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Bethlehem GC’s Knoll heads Amateur Championship by a shot

HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa.–Alex Knoll of Bethlehem GC, playing in the final pairing, carded a 1-under-par 69 in darkness to put himself atop a crowded leaderboard in the 92nd Amateur Championship at Huntingdon Valley CC (par 70, 6,903 yards). Chad Bricker of Waynesboro CC trails by a stroke and six others are two shots back.

  In all, 16 players are within three strokes of the lead.

  "It’s a good start, but there is a long way to go," said Knoll, 20, of Bethlehem, Pa. "I’m just looking forward to a shower and a good dinner."

  Severe weather forced a two-hour delay to the first round in the morning. Play finished at 8:45 p.m. with Knoll’s group. The second round begins at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

  Knoll opened his round at 3-over par through six holes – he started on the back nine – before recording four straight birdies. He knocked a wedge from 142 yards to 20 feet on No. 16, drilled a 5-iron to a foot on the lengthy 17th (par 3, 211 yards), negotiated a tricky 25-foot downhiller on No. 18 (par 4, 434 yards) and carried that momentum onto No. 1 (par 4, 385 yards) with a 15 footer. He also carded two more birdies on his final nine holes but, unfortunately, offset those with a pair of bogeys.

  "After the really tough shaky start, I was just trying to get my swing back," said Knoll. "I made those three birdies on Nos. 16-18 on what I think are the three hardest holes on the golf course."

  Knoll’s top finish in an Amateur came at the CC of Scranton in 2003 when he placed 18th.

  Bricker finds himself in second after a spirited back nine that included an eagle and two birdies.

  The 18-year-old resident of Waynesboro, Pa., playing the back nine first, turned in 3-over-par 38, but registered birdies on Nos. 1 (par 4, 385 yards) and 2 (par 4, 447 yards) to get back to 1 over. Three pars and a bogey in the next four holes preceded his 35-foot eagle putt on No. 7 (par 5, 556 yards). Bricker ripped a driver and 3-iron on the par 5. He finished with two pars.

  "My goal was to shoot even par and I did that by grinding it out on the back nine," said Bricker, the 2004 Junior Boys’ Champion. "I need to shoot another 70 tomorrow."

  Bricker, who will attend Penn State University in the fall, finished 16th in last year’s Amateur.

  In the pack two shots behind is P. Chet Walsh of Philadelphia CC. The 40-year-old resident of Wayne, Pa., can only wait and see if he’ll have a chance to see what the remaining 36 holes have in-store.

  Walsh’s wife, Cindy, is pregnant with the couple’s second child.

  Three weeks ago, the baby was breached and a July 29th C-section was scheduled. Last Tuesday, the doctor informed the couple that the baby had turned around, put Cindy on bed rest and the C-section on hold, for the time being. Tomorrow, Cindy returns to the doctor. If the verdict is to have the baby immediately, Walsh said he’d leave.

  "Only if I get a text message [on the cell phone], will I be concerned," said Walsh, who begins his second round at 12:45 p.m. off the 10th tee. "I figure I’ll be walking down the 16th hole if something does happen."

  Walsh opened with an even-par 35 on the front nine, one birdie and one bogey. He parred the first two holes on the backside, before stumbling with a double bogey on the par 4, 404-yard 12th hole and a bogey on the par 3, 13th (184 yards). Walsh made a solid par into the wind on the difficult 14th (par 4, 467 yards) before carding back-to-back birdies. He knocked a hybrid club from 263 yards away on No. 15 (par 5, 571 yards) in two for birdie and made a spectacular three from the right rough on No. 16 (par 4, 400 yards) where he was blocked out by the trees and had to punch a 6-iron onto the green. He knocked that to three feet.

  "It would be nice to play well to know I still have something left in the tank," said Walsh, a regular in Golf Association of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Golf Association events for years. "There would be nothing better than being a state champion."

  Walsh’s top finish is a third-place showing at Lancaster CC in 1993. He said he’s had "four or five" top ten finishes.

  Randy Rolfe of Huntingdon Valley, the reigning club champion, Billy Stewart of Llanerch CC, Glenn Smeraglio of Yardley CC, Logan Terry of Plymouth CC, and Scott Voelker of Lone pine GC are also two shots behind.

Name, club

Score

Alex Knoll, Bethlehem Golf Club

69

Chad A. Bricker, Waynesboro Country Club

70

Billy Stewart, Llanerch Country Club

71

Glenn Smeraglio, Yardley Country Club

71

Logan Terry, Plymouth Country Club

71

P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia Country Club

71

Randall L. Rolfe, Huntingdon Valley Country Club

71

Scott Voelker, Lone Pine Golf Club

71

Adam Cohan, The ACE Club

72

Andrew T. Turner, Four Seasons Golf Club

72

Blaine Peffley, Lebanon Country Club

72

John G. Sawin, Merion Golf Club

72

Rich Pruchnik, West Chester Golf & Country Club

72

Robin S. McCool, Saucon Valley Country Club

72

Sean Seese, Huntingdon Valley Country Club

72

Tyler Brewington, Mill Race Golf Course

72

Chip Zimmerman, Pittsburgh Field Club

73

Dan Walters, Conestoga Country Club

73

Frank Fairman, Totteridge Golf Club

73

Gary E. Daniels, Applebrook Golf Club

73

Harvin Groft, Elks Club of State College

73

Sean Duffy, Frosty Valley Country Club

73

Sean R. Knapp, Longue Vue Club

73

Brian P. Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club

74

Chris Gallagher, Penn Oaks Golf Club

74

David Brown, St. Clair Country Club

74

Eric W. Williams, Honesdale Golf Club

74

James K. Kieserman, Talamore at Oak Terrace Country Club

74

James M. Douglass, Blue Ridge Country Club

74

Michael Dougherty, Huntingdon Valley Country Club

74

Michael P. McDermott, Merion Golf Club

74

Michael Van Sickle, Treesdale Golf & Country Club

74

Roc Irey, Cedarbrook Country Club

74

Scott Mayne, Hershey Country Club

74

Shawn Hall, Four Seasons Golf Club

74

Thomas A. Bartolacci, Jr., Saucon Valley Country Club

74

Wayne Bartolacci, Jericho National Golf Club

74

Brian T. Corbett, Huntsville Golf Club

75

Clint A. Deibert, Doylestown Country Club

75

Gregory Pieczynski, Sand Springs Country Club

75

James M. Gardas, Honesdale Golf Club

75

Paul J. Rogowicz, Yardley Country Club

75

Paul M. Polinsky, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club

75

Ryan McCarty, Philadelphia Publinks GA

75

Bennett V. Smith, Fox Chapel Golf Club

76

Gregory R. Heller, Berwick Golf Club

76

Jeffrey B. Huntzinger, North Hills Country Club

76

Marlin Detweiler, Lancaster Country Club

76

Michael Moffat, Commonwealth National Golf Club

76

Nick Ryder, Aronimink Golf Club

76

Patrick Marshalek, Whitford Country Club

76

Stephen Arnold, Yardley Country Club

76

Tyler Witman, Four Seasons Golf Club

76

Andy Hay, Shannopin Country Club

77

Chase A. Duncan, Meadia Heights Golf Club

77

Conrad von Borsig, Concord Country Club

77

David J. Blichar, Blue Ridge Country Club

77

David Vallina, Ponderosa Golf Course

77

Jarred Texter, Lancaster Country Club

77

Joe Corsi, Totteridge Golf Club

77

John Michael Pelet, Wyncote Golf Club

77

Keith A. Matt, Lu Lu Country Club

77

Kyle T. Davis, Inniscrone Golf Club

77

Maximillian Muller, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club

77

Oscar L. Mestre, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club

77

Tug Maude, Merion Golf Club

77

Adam Hofmann, Fox Chapel Golf Club

78

Artie Fink, Jr., Sinking Valley Country Club

78

Bob Allshouse, Hannastown Golf Club

78

Bryant P. Reyes, Hartefeld National

78

George E. Marucci, Jr., Merion Golf Club

78

James D. Bohn, Bucknell Golf Club

78

Jon Merriott, Lake Shore Country Club

78

Michael J. Vassil, Country Club of Scranton

78

Steve Lubin, Plymouth Country Club

78

Todd Brown, Blue Ridge Country Club

78

Brandon Katzeff, Uniontown Country Club

79

David West, Whitford Country Club

79

Don Erickson, III, Indiana Country Club

79

Drew Panebianco, Talamore at Oak Terrace Country Club

79

Jason Barkley, Berkleigh Country Club

79

Jud Gemmill, Lancaster Host Farm Resort

79

Justin Scott, Churchill Valley Country Club

79

Marc A. Mandel, White Manor Country Club

79

Mark C. Yost, Penn National Golf Club

79

Mike Danner, Lu Lu Country Club

79

Richard E. Piger, III, Allentown Benner Fairways Golf Course

79

Sean Jackson, Standing Stone Golf Club

79

Andrew Achenbach, Rivercrest Golf Club & Preserve

80

Benjamin Smith, Four Seasons Golf Club

80

David K. Brookreson, Huntingdon Valley Country Club

80

Michael Foster, Fox Chapel Golf Club

80

Mike Owsik, Plymouth Country Club

80

Richard Mottura, Pittsburgh Golfers Tour

80

Santo T. Lafoca, Huntsville Golf Club

80

Shane Behmer, Bent Creek Country Club

80

Thomas F. Sohns, Country Club of Scranton

80

Todd Vonderheid, Huntsville Golf Club

80

Mike Lebow, Spring Ford Country Club

81

Shawn R. Will, Longue Vue Club

81

Stu Michaels, Clearfield-Curwensville Country Club

81

Anthony M. Apostolico, Hartefeld National

82

Byron W. Whitman, Golden Oaks Golf Club

82

Charles W. Dennis, Glenmaura National Golf Club

82

Douglas G. Zelner, Coatesville Country Club

82

Francis X. Downey, North Hills Country Club

82

James Kania, Jr, Overbrook Golf Club

82

Kevin J. Reiber, Penn National Golf Club

82

Paul C. Gagliardi, Cedarbrook Country Club

82

Terrance P. Rice, Edgewood Country Club

82

Timothy Burns, Country Club of Scranton

82

Corey Gast, Meadia Heights Golf Club

83

Gerard F. Ascolese, North Hills Country Club

83

James J. Bryan, Latrobe Country Club

83

Jordan J. Griggs, White Deer Golf Course

83

Kevin Farrell, Quail Valley Golf Club

83

Michael J. Gross, Glenmaura National Golf Club

83

Spencer Philips, Blue Ridge Country Club

83

Tom Williams, Berwick Golf Club

83

Michael W. Anderson, Commonwealth National Golf Club

84

Edward Kelly, Jr., Lu Lu Country Club

85

Jimmy Markovitz, The Club at Nevillewood

85

John Ferdinand, Lu Lu Country Club

85

Joshua Krumholtz, Berkleigh Country Club

85

Kyle McCandless, Four Seasons Golf Club

85

Sean R. Dove, Quicksilver Golf Club

85

Jason P. Mesko, Country Club of Scranton

86

Christian S. Davis, Glenmaura National Golf Club

87

Damon C. Barbacci, Huntsville Golf Club

87

Robert Fry, Hannastown Golf Club

87

Phil D'Amato, Royal Oaks Golf Club

89

Steve Savor, Alcoma Golf Club

WD

 

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