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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 11th 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.
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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.
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"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 11th 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 |