A Look Back at 2013
*Click on the event name to view full recaps
The 2013 season began at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort, as The Old Course hosted the 73rd George Dressler Amateur Public Links Championship. Sean Knapp, of Pittsburgh National Golf Club, won his fourth Dressler, while Brent Will, of Deer Run Golf Club, finished second. In the Senior division, Tim Harpster, of Bucknell Golf Club, took home the title, as Ed Strickler, of Huntingdon Country Club, was runner-up.
Paul Schlachter, of The Club at Nevillewood, captured the 7th Senior Match Play at West Shore Country Club over Roc Irey, of Lookaway Golf Club. In the Super-Senior Match Play, Carl Everett, of Merion Golf Club, defeated Lee Lykens, of Clearfield-Curwensville Country Club.
Sunnehanna Country Club attracted a very strong field in the 24th Better-Ball Championship. The big names didn’t disappoint, as the Vanderbilt Commodore duo of Zach Herr and Adam Hofmann, of Jericho National Golf Club and Fox Chapel Country Club, respectively, won in a playoff over Jason Barkley, of Huntsville Golf Club and Grant Skyllas, of Moselem Springs Golf Club. Herr sank a 25-foot double-breaking birdie putt for the win.
The 21st Senior and Super-Senior Better-Ball Championship traveled to White Manor Country Club in Malvern, Pa. Chip Lutz, of LedgeRock Golf Club, and Robin McCool, of Saucon Valley Country Club blew the field away by six shots. The Super-Senior division was won by Dave DeNezza, of Hannastown Golf Club and Frank Polizzi, of Whitemarsh Valley Country Club.
The state’s best junior golfers descended upon Hershey Country Club once again and in an Association first in 2013, the Pennsylvania State Women’s Golf Association joined forces with the PAGA to concurrently conduct the Junior Boys’ and Girls’ Championships. Michael Hoare, of Carlisle Country Club pulled away from the field on day two, while Brynn Walker, of St. David’s Golf Club, edged Jane Hopkinson-Wood, of Spring Ford Country Club, by just one shot.
The 10th R. Jay Sigel Match Play Championship was hosted by the classic William Flynn designed Huntingdon Valley Country Club. Nathan Smith, of Pinecrest Country Club, grabbed medalist honors in stroke play qualifying, then worked through match play and eventually defeated 2013 W. C. Fownes, Jr. Player of the Year Brandon Matthews, of Glenmaura National Golf Club in the finals for his third Sigel Championship.
King and Tyler Knox, of Lancaster Country Club, won the 4th Father & Son Championship, thanks to Tyler’s clutch putting, and King’s timely chip-in for birdie on the 36th hole of the championship. The championship was hosted by the Hershey Links and Hershey Country Club’s East Course. The Senior division was won by the Usher’s, while Robert Reed and Michael Reed-Price took home championship honors in the Junior division.
The Old Course at Saucon Valley Country Club played host to the historic 100th Amateur Championship. It was a coming out party for Chris Ault, of Yardley Country Club, as he began the day four strokes behind and fired a sparkling 4-under par 67 to win his first major by two strokes over Brandon Matthews, Glenmaura National Golf Club, and David Denlinger, of Lancaster Country Club. Ault’s 67 tied the best round of the tournament, also shot by Denlinger in round two, and was the best of the final round by two strokes over home course hopeful Matthew Mattare.
The wonderfully renovated Country Club of Scranton hosted the 54th Senior Amateur Championship. Robin McCool, of Saucon Valley Country Club, proved he still has plenty left in the tank as he surged with a final round 3-under par 69 to win by three strokes over Sam Lewis, of Huntsville Golf Club. In the Super-Senior division, Lee Lykens, of Clearfield-Curwensville Country Club, defeated Ross Van Wagenen, of Windber Country Club, on the second playoff hole.
The perfectly manicured Commonwealth National Golf Club played host to the 97th Open Championship. Huntingdon Valley native Andrew Mason won by one stroke over John Popeck, of Washington, Pa. Mason surged to a comfortable lead in the final round and was able to hang on for the winners share. Greg Podufal, of Erie, claimed low-amateur honors.
Sean Knapp, after winning the Dressler to start the season, also showed great form down the stretch of 2013 as he claimed the 20th Middle-Amateur Championship at The Club at Nevillewood, and the 9th Art Wall, Jr. Memorial Championship, hosted by the historic Allegheny Country Club. In the Mid-Am, Knapp finished strong to fend off locals Nathan Smith, David DeNunzio, of Greensburg Country Club, and David Brown, of St. Clair Country Club. It was truly ‘Knapp-time’ at the Art Wall, as he fired back to back 5-under par 65’s to win by 11 strokes and set the championship scoring record. Knapp was also the first player to win three PAGA individual stroke play championships in the same season. Don Erickson, of Indiana Country Club, and John Benson, of Punxsutawney Country Club, tied for the Art Wall, Jr. Senior division title. Dave DeNezza, of Hannastown Golf Club, won the Art Wall, Jr. Super-Senior division.
Congratulations to all of our 2013 champions!
On the national scene, Pennsylvania was well-represented as always. Here are just a few highlights…Four-time U.S. Mid-Am champion, Nathan Smith, was a member of the Walker Cup team for a third time. Smith contributed to Team USA’s victory by earning the 14th and match-clinching point during the final day singles matches. Brandon Matthews made headlines during U.S. Open sectional qualifying in Purchase, New York, as he earned an alternate spot in the championship proper at Merion Golf Club, and then made a strong quarterfinal run in the U.S. Amateur at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. In the U.S. Senior Amateur, many Pennsylvanians made it deep into match play, including Chip Lutz, of LedgeRock Golf Club, Ray Thompson, of Overbrook Golf Club, and Don Erickson, of Indiana Country Club.
Brandon Matthews and Don Erickson found their names in the headlines more often than most during the 2013 season. Their strong play earned them PAGA Player of the Year honors as the W.C. Fownes, Jr. Amateur Player of the Year, and Senior Player of the Year, respectively. Congratulations to both Mr. Matthews and Mr. Erickson on their fine play and well-deserved awards.
Pennsylvania Golf Association President King T. Knox, of Lancaster Country Club, passes the torch to Mr. James J. Callaghan, of Rolling Green Golf Club, as Callaghan will lead the Association in 2014.
We hope you are as excited as we are for the 2014 schedule, highlighted by the 101st Amateur hosted by Oakmont Country Club. As always, we thank our member clubs for their continued support and generosity. We hope to see you next year.