Your browser does not support JavaScript!

Huntingdon Valley CC's Sullivan takes Mid-Am

MALVERN, Pa–James Sullivan, Jr. of Huntingdon Valley CC expected a phone call from his pregnant wife, who is only a week shy of her due date, announcing the impending arrival of the couple’s fourth child. If that had happened at some point of the second and final round of the 13th Pennsylvania Golf Association Middle-Amateur Championship presented by Your Pennsylvania Toyota Dealers at Applebrook GC on Thursday, Sullivan said he would have packed up his clubs and headed to the hospital.

Just a few weeks earlier, in fact, a false alarm forced Sullivan to withdraw from the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Joseph H. Patterson Cup at Philmont CC while he still was in contention.

Sullivan’s phone never rang, however, and the first-round co-leader overcame a four-shot mid-round deficit to Paul Schlachter of The Club at Nevillewood for his first state championship.

Sullivan finished the 36 holes at 6-under-par. He carded a second-round 4-under-par 67 to outdistance second-place finisher Schlachter by two strokes. Michael McDermott of Merion GC finished third at 2-under par. Jeff Daniels of Dauphin Highlands GC was the only other finisher under par. He posted a 1-under 141 total.

A field of 120 players competed.

“This means so much to me,” said Sullivan, 31, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa.  “To go head-to-head with guys like Paul [Schlachter] and Michael [McDermott], two of the top four or five players in the state for the last five or 10 years, and win is special.”

Ten holes into the final round, Schlachter, who along with Sullivan and James Bohn of Bucknell GC were paired in the final group, appeared headed for his sixth state championship.

Schlachter birdied six of his first nine holes to make the turn at 7-under par for the tournament while Sullivan was at 3 under for that span. Both players also went on to birdie No. 10 (par 5, 573 yards).

“I didn’t get wrapped up in it,” said Sullivan of Schlachter’s unbelievable first 10 holes. “I wasn’t panicking. That wouldn’t do any good. I was playing pretty well myself.”

The tournament was ultimately decided on the challenging three-hole stretch of 13-15.

On the 13th (par 4, 453 yards), a poor drive and a short par putt miss by Schlachter brought Sullivan within two strokes. On the treacherous 14th (par 4, 444 yards) momentum clearly swung Sullivan’s way when Schlachter’s tee ball found the right fescue. Sullivan split the fairway. Schlachter then needed two shots to get out of the junk and registered a double bogey six. Sullivan watched his 20-foot birdie chance slide right but when the hole was over, the two competitors were tied.

“I had a good lie. The ball was sitting up,” said Schlachter, 57, of Bridgeville, Pa., who was bidding to become the third person to repeat as Mid-Am Champion, “but my 56-degree wedge went right underneath it. It surprised me. I thought I could get it out.”

Sullivan watched his 4-iron on the lengthy 16th (par 3, 224 yards) stay just on the front portion of the green and he two putted for his par. Schlachter rocketed a 17-degree rescue wood to the top, right of the green and was left with a difficult 50-foot downhiller. His first effort came up five-feet short and he missed the par putt. Sullivan had the lead.

Sullivan poured it on with birdies on No. 16 (par 5, 578 yards) and 17 (par 3, 179 yards). Schlachter watched birdie chances on 17 and No. 18 (par 4, 454 yards) just slip past the edge of the cup.

The win capped a rebirth, of sorts, for Sullivan in the amateur ranks.

Sullivan was reinstated as an amateur almost exactly a year ago after competing on various mini-tours for a few years. He submitted his amateur status papers in October of 2002 and his first tournament back in the amateur ranks was the Pennsylvania Mid-Am last year.

Sullivan won the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Silver Cross in 1996 and the Amateur Championship in 1999.

NOTES-In addition to last year’s Middle-Amateur Championship victory, Schlachter won the Senior Amateur Championship in 2004 and 2006, the 1998 Amateur Championship and 2005 Senior Better-Ball Championship with clubmate Bill Kinsman … the 2007 Mid-Am is set for Huntsville GC next September.

 

Name, club

Rd 1

Rd 2

Total

James Sullivan, Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club

69

67

136

Paul Schlachter, The Club at Nevillewood

70

68

138

Michael McDermott, Merion Golf Club

70

70

140

Jeff Daniels, Dauphin Highlands Golf Course

72

69

141

Alexander Maguire, Jr., Philadelphia Cricket Club

73

69

142

Mike Danner, Lu Lu Country Club

72

71

143

Michael Moffat, Commonwealth National Golf Club

74

70

144

James Gardas, Honesdale Golf Club

74

70

144

Donny Wessner, Golden Oaks Golf Club

72

72

144

James Bohn, Bucknell Golf Club

69

76

145

Brett Diakon, Commonwealth National Golf Club

73

72

145

Drew Panebianco, Talamore at Oak Terrace Country Club

74

72

146

Eric Fonner, Huntingdon Valley Country Club

76

70

146

John Sweeney, Lancaster Country Club

74

72

146

Jamie Harrell, Commonwealth National Golf Club

73

74

147

John Brennan, Spring Ford Country Club

73

74

147

James Bryan, Latrobe Country Club

75

72

147

Christopher Lange, Overbrook Golf Club

74

73

147

Glenn Smeraglio, Yardley Country Club

73

75

148

Sean Knapp, Longue Vue Club

75

73

148

Oscar Mestre, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club

80

69

149

Kenneth Phillips, Lancaster Country Club

77

72

149

Brian Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club

71

78

149

Robert Campbell, Lancaster Country Club

77

73

150

Paul Liebezeit, Aronimink Golf Club

75

75

150

Jhoon Chang, Philadelphia Cricket Club

76

75

151

Brian Corbett, Huntsville Golf Club

73

78

151

Don Erickson III, Indiana Country Club

76

75

151

James Macallister, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club

76

75

151

Ed Short, Carlisle Country Club

78

73

151

King Knox, Lancaster Country Club

73

78

151

William Smith, Chambersburg Country Club

77

74

151

Santo Lafoca, Huntsville Golf Club

77

74

151

J. Kirk Luntey, Merion Golf Club

78

73

151

Rich Pruchnik, West Chester Golf & Country Club

78

74

152

Thomas Dell, Lancaster Country Club

74

78

152

John Robinson, Commonwealth National Golf Club

77

75

152

P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia Country Club

75

77

152

Michael Stanley, St. Davids Golf Club

78

74

152

Peter Toole, Foxchase Golf Club

72

80

152

Joe Corsi, Totteridge Golf Club

78

75

153

Wayne Bartolacci, Jericho National Golf Club

77

76

153

Ryan Gelrod, Commonwealth National Golf Club

76

77

153

Jay Desjardins, Waynesborough Country Club

77

76

153

Michael Domenick, Phoenixville Country Club

75

79

154

Robert Gill, Fox Hill Country Club

73

81

154

Rich Thon, The Springhaven Club

77

77

154

Byron Whitman, Golden Oaks Golf Club

78

76

154

Chris Smedley, Coatesville Country Club

76

78

154

Kevin Haag, Deer Run Golf Club

80

75

155

Richard Umani, Philadelphia Publinks GA

75

80

155

Jon Thomas, Hartefeld National

77

78

155

Craig Kliewer, Meadia Heights Golf Club

77

78

155

Paul Rogowicz, Yardley Country Club

80

75

155

J.R. Cattoni, Williamsport Country Club

76

79

155

Gary Daniels, Applebrook Golf Club

79

76

155

Ed Blechschmidt, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club

78

78

156

Todd Vonderheid, Huntsville Golf Club

78

78

156

John Mullins, Spring Ford Country Club

77

79

156

Thomas Hyland, Moselem Springs Golf Club

78

78

156

Douglas Gregor, Huntingdon Valley Country Club

81

75

156

Jeffrey Prickitt, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club

81

76

157

Grant Liu, Commonwealth National Golf Club

75

82

157

Alex Urrea, The Club at Nevillewood

78

79

157

Rick Custer, Spring Ford Country Club

75

83

158

Frank Corrado, Jr., Jericho National Golf Club

80

78

158

Brad Sokol, Berkleigh Country Club

80

78

158

Roc Irey, Cedarbrook Country Club

79

79

158

Kenneth Matt, Commonwealth National Golf Club

79

79

158

John Alterman, Commonwealth National Golf Club

79

79

158

Fredrick Taggart, Meadia Heights Golf Club

77

81

158

Bill Dwyer, Concord Country Club

80

78

158

Michael Connelly, Applebrook Golf Club

80

78

158

Phil Over, Penn Oaks Golf Club

78

80

158

Mark Walkush, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club

79

80

159

Matthew German, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve

79

81

160

Tom Piersanti, Saucon Valley Country Club

82

78

160

Gerard Ascolese, North Hills Country Club

82

78

160

Jeffrey Huntzinger, North Hills Country Club

86

75

161

Phil D'Amato, Royal Oaks Golf Club

81

80

161

Francis Downey, North Hills Country Club

80

81

161

Gregory Ulp, Country Club of Harrisburg

79

82

161

John Donnelly, Concord Country Club

83

80

163

Mark Leaman, Foxchase Golf Club

80

84

164

Chris Esbenshade, Meadia Heights Golf Club

82

82

164

Joseph Cordaro, Longue Vue Club

84

80

164

Jay Stoner, Deer Run Golf Club

82

82

164

Chris Kovaly, Deer Run Golf Club

85

79

164

Scott Carney, Commonwealth National Golf Club

81

83

164

Ed Reidy, Wildwood Golf Club

80

85

165

Kenneth Murray, Philadelphia Cricket Club

83

82

165

Brian Fisher, Bella Vista Golf Course

80

86

166

Charles Meadows, Golf Tour of Greater Philadelphia

84

82

166

Charles Whalen, Gulph Mills Golf Club

82

84

166

Mike Marron, St. Jude Golf Club

89

77

166

William Vespa, St. Clair Country Club

87

80

167

George Steinmetz, Huntsville Golf Club

86

81

167

Matt Dolinsky, Honeybrook Golf Club

79

89

168

Brian Dobisch, Talamore at Oak Terrace Country Club

86

82

168

Steve Jones, Applebrook Golf Club

87

84

171

Robert Howell, Range End Country Club

86

85

171

Kevin Cahill, Waynesborough Country Club

85

88

173

Joe Dellicarpini, Philadelphia Cricket Club

87

86

173

Robert Loftus, Overbrook Golf Club

77

96

173

Charles Dowds, III, Applebrook Golf Club

89

85

174

Jeffrey Davidson, Llanerch Country Club

89

87

176

Scott Harrington, Moselem Springs Golf Club

86

93

179

Kevin Koch, Golf Tour of Greater Philadelphia

87

94

181

Kevin Mailey, Stonewall

92

90

182

Rick Wright, Philadelphia Publinks GA

93

91

184

John Castleman, Merion Golf Club

78

WD

WD

Daniel Delaney, Concord Country Club

83

WD

WD

Matt Froncek, Elkview Country Club

83

WD

WD

Christopher Scott, Bucks County Golf Club

88

WD

WD

 

WD-withdrawal 

 

 

[ Back ]