Kraft Wins GALV Lehigh Valley Open on Second Playoff Hole
EASTON, Pa. – After severe thunderstorms abruptly suspended Monday’s opening round, the 2016 edition of the GALV Lehigh Valley Open resumed play on Tuesday, July 26 at Northampton Country Club.
Play got underway at 8:00 am with competitors having anywhere from one putt to eleven holes to complete before the first round could be put in the books. At the conclusion of the first round players were re-paired and sent out as a shotgun at 11:00 am.
Leading the way after the first round was John Appleget (Wildwood Golf & Country Club) who had to return in the morning to finish putting out on the 18th hole. Appleget finished round one with a 5-under-par (67) and a two shot lead.
With the second round of the tournament played as a shotgun it was difficult to gauge where each competitor was in relation to the top of the leaderboard. However, with scores coming in fast and furious at the conclusion of the round two players were able to separate themselves from the field. First round leader Appleget dropped one shot to finish the 36-hole event at 4-under-par (140). Appleget was matched at the top by Kevin Kraft (Bumble Bee Hollow) who carded a pair of 2-under-par (70s) to finish at 4-under-par (140).
With two players tied for the lead a playoff was needed to determine a champion. This was the first time since 2011, when Stu Ingraham (M Golf Range) bested Dave Quinn (Links Golf Club), that a playoff was needed to determine a winner at the GALV Lehigh Valley Open.
On the first playoff hole both Appleget and Kraft found a fairway bunker leaving them a tough 100 yard shot into the 18th hole. After both players found the green with their second shots neither was able to make their birdie putt and had to settle for par meaning a second playoff would be needed.
With a gallery full of Northampton Country Club members and fellow PGA Professionals both Appleget and Kraft headed back to the 18th tee to begin the second sudden death playoff hole. Unlike the first time around both players found the fairway and were able to hit their approach shots on the green.
With about a 30 foot putt for birdie, Kraft was the first player to play. After finding trouble earlier in the tournament, Kraft managed to sink the long putt forcing Appleget to make birdie as well. Unfortunately for Appleget it wasn’t in the cards as his birdie lipped out of the hole giving Kraft the win.
“I did fight my golf swing today but was able to make it work when I needed during the round,” said GALV Lehigh Valley Open Champion Kraft. “I attribute that to the confidence I have built up in my game over the last month. Hopefully I can continue to play well as I have a lot of big events coming up.”
The win was Kraft’s first as a Philadelphia PGA professional with his previous best finish coming at the Delaware Valley Open when he finished tied for 6th.
In the amateur division Evan Notaro carded a second round 2-under-par (70), matching the low round of any amateur during the tournament, to finish with a 36-hole total of 3-under-par (141). Notaro finished four shots ahead of second place finisher Robin McCool.
The Section would like to thank our title sponsor, the Golf Association of Lehigh Valley and Mr. Karl Gilbert as well as the entire staff and membership of Northampton Country Club for their hospitality.
The Philadelphia PGA will continue tournament play this Friday, July 29 at Doylestown Country Club for the annual Doylestown Open. For complete coverage of the Philadelphia PGA be sure to follow us online Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
GALV Lehigh Valley OpenJul 25 – Jul 26, 2016
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1 Kevin Kraft Bumble Bee Hollow 70-70--140 -4 2 John Appleget Wildwood Golf & CC 67-73--140 -4 T3 George Forster Radnor Valley CC 69-72--141 -3 T3 Evan Notaro (a) 71-70--141 -3 5 Corey McAlarney Sunnybrook GC 71-71--142 -2 T6 Andrew Turner Whitford CC 69-74--143 -1 T6 Steve Swartz CC of Harrisburg 72-71--143 -1 T6 Bill Sautter Philadelphia Cricket Club 75-68--143 -1 9 Terry Hatch Hidden Valley GC 71-73--144 E T10 Robin McCool (a) 71-74--145 +1 T10 Bob Hennefer Indian Springs GC 73-72--145 +1 T10 Terry Hertzog CC of York 76-69--145 +1 T13 Andy Fisher Philly PGA 71-75--146 +2 T13 Dave Quinn Links GC 72-74--146 +2 T13 Eddie Perrino Eagle Rock Resort 73-73--146 +2 T13 Jordan Gibbs Gulph Mills GC 72-74--146 +2 T13 John Pillar CC at Woodloch Springs 73-73--146 +2 T13 Chris Gray Wild Quail G & CC 74-72--146 +2 T13 Zac Oakley Heritage Shores GC 74-72--146 +2 T13 Dave Pagett Whitemarsh Valley CC 76-70--146 +2 T21 Greg Farrow Deerwood CC 71-76--147 +3 T21 Matt Episcopo Pine Valley GC 73-74--147 +3 T21 Jakob Gerney Trump National GC- Philly 73-74--147 +3 T24 Eric McNamee Golf Galaxy - Montgomery 71-77--148 +4 T24 Michael Little Lookaway GC 72-76--148 +4 T24 Rick Flesher Applebrook GC 73-75--148 +4 T24 Wayne Phillips Lehigh CC 74-74--148 +4 T24 Dave Blichar (a) 74-74--148 +4 T29 Justin Tresslar (a) 70-79--149 +5 T29 Anthony Napoletano GolfTEC-KoP 73-76--149 +5 T29 Rich Steinmetz Spring Ford CC 74-75--149 +5 T29 Curtis Kirkpatrick Indian Springs GC 73-76--149 +5 T29 Mike Meisenzahl Shore Gate CC 73-76--149 +5 T29 Alex Knoll Bethlehem GC- Monacacy 74-75--149 +5 T29 Don Allan Burlington CC 75-74--149 +5 T29 Kevin Scherr (a) 76-73--149 +5 T37 Eric Schultz Sunnybrook GC 72-78--150 +6 T37 Eric Kennedy Overbrook GC 73-77--150 +6 T37 Mark Sheftic Merion GC 73-77--150 +6 T37 Rick LeBeau Gulph Mills GC 75-75--150 +6 T37 Stephen Sieracki Indian Springs GC 77-73--150 +6 T42 John Spina Philadelphia Cricket Club 74-77--151 +7 T42 Dave Fields Brookside CC 74-77--151 +7 T42 Nick Maff (a) 75-76--151 +7 T42 Grant Schumaker (a) 75-76--151 +7 T42 Barry Dear Twisted Dune 76-75--151 +7 T42 Rob Rohrbach Foxchase GC 77-74--151 +7 T48 Joe Kogelman GolfTEC Moorestown 75-77--152 +8 T48 Mark Parson Twisted Dune 75-77--152 +8 T48 Gary Hardin Northampton CC 76-76--152 +8 T48 John DiMarco Laurel Creek CC 76-76--152 +8 T48 Dan Joseph (a) 76-76--152 +8 T48 Steve Kluemper (a) 77-75--152 +8 T48 Bill Smith Mahoning Valley CC 78-74--152 +8 T48 Jeff Fick Chapel Hill GC 79-73--152 +8 T48 J.T. Barker (a) 81-71--152 +8 T57 Hugo Mazzalupi Patriots Glen National GC 74-79--153 +9 T57 John Allen Huntingdon Valley CC 75-78--153 +9 T57 Carson Solien Aronimink GC 75-78--153 +9 T57 Mike Paukovits St. Davids GC 75-78--153 +9 T57 Brad Nelson Saucon Valley CC 77-76--153 +9 T57 Kevin Edwards Woodstone CC 77-76--153 +9 T57 Jim Maru (a) 77-76--153 +9 T64 Adam DeRaymond (a) 75-79--154 +10 T64 George Frake Little Mill 76-78--154 +10 T64 Mark Anderson Philadelphia Cricket Club 77-77--154 +10 T64 Mike Furey Mahoning Valley CC 78-76--154 +10 T64 Luke Smith (a) 81-73--154 +10 T69 Tyler Smith (a) 76-79--155 +11 T69 Jason Calhoun LaSalle University 77-78--155 +11 T69 Dustin McCormick Glen Brook GC 77-78--155 +11 T69 Riley Hogan (a) 79-76--155 +11 T69 Tom Moore Applecross CC 80-75--155 +11 T74 Peter Lovenguth Silver Creek CC 75-81--156 +12 T74 Steve Kiefner Northampton CC 81-75--156 +12 T76 Joe Jasinski (a) 77-81--158 +14 T76 Nick Lukow (a) 85-73--158 +14 T78 Collin Seip (a) 76-83--159 +15 T78 Eric Figueroa McCall Golf & CC 79-80--159 +15 T78 Dave Roberts Cedarbrook CC 80-79--159 +15 81 Tony Shields ACE Club 81-79--160 +16 82 Kevin Rossi (a) 79-83--162 +18 T83 Jared Cottell Elkview CC 75-88--163 +19 T83 James Boburka (a) 82-81--163 +19 T83 Mike Mack Burlington CC 84-79--163 +19 T86 Victor Tavares (a) 81-83--164 +20 T86 Steve Gonzales (a) 85-79--164 +20 88 Joe Ambrose Paupack Hills G & CC 83-82--165 +21 89 Mike Wood Saucon Valley CC 89-78--167 +23 90 Jeremy Mangine Glen Brook GC 88-80--168 +24 91 Andy Lykon (a) 87-85--172 +28 92 Gary Strausser Riverview CC 87-87--174 +30 93 Thomas Coakley (a) 92-90--182 +38