Due to the overnight rains and the weather forecast for today, the first round of the 97th Philadelphia PGA Championship has been postponed. The Championship will resume on Wednesday, September 19 at 8:30 AM
Concordville, Pa. – A familiar site will play host to the Section’s biggest event as Concord Country Club gets set to welcome more than 140 Philadelphia PGA Professionals for the 97th Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship. This will be the seventh time, the first since 2015, that Concord Country Club has hosted the Championship. Previous Championships held at the Chester County golf course include the 1927 Championship won by Joe Coble, the 1932 Championship won by George Smith, the last of his three titles, the 86th PPGA Championship won by Rich Steinmetz (2007), who also won the 89th PPGA Championship at Concord (2010), the 88th PPGA Championship won by John Pillar (2009) and finally the 94th PPGA Championship won by Dave McNabb (2015).
Competitors in this year’s field will not only be looking to have their name etched on the historic William B. Packer trophy joining legends like George Smith, Art Wall, Jr., and Dick Smith, Sr., but they will also be looking to qualify for one of twelve spots in the 52nd PGA Professional Championship to be held at Belfair in Bluffton, South Carolina April 28 – May 1, 2019.
Championship week will get underway with the annual Mariniello Tournament of Champions Pro-Am on Monday, September 17. The Pro-Am, named in honor of Vince Mariniello, past Variety – The Children’s Charity of Delaware Valley President and longtime friend of the Philadelphia PGA, will bring together more than twenty teams helping to generate significant donations to the charity.
The opening rounds of the 97th Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship will be played on Tuesday, September 18 and Wednesday, September 19 at both Concord Country Club as well as the Championship’s second host facility, Whitford Country Club in Exton, Pa. The Championship field will be split between the two facilities with competitors playing one round at each course. At the end of play on day two, the field will be cut to the low 60 players plus ties with all players returning to Concord Country Club for the third and final round.
The final round will get underway in the morning with players just inside the cut line leading the way allowing the tournament leaders to play together in the final parings in the early afternoon. At the conclusion of play, ties for the overall championship as well as any qualifying spots will be settled via a sudden death tiebreaker.
In the field at this year’s tournament field will be ten past champions including, Rich Steinmetz, John Pillar, and Dave McNabb who all captured a Section crown at Concord Country Club. Additionally, defending champion, Terry Hertzog will look to become only the sixth person and the first since Steinmetz in 2010-2011, to successfully defend his title.
For complete coverage of the 97th Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship be sure to follow us on our Social Media Channels Facebook / Twitter / Instagram by using the #PPGAChamp
First & Second Round Tee Times:
Westhampton, N.J. – Nearly four months after it’s originally scheduled date, the Delaware Valley Open (DVO) was finally contested at Deerwood Country Club on Tuesday, September 11. With a field consisting of nearly 80 players from across the Philadelphia PGA everyone playing in today’s event was happy to have a long enough break from the rainy weather to play golf.
Playing in the tournament’s first group, Mike Little (Lookaway Golf Club) got things started quickly after posting a score of 5-under (65). Little’s round got off to a slow start with a bogey in his opening hole but recovered quickly to post three birdies, making the turn at 2-under. As he played his way back to the clubhouse Little added four additional birdies against only one bogey to reach the 5-under number.
However, Little’s lead did not last long. Playing only four groups behind Little, Andrew Turner (Sunnybrook Golf Club) also carded a 5-under (65). Like Little, Turner got off to a slow start with bogeys on his first two holes. Fortunately for Turner that is where his troubles ended. Over his last sixteen holes, Turner posted seven birdies bringing his score to 5-under and joining Little at the top of the leaderboard.
Unfortunately for Little and Turner defending champion Steve Swartz (Out Door Country Club) has his sights set on another DVO title. After pars on his first three holes Swartz notched a birdie on the par-3 4th hole. Swartz added two more birdies on the outward nine to make the turn at 3-under. Swartz also added three birdies on the back nine for a total of six, and was also one of only two players (Mike Wheeler) to play bogey-free, giving him an 18-hole score of 6-under (64). Not only did Swartz grab a one shot lead he also managed to tie the competitive course record at Deerwood Country Club at the same time.
Playing just behind Swartz, Eric Kennedy (Overbrook Golf Club) made a charge at the top spot but a late bogey proved too much to overcome. Kennedy was 5-under on the day as played Deerwood’s par-5 17th hole. Kennedy had no blemishes on his card up to that point but an untimely bogey dropped him back to 4-under and despite a birdie on the closing hole he was still one shot short of Swartz’ 6-under score.
After Kennedy, no player in the field managed to get closer than two shots to Swartz and in the end he walked away with his second consecutive Delaware Valley Open crown. The first player to accomplish that feat since Dave Quinn did so in 2011-2012.
“I have been practicing my irons the last couple of weeks in preparation for next week’s Championship”, said Swartz on his round. “It is always nice to get a win considering the caliber of players we have in our Section. This will definitely give me some confidence heading into Concord CC and the Championship. I want to thank all of the sponsors for their support of today’s event.”
A pair of players shared the top spot in the tournament’s senior division. Dave McNabb (Applebrook Golf Club) and Greg Farrow (Deerwood Country Club) both carded scores of 4-under (66). Both players paired five birdies against one bogey en route to a shared senior title. The pair finished two shots ahead of Don Allen (Burlington Country Club) and Brian Kelly (Bucknell Golf Club) who finished with scores of 2-under (68).
Host Professional Greg Farrow also finished in the top spot in the tournament’s super senior division. Farrow’s 4-under number was one shot better than the 3-under (67) put up by Don DeAngelis (Center Square Golf Club).
The Section would like to thank our tournament sponsors Jack Jolly & Son, Golf Pride Grips, Morell Studios as well as the membership and staff of Deerwood Country Club. The Philadelphia PGA returns to action on Monday, September 17 with the Mariniello Tournament of Champions Pro-Am followed by the 97th Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship September 18-20.
For complete coverage of the Philadelphia PGA be sure to follow us on our Social Media Channels Facebook / Twitter / Instagram.
Plymouth Meeting, Pa. – The annual Lincoln Summer Pro-Lady Team Championship was held on an extremely hot and humid summer day at Sunnybrook Golf Club. Despite the challenging weather, 43 teams from across the Philadelphia PGA, featuring one PGA Professional and three female amateurs gathered at the beautiful Montgomery County golf course. The Lincoln Pro-Lady Team Championship featured both a Gross and Net competition.
Leading the way in the Net division was the team from Woodstone Country Club led by PGA Professional Ryan Shaughnessy and his partners Jane Moyer, Donna D’Amore, and Joy Wallace. Each member of the group contributed multiple birdies en route to a team net score of 16-under (56) good enough for a two shot victory over a pair of teams from the Philadelphia Cricket Club. The first Philadelphia Cricket Club team to reach 14-under was the first group out in the morning wave featuring PGA Professional Jim Smith, Jr and his partners Jean Fitzpatrick, Julie Kelly, and Kristen Fireman. However, they were joined late in the day by a second team from the Philadelphia Cricket with PGA Professional Michael Ferguson and partners Marji Goldman, Joanne Bidwell, and Becky Sanderson.
All was not lost for Ferguson and his partners as they did take the top spot in the tournament’s Gross Division. Although the team from Woodstone finished at 8-under (64) net, while Ferguson and partners finished at 7-under, tournament rules prevent them from winning in both divisions meaning Ferguson and partners claimed the top spot. Finishing one shot behind the team from the Philadelphia Cricket Club was a pair of teams who finished at 6-under (66). Eric Kennedy, PGA of Overbrook Golf Club and partners Kathy Wiley, Karen McFadden, and Joann Fisher reached the number in the morning wave while the team with PGA Professional Mark Parson (Harbor Pines Golf Club) and partners Kelly Parson, Linda Parson, and Stephanie Harris did so in the afternoon.
The Section thanks our tournament partners Lincoln Motor Company, SynLawn and Hole-in-One USA as well as the membership and staff of Sunnybrook Golf Club for their support of the Philadelphia PGA and the Pro-Lady Team Championship.
The Section now heads into a one week hiatus before returning to action for the Delaware Valley Open at Deerwood Concord Country Club on Tuesday, September 11.
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – On Monday, August 27th, the Philadelphia PGA returned to Penn Oaks Golf Club in West Chester for the second and final round of the 16th annual Pro-Am for Wishes. After yesterday’s Pro-Am, which also counted as the first round of the 36-hole tournament, two players held a 1-shot lead over the rest of the field.
Both Alex Knoll (Bethlehem GC) and Mike Tobiason (Deerfield GC) shot an opening round 4-under-par (67) earning themselves the overnight lead and the last pairing in the final round with Andrew Turner (Sunnybrook GC) who stood one shot behind at 3-under 68. With an outstanding group of Professionals chasing them both Knoll and Tobiason knew that they had to maintain their play from their opening round to bring home the win.
As the scores started to come in Terry Hertzog (Country Club of York) put up a number that would threaten the leaders. Hertzog would birdie the first four holes to shoot 2- under-par 69 for a 137 total. His lead did not last long although he did pick up the senior win, as Tobiason continued his strong play by carding a 2-under-par (69) giving him a 36-hole score of 6-under-par (136). After his one eagle, birdie, and bogey yesterday, Tobiason was able to add two more birdies in today’s round to clinch the top prize for his first section win.
“It is truly an honor to win with all of the competition in this Section. These professionals in this Section have game, to win out here you have to go low. I’ve played in the Pro-Am for Wishes for the past three years it is a privilege to be in the winning circle finally”.
-Mike Tobiason
Next up for the Philadelphia PGA is the Summer Pro-Lady Team at Sunnybrook GC on Wednesday, August 29 in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. The Section would like to thank everyone involved in the Pro-Am for Wishes, including Penn Oaks Golf Club and all of the supporting sponsors.
