Pennsylvania Golf Association

St. Jude GC’s Knapp takes third Mid-Am title

GLADWYNE, Pa. – Sean Knapp of St. Jude GC survived a treacherous track and staunch field to capture the 11^th Middle-Amateur Championship on Tuesday at Philadelphia Country Club (par 71, 6,865 yards). Knapp finished at 1-over par for the 36 holes to become the first player in Pennsylvania Golf Association history to capture three Middle-Amateur championships.

Chris Lange of Overbrook GC and Glenn Smeraglio of Yardley CC tied for second a shot back. Three others finished at 5-over par to round out the top five.

"I think the state events are penultimate for amateurs, exclusive of USGA events," said Knapp, 42, of Oakmont, Pa. "This means a lot. I felt I haven’t done enough, in terms of victories, in state events."

Maybe Knapp’s win total isn’t what he wants it to be, but his resume is truly remarkable.

In addition to capturing three Middle-Amateur titles (1996 at Lancaster CC and 1997 at Longue Vue Club), Knapp has finished in the top five in the last 10 state amateurs he’s competed in, including a victory in 1997 at the Country Club of Scranton, and has qualified for a remarkable 17 USGA championships. He’s a household name in national circles.

The Middle-Amateur Championship changed to a 36-hole, stroke play format this year. Prior, the champion was determined through medal play qualifying and a match play draw.

Knapp, who was in a six-way tie for the lead after carding an opening-round 72, posted a level-par 71 to secure the title.

He birdied No. 1 (par 4, 325 yards) but bogeyed No. 2 (par 4, 353 yards) from 75 yards out when he found the greenside bunker. Another under-par score on No. 8 (par 4, 380 yards) watched Knapp turn in 1-under-par 35. He offset a bogey on No. 11 (par 3, 181 yards) with a six-foot birdie on No. 13 (par 4, 380 yards) before securing the victory on No. 14 (par 4, 472 yards). Knapp pounded a driver, 6-iron to 40 feet behind the flag. A quick, downhill putt, Knapp’s chance fell in for an unexpected three.

"I was just trying to find a way to make a bogey [on the difficult 16th]," said Knapp. "I got it into the right rough and tried to hit a little chip 9-iron to get it to roll up. It rolled up [almost] onto the 11^th hole." Knapp chipped out sideways and then missed his five-foot bogey opportunity.

Knapp then finished with two solid pars, including a nifty 5-wood chip to two feet on No. 18 (par 4, 392 yards) that he sank for par.

Lange, 49, of Bryn Mawr, Pa., posted the lowest round of the day, a 2-under-par 69. Smeraglio, 44, of Yardley, Pa., also finished in red digits on Day Two with a 1-under-par 70.

"I was trying to shoot 68," said Smeraglio, who carded four birdies, a double bogey and a bogey. "I birdied No. 1 and No. 2 and was off and running. Then I hit a very uncharacteristic [block drive] into the woods on No. 9 and had to take an unplayable."

Lange carded four birdies and two bogeys on his round.

The 2005 Middle-Amateur Championship is set Sept. 12-13 at the Country Club of York.

Pos	Player Name	Club	Rd 1	Rd 2	Total
1	Sean R. Knapp	St. Jude GC	72	71	143
T2	Chris Lange	Overbrook GC	75	69	144
T2	Glenn Smeraglio	Yardley CC	74	70	144
T4	P. Chet Walsh	Philadelphia CC	72	75	147
T4	Don Erickson III	Indiana CC	72	75	147
T4	Rich Pruchnik	West Chester G & CC	72	75	147
T7	Brian Gillespie	St. Davids GC	76	72	148
T7	Andrew Achenbach	Lu Lu CC	77	71	148
T9	James Bohn	Bucknell GC	75	74	149
T9	Robin S. McCool	Saucon Valley CC	76	73	149
T9	Oscar L. Mestre	Overbrook GC	75	74	149
T9	James R. White	Philadelphia Cricket Club	77	72	149
T13	Arnold K. Cutrell	Totteridge GC	73	77	150
T13	Mike Danner	Lu Lu CC	77	73	150
T15	Gary E. Daniels	Aronimink GC	76	75	151
T15	Artie Fink, Jr.	Sinking Valley CC	76	75	151
T15	David Liotta	Whitemarsh Valley CC	75	76	151
T15	Gregg Angelillo	Moselem Springs GC	72	79	151
T15	Timothy Burns	CC of Scranton	77	74	151
T20	Michael Domenick	Phoenixville CC	77	75	152
T20	John Mullins	Spring Ford CC	80	72	152
T20	Michael Nilon	Philadelphia CC	76	76	152
T23	Francis J. McFadden	Overbrook GC	79	74	153
T23	John G. Benson	Totteridge GC	72	81	153
T25	Edmund C. Chylinski	Chester Valley GC	77	77	154
T25	Jim Rattigan	Schuylkill CC	77	77	154
T25	John C. Rodney	Dimond Run GC	73	81	154
T25	Don Wessner	Philadelphia Publinks	77	77	154
T29	John K. Sweeney	Lancaster CC	78	77	155
T29	Kevin Kelly	Philadelphia Cricket Club	77	78	155
T29	Freddy Henriquez	Loch Nairn GC	80	75	155
T29	Mike J. Vassil	CC of Scranton	79	76	155
T33	Ed Blechschmidt	Whitemarsh Valley CC	78	78	156
T33	Les Neilly	Edgewood CC	82	74	156
T33	Tom Piersanti	Saucon Valley CC	79	77	156
T33	Chris Kovaly	Deer Run GC	79	77	156
T33	Jeff Frazier	Carlisle CC	76	80	156
T33	Marlin Detweiler	Lancaster CC	81	75	156
T33	Francis X. Downey	North Hills CC	77	79	156
T33	James Finegan	Philadelphia CC	76	80	156
T33	Donald Dubyak	Hannastown GC	78	78	156
T42	James J. Bryan	Latrobe CC	84	73	157
T42	John W. Robinson	Commonwealth National GC	78	79	157
T42	Charles J. Dowds, III	Applebrook GC	81	76	157
T42	Craig Scott	Huntingdon Valley CC	78	79	157
T46	Kevin Kornuszko	Spring Mill CC	81	77	158
T46	Brandon Antus	Totteridge GC	83	75	158
T46	Christopher S. Wallin	Indian Valley CC	80	78	158
T46	Drew Panebianco	Talamore at Oak Terrace CC	78	80	158
T46	Kevin Haag	Deer Run GC	77	81	158
T46	Thomas Dell	Lancaster CC	78	80	158
T46	Gordon Jamieson	Merion GC	81	77	158
T46	Santo Lafoca	Huntsville GC	80	78	158
T54	Joe Corsi	Totteridge GC	80	79	159
T54	Ed Knoll	Range End CC	80	79	159
T54	Robert Billings	Rolling Green GC	73	86	159
T54	Richard Thon	The Springhaven Club	79	80	159
58	Thomas Hyland	Moselem Springs GC	81	79	160
T59	Richard A. Smith	Philadelphia CC	79	82	161
T59	Richard F McKee	Wyncote GC	85	76	161
T59	Roger T. Karsnits, Jr.	Lebanon CC	80	81	161
T59	Ed Strickler	Huntingdon CC	82	79	161
T63	Bill Seng	Colonial CC	81	81	162
T63	Craig Kliewer	Meadia Heights GC	80	82	162
T63	Ken Waldron	Buffalo GC	82	80	162
T66	Jon Helhowski	Philmont CC	79	84	163
T66	Mark Czerniakowski	Philadelphia Publinks	83	80	163
T66	Jeff Paige	Penn National GC	84	79	163
T66	Doug Zelner	Coatesville CC	81	82	163
T66	Bill Rosemeyer	Treesdale G & CC	83	80	163
T71	Frederick Taggart	Meadia Heights GC	85	79	164
T71	Wayne Bartolacci	Jericho National GC	82	82	164
T71	Vincent A. Scarpetta, Jr.	Glenmaura National GC	81	83	164
T71	Chris Gambacarta	Sinking Valley CC	83	81	164
T75	Fred Stern	Alcoma GC	78	87	165
T75	William G. Mecca	Emanon CC	83	82	165
T75	Bob MacWhinnie	St. Clair CC	81	84	165
T78	Frank Polizzi	Whitemarsh Valley CC	84	82	166
T78	John Alterman	Commonwealth National GC	86	80	166
T78	George Connell, Jr.	Gulph Mills GC	81	85	166
T78	Gregory M. O'Connor	Huntingdon Valley CC	85	81	166
T78	Nate M. Reck	Four Seasons GC	82	84	166
T78	Mike Marron	St. Jude GC	87	79	166
T84	Eugene Maginnis	Whitemarsh Valley CC	86	81	167
T84	Chris Kallmeyer	Philadelphia Cricket Club	81	86	167
T84	Donald Ashley	Philadelphia CC	87	80	167
T84	Joe Kinsman	Sandy Run CC	87	80	167
T88	Gregory Ferguson	Sinking Valley CC	80	88	168
T88	Brad Flickinger	CC of Scranton	82	86	168
T88	Daniel P. Delaney	Concord CC	81	87	168
T88	Andrew Lombard	The Springhaven Club	83	85	168
T88	Pete Moran	Edgmont CC	86	82	168
T93	Chris Esbenshade	Fairview GC	85	84	169
T93	Chris Connors	Sewickley Heights GC	87	82	169
95	Randall Finn	Moselem Springs GC	89	82	171
96	Robert McMenamin	Philadelphia CC	90	82	172
97	Thomas P. Mohr	Coatesville CC	86	88	174
98	Al T. Hughes	CC of Scranton	85	89	174
T99	Jay R. Stoner	Range End CC	91	87	178
T99	Henry P. McCullough	Rolling Green GC	91	87	178
T99	Michael McKee	Philadelphia Publinks	95	83	178
102	Matthew Brodsky	Radley Run CC	88	91	179
103	Aric E. Sites	Penn National GC	96	84	180
T104	Arthur J. Kania Jr.	Overbrook GC	81	WD	WD
T104	Gerald Coyne	Glenmaura National GC	87	WD	WD
T104	Richard Mottura	Pittsburgh Golfer's Tour	80	WD	WD
T104	Jay Desjardins	Waynesborough CC	84	WD	WD
T104	Robert Gill	Fox Hill CC	88	WD	WD
T104	Fran Hamm	CC of Scranton	93	WD	WD
T104	Brad McFadden	Overbrook GC	80	WD	WD

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