Lancaster, Pa. – After a one-year hiatus the AB Thorn Memorial Pro-Am once again returned to the Philadelphia PGA tournament schedule. The long time event was not played in 2016 due to inclement weather and scheduling conflicts. However, as players returned to the rolling hills of Lancaster Country Club this year they were treated to a near perfect golf course which helped the difficulties brought on by the hot and humid temperatures. The AB Thorn is played as a four-ball (better ball of partners) tournament with each team consisting of one PGA Professional and one amateur playing to a scratch handicap.

Early in the day the team of Mike Bell (LedgeRock Golf Club) and his partner Scott Mayne posted the first score of note in today’s tournament. Bell and Mayne carded four birdies on their round, two from each player, but a lone bogey on difficult par-4 11^th hole proved to be costly. When all was said and done Bell and Mayne finished with a team score of 3-under (67) which was good enough for a top-2 finish but was ultimately one shot shy of the top spot.

As the morning wave came to a close a second team made a run for the tournament’s top spot but like the duo of Bell and Mayne they also fell one shot short. The team of John Spina (Philadelphia Cricket Club) and his partner Kevin Kelly got off to a fast start after posting a score of 3-under through their opening nine holes. However, as they made their way to the back nine they were unable to get anything going and finished with nine consecutive pars to finish the day at 3-under (67).

Playing in the group immediately following Spina and Kelly, the team of Michael Ferguson (Philadelphia Cricket Club) and his partner John Brennan managed to break through the growing log jam at 3-under and post a score one shot better. Ferguson and Brennan made their way around the par-70 course flawlessly. As a team they carded two birdies, both by Ferguson, and one eagle, carded by Brennan to finish at 4-under (66).

As the teams in the afternoon wave made their way around it became clear that they were on the tougher side of the draw. With temperatures remaining hot and humid the windy conditions that came through in the afternoon made it tough to hold shots as the greens became firm. Only one team in the afternoon wave made a run at the top of the leaderboard. Josh Bashore (Lebanon Country Club) and his partner Stuart Hanford made a late charge carding two birdies over their final three holes but no holes left to play they had to settle for a score of 3-under (67) and tie for second place.

In the end Ferguson and Brennan’s score of 4-under held up and gave the duo a one shot victory and the 2017 AB Thorn Memorial Pro-Am crown.

Special congratulations to Kevin Kelly of Philadelphia Cricket Club on carding a hole-in-one on the par-3 17^th hole at Lancaster Country Club. Kelly used a 6-iron on the 160 yard hole to accomplish the feat. It was Kelly’s fifth career hole-in-one but his first in tournament competition.

The Section thanks our tournament sponsors Mizuno Golf, Greg Norman Apparel and Morell Studios for their continued support of the Philadelphia PGA tournament program and specifically the AB Thorn Memorial Pro-Am. Additionally, the players and staff thanks the members and staff of Lancaster Country Club for their outstanding hospitality.

The Philadelphia PGA tournament offices will be closed July 1-4 in observance of the July 4 holiday. The offices will reopen on Wednesday, July 5 and the next tournament on the schedule is the Pro-Scratch Championship at Country Club of York on July 6.

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Royersford, Pa. – On Tuesday, June 13, Spring Ford Country Club played host to the Jack Jolly / Golf Pride Championship, the season’s seventh point’s event in the race for the Omega Player of the Year presented by Haverford Trust. The Jack Jolly / Golf Pride Championship was played as an individual stroke play event and featured a field of 83 PGA Professionals which included 28 players from 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.

Players competing in today’s tournament had to deal with more than the challenging Spring Ford layout as temperatures crept into the mid-90s proving that summer is truly less than a week away. However, playing in the tournament’s first pairing, Brett Melton (Radley Run Country Club) showed that good scores were available in spite of the difficult conditions. Melton posted four birdies through 14 holes before adding a fifth on the par 4, 17^th but bogeys on holes 15, 16 and 18 dropped Melton to 2-under (70) for the day and he would be forced to watch the leaderboard.

Unfortunately, not far behind Melton, Jordan Gibbs (Gulph Mills Golf Club) would end the wait for Melton after just three groups, by finishing at 3-under (69). Gibbs carded one birdie on his outward nine to make the turn at 1-under but a bogey on the par 4, 10^th, his lone blemish on the day, quickly dropped him back to even par. Gibbs would post three additional birdies as he made his way back into the clubhouse to take the 1-shot lead. Needing to head back to work at Gulph Mills, Gibbs would also keep a close watch on the tournament leaderboard.

It looked as though Gibbs lead would hold as players came close but faded as they came down the stretch. However, one player who was up to the challenge was seasoned tournament veteran Stu Ingraham (M Golf Range). Fresh off of qualifying for the US Senior Open, Ingraham played a near perfect round of golf carding three birdies along the way to finish tied with Gibbs at 3-under (69). At the end of the day it came down to a sudden-death playoff between Ingraham and Gibbs. Gibbs went first hitting it far right, while Ingraham’s drive found the end of the fairway. Both Gibbs and Ingraham found the green with their second shot giving both a look at birdie. Putting first, Ingraham was able to make his 13’ putt forcing Gibbs to do the same with his 10 footer. Despite his best effort, Gibbs’ putt just missed giving Ingraham the win.

“This win means so much to me especially this year,” said Ingraham on his win. “I met Dennis McGugan in 1991 and he was always a great friend to me. To capture the title after we lost such a great person is something I will never forget.”

All was not lost for Gibbs as he did take home the top prize in the PAO Jack Jolly / Golf Pride Championship, his first PAO win of the 2017 season. Ingraham would also clinch a win in the senior division posting a 2-shot win over Dave Quinn (Philmont Country Club) who finished with a 1-under (71).

Special congratulations go out to Joe Kogelman (GolfTEC – Moorestown) who carded his first hole-in-one in tournament play. Kogelman used an 8-iron on the par 3, 170 yards long 14^th hole to accomplish the feat.

The Section would like to thank our tournament sponsors, Jack Jolly & Son and Golf Pride Grips who came out to today’s event. The Philadelphia PGA will return to action on Monday, June 26 at Biderman Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware for the Connelly Club / Head Pro Championship.

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Egg Harbor Township, N.J, – The 34 teams that gathered at Hidden Creek Golf Club for the National Car Rental AC Team Stableford Championship thought that June would bring summer weather, but instead, it turned out to be more like a chilly autumn afternoon. Despite the conditions, the sun decided to come out for the afternoon wave and all the competitors had an enjoyable day. All teams featured one PGA Professional and three amateurs and playing a stableford points system competing in both a Net and a Gross division.

In the Net Division the final pairing of the day Jonathan Trauner from GolfTEC Moorestown and his amateur partners Al Silvertri, Bob Davis, and Bernard Gmitter finished at top of the leaderboard with a score of 88 points beating out four teams with 86 points. Trauner eagled #8 followed with a birdie on #18. The Gross division was won by the team of John Kulhamer from Green Pond Country Club and his amateur partners Jason Wilson, Charlie Leon, and Tom Lusto with a score of 80 points. Kulhamer birdied back to back holes on 14 and 15.

The Philadelphia PGA would like to thank the tournament sponsors Golf Life Navigators and especially National Car Rental for bringing their mobile experience bus to the tournament and offering to re-grip the competitors’ clubs. Additionally, the Philadelphia PGA thanks the membership and staff of Hidden Creek Golf Club for their continued support. The next event on the Philly PGA schedule is this Tuesday, June 13^th, at Springford Country Club for the Jack Jolly/ Golf Pride Championship.

For more information, visit www.philadelphia.pga.com or follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Westampton, N.J. – The second and final round of the 32^nd Burlington Classic Pro-Am was played on Monday, June 5 at Burlington Country Club. After the opening round Pro-Am, all PGA Professionals, and the top three amateur participants returned to complete their 36-hole stroke play tournament.

“The Burlington Classic is a great celebration of the club, its membership and the PGA Professionals of the Philadelphia Section”, said John Hanuscin, Burlington Classic Tournament Chairman.

With inclement weather in the forecast, tee times for the second round were shifted to an 8:00 am shotgun to avoid the storms scheduled for the afternoon. Even though all players were on the course at the same time the tournament leaders were paired together to help make for an exciting finish with a dozen players within five shots of the lead.

After a very impressive opening round of 9-under par (61) Trevor Bensel (Huntingdon Valley Country Club) hoped to re-capture the magic of his opening round. However, Bensel managed only one birdie on his outward nine and didn’t fare much better on the back nine finding some trouble which ultimately dropped him from contention. Despite not finishing in the top spot Bensel did manage to secure a top 10 finish in his first tournament of the 2017 season with a tournament total of 3-under (137).

Making an early charge at the top spot was Indian Spring Golf Club Professional Curtis Kirkpatrick. After posting a 4-under (66) in Sunday’s round, Kirkpatrick quickly made waves in the second round. He carded five birdies through eight holes to take a share of the lead. Unfortunately, his second nine was not as successful and when his round was finished Kirkpatrick had dropped from the top spot but did secure his second top ten finish on the year with a two day total of 2-under (138).

Playing in the tournament’s final pairing Brian Bergstol (Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort) was able to keep an eye on exactly what was needed to secure a win at the 32^nd Burlington Classic. Bergstol who was two shots back of the leader after a first round 7-under (63) got off to a near-perfect start with birdies on three of his first four holes. After a pair of bogeys, Bergstol closed his outward nine with a fourth birdie to make the turn at 9-under with nine holes to play. While most players found trouble on Burlington’s back nine, Bergstol was able to keep his game in check playing his final nine holes at even par to finish the two-day event at 9-under (131) giving Bergstol a three-shot win over the field and his first Philadelphia PGA tournament win.

In the senior division, Stu Ingraham (M Golf Range) made a late surge with five birdies over his final six holes to finish with a 36-hole total of 6-under (134) to take home his third senior points win of the 2017 and a tie for second in the regular division.

Congratulations to amateur Travis Mazurek who was awarded the Marotto Medal as the tournament’s low amateur after a posting a two-day total of 18-over (158). The Marotto Medal is named in memory of longtime Burlington Country Club member Ron Marotto, who was instrumental in starting the Burlington Classic Pro-Am.

The Section would like to thank the membership and staff of Burlington Country Club as well as tournament sponsor Adidas golf. The next event on the Philadelphia PGA tournament calendar is the National Car Rental AC Team Stableford Championship at Hidden Creek on Thursday, June 8.

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Flourtown, Pa. – One day removed from Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer, the annual Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic was held at Sunnybrook Golf Club. Despite temperatures and conditions that were more like fall weather, it did not deter the field of 150 players (138 professionals and 12 amateurs) for competing for the Section’s largest first place check…$100,000.

One year removed from the sting of a runner-up finish, Andrew Turner (Sunnybrook Golf Club) was primed to have a different outcome in 2017. Playing early in the day, Turner did not get off to the start he envisioned after he bogeyed the par4 2^nd hole. However, using some home course knowledge Turner was able to turn things around and birdie four holes to close his opening nine holes at 3-under. After making the turn, Turner carded four additional birdies but it was not all that good coming in as three bogeys dropped Turner to 4-under (68) at the end of his round. The early tee time meant that the only thing Turner could do was sit and wait to see if his score would be good enough for a win.

As play went on in the morning wave players now knew the number they needed to reach. However, at the end of the wave, the closest someone would get would be three shots, as fresh off his appearance at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, George Forster (Radnor Valley Country Club) would finish his day at 1-under (71).

In the afternoon wave, a few players made a charge at Turner and the top of the leaderboard. The first to make waves was Justin Riegel (French Creek Golf Club). After twelve holes, Riegel was able to match Turner at 4-under but a couple of bogeys on his closing holes dropped Riegel out of the top spot.

The next player to make a charge for the lead was Jake Gerney (Trump National Philadelphia). Gerney made the turn at even par but after three consecutive birdies on holes 11thrru 13, Gerney was only one shot back. However, that was as close as Gerney would get, as an untimely bogey on the par 4 14^th hole dropped Gerney to 2-under (70) which would ultimately be good enough for a solo second place finish.

The final player to make a charge at Turner was Steve Swartz (Regents Glen Golf Club). Like Gerney, Swartz reached the 3-under number but a couple of late bogeys also dropped Swartz out of contention.

When all was said and done no one was able to match Turner at the top and his 4-under number would be good enough to give Turner the title and the $100,000 first place prize. It was a great time for Turner to capture his first Philadelphia PGA tournament win as the first place prize in the Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic is the largest of the year.

Leading the way in the amateur division was Joe McClatchy who posted an impressive 5-under (67). As a note, amateurs playing in today’s tournament play from a modified set of tees.

As always the members of the Philadelphia PGA would like to thank Mr. George Connell and the Haverford Trust Company as well as the membership of Sunnybrook Golf Club for their tremendous support of this event.

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Lancaster, Pa. – After a one-year hiatus, the Philadelphia PGA returned to Conestoga Country Club for the reinstated Conestoga Classic. Although the calendar read late May temperatures for today’s were anything but enjoyable as players battled cool and damp conditions throughout the day.

Early in the day, it seemed like the number to get to would be 2-under (68). As scores were posted it was a common number as seven players would all finish T4 after reaching the 2-under. However, a few players would manage to pass this group and separate themselves from the field.

The first players to do so happened to be paired together. Brian Bergstol (Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort) and Brett Melton (Radley Run Country Club) both finished with a score of 5-under (65).

Bergstol got off to a hot start with four birdies on his opening nine holes. After a bogey on the par 4 12^th hole, Bergstol would recover with two additional birdies on his final two holes to get to 5-under.

Playing alongside Bergstol, Philadelphia PGA newcomer Brett Melton got off to an average start after trading two birdies against two bogeys to finish his outward nine at even par. After making the turn, Melton turned things around and finished in a torrid pace with birdies on five of his last six holes.

For a long time, it seemed as though the pair would be facing each other in a playoff at the end of the day. However, one player had another plan in mind.

Dave Quinn (Philmont Country Club) got off to a perfect start after opening his round with an eagle on the par5 1^st hole. Not only was Quinn’s eagle the only one on the first hole, it was the only eagle carded the entire day. Quinn would add two birdies on his front nine but a bogey on the 8^th hole stopped his run. Making the turn at 3-under, Quinn would continue the good play as he made his way back to the clubhouse. On his inward nine, Quinn would add four more birdies before closing with a bogey on his final hole to finish with a 6-under (64) good enough for a one-shot victory.

“I have been playing really well all year but have not been able to get my putting going’, said Quinn of his round. “I had a conversation with a friend last night and after an hour of practice I put a new putting method into place today and it seemed to work out. The eagle on one really helped to give me confidence and I look forward to carrying this momentum with me going forward.”

Quinn also took home the top spot in the tournament’s senior division after finishing four shots clear of runner-up Brian Kelly (Bucknell Golf Club).

All was not lost for Bergstol and Melton as the pair would share the top honors in the tournament’s Philadelphia Assistants Organization (PAO) division.

The Section would like to thank the members and staff of Conestoga Country Club for hosting our event as well as our tournament sponsors, Mizuno Golf, Jani-King and Golf Max.

The Philadelphia PGA will return to action on Wednesday, May 24 at the Oakley Skull Cup which will be held at Galloway National Golf Club.

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Allentown, Pa. – On Tuesday, May 16 Lehigh Country Club hosted the first Philadelphia PGA National Rental Car Pro-Lady Team Championship of the 2017 season.  Teams consisted of one PGA Professional with three female amateur partners with the classic William Flynn-designed golf course providing a spectacular backdrop for the day’s action to unfold.

After the morning wave, host professional Wayne Phillips (Lehigh Country Club) and his partners Deb Benavage, Linda Meeneghan, Amy Scalici were atop the leaderboard with a score of 13-under (57). The team managed to offset a single bogey with three net eagles on holes 4, 10, and 18, as well as, eight net birdies.

However, in the afternoon, Team Phillips was quickly joined at the top of the leaderboard by another Lehigh Country Club team featuring PGA Professional Steve Frederick and his partners Mo Bryan, Deb Hawk, and Linda Epstein. As a team, they posted eleven birdies and one eagle to reach 13-under (57). Although 13-under is an impressive score before days end there would be new leaders in the clubhouse.

The first team to position themselves as the new leaders was the third team from host facility Leigh Country Club featuring PGA Assistant Professional Ryan Jones and his partners Cathy Wright, Terry Khory, and Jackie Beck. The team sprinkled 14 net birdies and one net eagle on the par 4 no. 14 on their card on their way to a 14-under (56) and a 1-shot lead. Shortly after Jones’ team posted their score, Tom Koenig (Penn Oaks Golf Club) and his partners Donna Dalusio, Tina Landis, and Dawn Capriotti matched the 14-under (56) number to tie for the lead.  Their round also included 14 net birdies and a net eagle. After all the scores were tallied 14-under-par would hold on to the lead and Jones and Koenig’s teams would be declared co-champions.

In the tournament’s gross division, the team from Overbrook Golf Club featuring PGA Professional Ashley Grier and her partners Olivia Traynor, Karen McFadden, and Sue Burt carded a 5-under (65) to take the top spot. As a team, they carded six birdies to just one bogey on their way to a 1-shot victory over the second Overbrook Golf Club team featuring PGA Professional Eric Kennedy and his partners Mary Beth Schell, Joann Fisher, and Kate Loftus.

Special congratulations to Janet Coady from Aronimink Golf Club for carding a hole-in-one on the tough par3 no. 7. Coady hit a four hybrid from 133 yards to carry the water protecting the front of the green and accomplish her amazing feat. The ace was Coady’s second of her career.

The Section would like to thank our sponsors National Rental Car, Golf Life Navigators, Syn Lawn as well as Leigh Country Club’s members and staff for their support of today’s tournament.

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Mohnton, Pa. – On Monday, May 15, the 2017 Spring Pro-Pro Championship was played at scenic LedgeRock Golf Club. This was the first time since 2013 that the Philadelphia PGA hosted an event at LedgeRock GC. The Pro-Pro brings together two PGA Professionals partnered in a four-ball competition (Better of ball of partners). Fifty-two teams competed in the event where players had to battle blustery conditions throughout their round.

In the second grouping of the day, the pair of Kevin Kraft (Bumble Bee Hollow GC) and Michael Little (Lookaway Golf Club) posted a remarkable score of 11-under (61).  As a team the pair combined for 10 birdies as well as an eagle on the par 5, 18^th against only one bogey.  We may see this team pair up again as this is the first time the two played together in a Section team competition.

Finishing in second place, three shots behind the leaders in the clubhouse were Brian Bergstol (Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort) and Terry Hatch (Hidden Valley Golf Course).  Bergstol and Hatch posted nine birdies and only one bogey to post their score of 8-under (64).

Two teams finished in a tie for third place at 7-under (65).  The first to do so was the team of Shawn Hall (Radley Run Country Club) and his teammate Andrew Turner (Sunnybrook Golf Club).  They weren’t alone in third for long as Dave Quinn (Philmont Country Club) and Stu Ingraham (M Golf Range) matched them about an hour later.

The Section would like to thank our generous tournament partners, Ahead, Morell Studios, PGA Tour and destination partner, Whistling Straits/Blackwolf Run.  Through their support, the Spring Pro-Pro Championship has been a staple event on the Philadelphia PGA tournament calendar.

The Philadelphia PGA tournament department will be on location tomorrow (5/16) for the Spring Pro-Lady Team at Lehigh Country Club.  For further information on Philadelphia Section PGA tournaments, please visit us online at Philadelphia.PGA.com/Tournaments.

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Malvern, Pa. – On Monday, May 10, the 2017 Club Car, LLC / Golf Cars Inc. Pro-Official was played at beautiful Applebrook Golf Club. The Pro-Official was moved from its traditional fall date and the nearly 50 teams gathered for the event were thankful as they were treated to a nearly perfect spring day. The Pro-Official features one PGA Professional partnered with an officer from his or her facility. The two-person teams compete in a net four-ball competition (better ball of partners).

As the shotgun tournament came to a close and scores were posted fast and furious one team was able to separate themselves from the field. The team from Waynesborough Country Club featuring PGA Professional Adam Brigham and his partner Andy Spillard posted an impressive net team score of 10-under (61). The duo carded two eagles, eight birdies against only two bogeys to finish three shots clear of the second place team. As champions of the event, Waynesborough CC will receive a free utility vehicle to use at their facility during the 2018 season. Additionally, the winning team will also receive the perpetual Pro-Official trophy to showcase in their clubhouse.

Finishing in second place, three shots behind the team from Waynesborough, was the pair from Whitford Country Club with PGA Professional Mike Ladden and his partner Andrew Larosa. Ladden and Larosa carded eight net birdies and only one bogey to post their number of 7-under (64).

Rounding out the podium was a trio of teams who finished at 6-under (65). The first to do so was the team from Medford Lakes Country Club and featured PGA Professional William Bondaruk and his partner Eric Voss. They were immediately joined by the team from Squires Golf Club and PGA Professional Corey McAlarney and his partner Scott Mason. The final team to finish tied for third traveled up from the Delaware beaches, the Philadelphia PGA’s most southern territory. Hailing from Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club, PGA Professional Michael Rushin and his partner Mike Peters played a near perfect round of golf to earn their top three finish.

The Section would like to thank our generous tournament sponsors Club Car LLC. and Golf Cars Inc. Through their support, the Pro-Official Championship has become one of the premier events on the Philadelphia PGA tournament calendar.

The Philadelphia PGAtournament team will now turn its sights to LedgeRock Golf Club and the Spring Pro-Pro Championship scheduled for Monday, May 15. As always you can find complete Philadelphia PGA tournament information online at philadelphia.pga.com/tournaments.

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