Yet another Thompson nabs Warner Cup

EXTON, Pa.– It’s like deja vu all over again.

OK, so maybe one of Yogi Berra’s most famous quotes doesn’t quite apply here, but it sure is close.

  This time, Andy Thompson of Overbrook GC beat out Neil McDermott of Llanerch CC in a one-hole, sudden-death playoff Wednesday at Whitford CC (par 72, 6,503 yards) to take the 74^th running of the Francis B. Warner Cup.

  Andy became the second consecutive Thompson to win the Cup after his brother, Ray, the 2007 Senior Player of the Year, won last year’s event at Bent Creek CC by defeating Charles “Buck” Jones of Philadelphia Publinks GA in a six-hole playoff.

  But unlike last year’s six-hole marathon, Thompson and McDermott only needed one extra hole to determine the winner after each player carded a pair of 2-under-par 70s in regulation play.

  “There’s not that many days when you play golf and feel comfortable and I felt comfortable today,” Thompson said. “I knew that my game was OK [coming off the GAP Team Matches], so I felt pretty good about coming here today.”

  “I played very well today,” McDermott said. “To shoot 70, when you look at the full field of scores, what Andy and I did was a good solid round of golf.”

  But the playoff was a different story for both competitors.

  Although both found the fairway off the tee, McDermott pulled his second shot into the left greenside bunker where he was left with a nasty lie on the down slope of the bunker and well below his feet. But somehow, he was able to get it up onto the green.

  But Thompson had troubles of his own. Although safely on in two, he struggled with the flat stick and suffered a rare three-putt to card a bogey.

  For McDermott, who was now lying three on the apron of the green, there was still a chance to get out of the situation unscathed if he could make bogey and move on to a second playoff hole.

  McDermott’s fourth stroke ran by the hole leaving him a tricky six-footer for five. From there, the Newtown Square, Pa., resident unfortunately burned the left edge, giving Thompson the win.

  “I was disappointed to see Neil miss hit his putt,” Thompson said. “I expected him to make it but the greens were tough today. I think everybody had a tough day on these greens.”

  “It just so happened that in the playoff hole I had the worst hole of the day,” McDermott commented. “It was unfortunate but Andy played solid and I’m very happy for him.”

  Thompson played the first 17 holes of the day in 4 under with birdies on hole Nos. 10 (par 4, 353 yards), 12 (par 5, 500 yards), 13 (par 3, 150 yards) and 17 (par 3, 178 yards). But his final two holes of the day resulted in a double bogey on No. 18 (par 4, 390 yards) and a bogey on the first playoff hole (No. 1, par 4, 377 yards), the only mistakes he made all day, a fact that almost came back to haunt him.

  “I would have been really disappointed if I had lost given the fact that I double bogeyed the 18^th hole,” he said. “I wish I had not finished things off by three putting my last hole and the playoff hole, but I got a win.”

  Added Thompson, “I just really wanted to come out here and hit some really good shots today. I really wasn’t thinking much about wining.”

Super Senior
  Kent Weymouth, Jr. of Philadelphia Publinks GA took the Super-Senior flight with a 3-over-par 75 at Whitford CC (par 72, 6,052 yards). The Wayne, Pa., resident carded birdies on hole Nos. 5 (par 3, 102 yards), 7 (par 4, 308 yards) and 10 (par 4, 335 yards) en route to his division-leading score.

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  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 136 Member Clubs and 56,000 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.

Results
Gross
Overall
1. *Andy Thompson, Overbrook Golf Club 70
2. Neil McDermott, Llanerch Country Club 70
3. Michael Quinn, Edgmont Country Club 72

Ages 60 and over
T1. Don Donatoni, White Manor Country Club 76
T1. Mark Shuman, Whitford Country Club 76
T1. Michael Rowland, Lehigh Country Club 76
T1. Stephen Daley, Lu Lu Country Club 76

Super Senior
1. Kent Weymouth, Jr. of Philadelphia Publinks GA 75
T2. Bob Wicker, Little Mill Country Club 78
T2. Christopher Frazier, Sunnybrook Golf Club 78
T2. Curt Fromal, The Springhaven Club 78
T2. Jay Kocher, Wilmington Country Club 78
T2. John Owens, Tavistock Country Club 78

*Won in a playoff