Fleetwood, PA. – Moselem Springs Golf Club provided the perfect setting for the 2019 Pro-Scratch Championship. Looking past the humidity on this summer day, conditions were excellent on the 6,740-yard par 70 golf course. The Pro-Scratch Championship features two-man teams consisting of one PGA Professional and one amateur.

Michael Ferguson (Philadelphia Cricket Club) and his playing partner John Brennan got things going in the morning after carding the first of two, 4-under (66) rounds. The pair had a nice opening birdie on the par-4 1^st hole to go 1-under but gave it right back on the 2^ndhole. The duo added five additional birdies against only one additional bogey, on their closing hole, to reach the number leaving themselves at the top of the leaderboard early in the day. Eventually, the team of Pat Butkus (Tavistock Country Club) and Adam Bracy joined Ferguson and Brennan with the second 4-under (66). The two-man team carded three birdies on their outward-nine and two birdies in a row on the back-nine. But like Ferguson and Brennan, the team from Tavistock CC bogeyed the par-4 18^th hole to drop back to 4-under and a tie for first place.

However, playing late in the day, it was the team of Brian Bergstol (Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort) and Jason Wilson who would eventually be crowned the champions. When all was said and done the pair posted an impressive 11-under (59). Bergstol eagled the par-5 7^th hole and capped the round off with four birdies in a row. Wilson contributed just as much providing five birdies of his own on the card. The dup was also the only team in the field to play bogey-free. “You should have seen this round, he was on fire” Bergstol says about Wilson.

The Section would like to thank the membership and staff of Moselem Springs Golf Club for hosting this year’s event. The Philadelphia PGA will be back in action on Monday, July 1 for the Pro-Assistant Pro Championship at Seaview Resort – Bay Course.

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Medford, N.J. – For the first time in more than a decade, the Philadelphia PGA traveled into South Jersey, and Medford Village Country Club, for the 2019 Jack Jolly / Golf Pride Championship. Despite the recent weather that plagued the region, course conditions were impeccable thanks in large part to the maintenance staff at Medford Village Country Club.

The Jack Jolly / Golf Pride Championship is the fourth points event on the Philadelphia PGA calendar and is played as an individual stroke play event. The field featured more than 100 Professionals from across the Section and also included members of the Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization (PAO) who were competing in the PAO event which was held in conjunction with today’s Championship. As a note some PAO members were competing in both of the day’s tournaments.

Philadelphia PGA veteran Mark Sheftic (Merion GC) was the first player to separate himself from the field. Sheftic got off to a fast start birdieing four of his opening nine holes. However, as Sheftic played the inward nine he found some trouble on the par-3 eleventh hole, posting a bogey, and ultimately finishing with a score of 4-under (68).

Not far behind Sheftic was Michael Little (Lookaway GC) who quickly joined Sheftic for the clubhouse lead after posting an identical 4-under (68). Little made the turn at even par after trading one birdie, par-5 fifth hole, and one bogey, par-4 ninth hole. As he played his way back to the clubhouse Little got red hot carding four birdies on the back side, including back-to-back birdies to end his round.

In the afternoon wave Doug Delaney (Union League National GC) made things interesting after posting the third 4-under (68) of the day. Delaney was on cruise control on the front side with nine pars, then took advantage of the back nine posting four birdies over a five-hole stretch.

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However, for all three players at 4-under their dreams of victory would come to an end as Philadelphia PGA rookie, Tom Cooper (Pine Valley GC) carded a sizzling nine birdies, three more than any other player in the field, en route to a tournament best 7-under (65). Cooper posted four birdies against one bogey on the outward nine while adding five additional birdies against only one bogey on the inward nine.

Waiting in the clubhouse, Cooper was watching the leaderboard hoping his score was good enough for his first Section win. “I’ve been hitting the ball really well the past couple weeks. I made an important putt on the par-4 second hole and carried that momentum for the rest of the round,” said Cooper. “I was hitting greens, something you have to do here, and everything was just clicking.” In the end Cooper’s 7-under (65) was good enough for a three-shot victory. Cooper also credits his victory to playing with some great professionals who had pushed him the entire day.

In the senior division, Dave Quinn (Laurel Creek CC) took home the top spot with a score of 3-under (69). Quinn started off his round with a nice birdie on the par-4 first hole while adding two additional birdies on the front nine. Finish in a second-place tie in the senior division were a group of players tied at 2-under (70). The first to reach the number was John Appleget (The Shore Club) who was eventually joined by Bob Lennon (Wilmington CC) and Hugo Mazzalupi (Patriots Glen National GC) out of the afternoon wave.

George Forster (Radnor Valley CC) became victorious again in the super-senior division. Forster had a clean scorecard until the par-4 fifteenth hole where he made his lone bogey to finish with an even par (72). Bill Sautter (Philadelphia Cricket Club) and Don DeAngelis (Spring Ford CC) both finished tied for second place after shooting a 1-over (73).

The Section would like to thank the members and staff of Medford Village Country Club as well as our tournament sponsors, Jack Jolly & Son and Golf Pride Grips. The next event on the Philadelphia PGA calendar is Pro-Scratch Championship on June 27, 2019 at Moselem Springs Golf Club.

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Lancaster, Pa. – The Philadelphia PGA traveled to Conestoga Country Club in the heart of the Amish Country on a day packed with humidity that led to a brief period of rain. The Conestoga CC tested the entire field’s playing ability due to the wet, lush rough which was the result of overnight rain.

To start the day off, Mike Tobiason (Deerfield Golf Club) came into the clubhouse with the first under par score of 1-under (69). Tobiason didn’t have one blemish on his card and capped the day off with a birdie on the par-4 18^th hole.

The driver’s seat was quickly taken over by Eric Kennedy (Overbrook Golf Club). Kennedy started off hot with an eagle on the par-5 1^st hole. He ended up with three more birdies and one bogey to enter the clubhouse as the leader. “I decided to hit driver everywhere after watching the final round of the U.S. Open last night,” said Kennedy. The announcers planted a seed in Kennedy’s head prompting him to play aggressive and not to lay back.

Just a few groups back was the low man of the day. John Pillar (Country Club of Woodloch Springs) carded a 6-under (64). Pillar had a near perfect round with seven birdies and a lone bogey that came on the par-3 5^th hole. He navigated around the 6,400-yard-long golf course with no goal in mind. “I came into this event with no expectations. Having a busy week left me with little time to focus on the state of my game,” Pillar said. “My game plan was to just keep the ball in front of me and hit fairways.” Pillar also gives credit to playing with Brian Kelly and Eddie Perrino, two guys he is comfortable with and able to keep things light on the course.

The rest of the field chased Pillar and when a brief rain shower dampened the greens and allowed players to attack more holes, Pat Butkus (Tavistock Country Club) gave Pillar a scare with another 4-under (66). Butkus made four birdies to end his round without a blemish on his card. Playing with Pillar, Brian Kelly (Bucknell Golf Club) shot a 3-under (67). Kelly started the day with six straight pars and mixed in four birdies and one bogey.

Pillar also led the way in the tournament’s senior division with his 6-under (64). Brian Kelly (Bucknell Golf Club) finished in second in this division with a 3-under (67). Stu Ingraham took home third place with a 2-under (68).

The Conestoga Classic also featured a super senior division. Finishing in the top spot in the super senior division was Bill Sautter (Philadelphia Cricket Club). Sautter carded a 1-over (71) to finish two shots clear of division runner-up Don DeAngelis (Spring Ford Country Club). George Foster (Radnor Valley Country Club) and Gary Hardin (Northampton Country Club) both shot 4-over (74) to tie for third place.

The Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization (PAO) event came down to a playoff. Brian Bergstol (Shawnee Inn & GC) and Parks Price (CC of York) were the only two of the seven tied at 1-under par 69 who were still there at the end of regulation play. Both went back on the course in a sudden-death playoff. It took three extra holes to settle things as Bergstol finally prevailed.

The Section would like to thank the members and staff of Conestoga Country Club for hosting our event as well as our tournament sponsors, Golf Max, Morell Studios and the PGA Tour.

The Philadelphia PGA will return to action on Monday, June 24 at Medford Village Country Club for the Jack Jolly/Golf Pride Championship.

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