made it tough,” said 22-year-old from Beverly, N.J. “Some of the greens were small so you had to make sure you were on the [correct] side. You couldn’t just play at the pins.”

  Added Wallace, “Anytime I had an 8-iron or more into the green, I just tried to leave it in front of [the green].”

  Wallace made bogeys on Nos. 2 (par 4, 440 yards) and 3 (par 5, 478 yards) before settling down to get back to even par through 11 holes.

  “You knew the ball was going to roll 15-20 feet every time, so I was just tying to keep it below the hole. I tried to hit a lot of low punch shots, get some spin on them and keep them out of the wind so they wouldn’t take a big bounces on me.”

  However, Wallace, who carded three birdies on the afternoon, attributed most of his success on the day to hitting fairways and making putts.

  Donny Wessner of Golden Oaks GC and Michael Nilon of Philadlephia CC each qualified one back of Wallace with matching 4-over-par 75s.

  “You just kind of knew the greens were hard so you clubbed it one less, aimed for the front of the green and take your bounce,” said Wessner. “I was landing it 10-15 yards short every [hole] and if I couldn’t I didn’t go after [the hole]. I just aim right at the middle of the green.”

  Nilon, who just came off shoulder surgery this past November, said he thought he hit the ball fairly well.

 Nilon birdied No. 12 (par 3, 150 yards) when he knocked a 6-iron to roughly 15 feet. He sunk the hole-high, right-to-left breaking putt for birdie.

  At the end of the day, the cut line fell to 82.

  Monday’s qualifier was the first of two qualifiers used to determine the field for the Championship. The next qualifier takes place at Ballamor GC on May 15.

  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 135 Member Clubs and 60,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The purpose of the Association is simple: To promote, protect and preserve the game of golf in the region.