*Final-round tee times
Steady Michael Kania of Overbrook GC grabs
one-shot lead in 96th Amateur Championship
PAOLI, Pa.–Michael Kania of Overbrook GC may only be 18 years old, but the Haverford, Pa., resident demonstrated patience beyond his years on Tuesday in the second round of the 96th Amateur Championship at Waynesborough CC (par 71, 6,943 yards). Not presented with many premium scoring opportunities early in his round, a patient Kania waited, and then cashed in with a pair of birdies on his inward side, to finish at 4-under-par 138 for the first two rounds and one-stroke ahead of the field. Home-club hopeful Jeff Griest, 22, of Glen Mills, Pa., and Chad Warmbein, 20, of McMurdy, Pa., and Rolling Hills CC, are a shot back. In all, 12 players carded two-day totals of even-par 142 or better.The third and final round begins at 7 a.m. tomorrow with the leaders set to tee off at 9:20 a.m.
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“I really didn’t get much out of the round on my first 12 holes. It was frustrating,” said Kania, a soon-to-be freshman at University of Kentucky. “I finally got some closer looks on the back nine that I was able to make.
“I’ve played here a number of times, so coming into the week, I figured this was a good course for me and my game. I was comfortable and hopeful to play well and I figured if I did, I would be in contention.”
Kania opened with 10 pars and a bogey in his first 11 holes – he started on the back nine and bogeyed No. 11 (par 4, 420 yards) when he missed a two-foot par save – but after a long string of pars started to gain a little momentum on No. 3 (par 4, 441 yards). He knocked a pitching wedge from 143 yards to 12 feet and made the uphill birdie try. On No. 7 (par 5, 547 yards), Kania rocketed a 3-wood over the green in two, chipped up to 15 feet above the hole and drained the speedy downhiller to move to 1 under on his round.
“Somehow it just went in,” said Kania of his No. 7 putt.
Kania’s overall steadiness resulted in him hitting 14 of 18 greens in regulation.
“Yeh, I definitely wanted to be in the final group,” said Kania. “It’ll be good to see what the other leaders are doing. My goal tomorrow will be to hit greens and not make too many bogeys. It’ll be good to see what the other leaders are doing.”
Kania, a two-time Inter-Ac League champion from the Haverford School, is a Golf Association of Philadelphia tournament veteran. This, however, is his first Pennsylvania Amateur Championship.
Kania’s group mates will be Griest and Warmbein.
Griest, who played for the University of Delaware the last four years, carded six birdies and three bogeys on his round.
Starting on the back nine, Griest carded a bit of a wild 68. He opened with a bogey on No. 10 (par 4, 457 yards) when he pulled his drive left and was forced to lay up for his second shot. He almost drove No. 12 (par 4, 341 yards) and two-putted from 70 feet for birdie but bogeyed No. 14 (par 3, 175 yards) when he missed the green left. Griest answered that bogey with a birdie on No. 15 (par 5, 554 yards) when he knocked his 70-yard pitch shot to 10 feet and then made another four on No. 18 (par 5, 539 yards) when he got up-and-down from long of the green.
A bogey on No. 1 (par 4, 369 yards) kept his Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde round going, but Griest carded birdies on No. 4 (par 3, 188 yards) with a 9-iron to 20 feet; No. 5 (par 4, 420 yards) when he knocked a wedge from 145 yards to six feet and an unlikely one on No. 8 (par 4, 373 yards) when he drove his 3-wood left into the trees and was forced to cut his sand wedge from 110 yards to four feet.
“I love the pressure of playing at home,” said Griest. “I’ve felt good. I’ve been hitting it well. My putting was not on track yesterday but today it was.”
Warmbein, a senior at Ohio University, carded a second-round 70 that could have been far better. He closed with bogeys on the final two holes.
“It’s where I expected myself to be,” said Warmbein. “I’m excited to have the opportunity. It should be fun being in contention in the final group.”
Warmbein opened with a bogey on No. 2 (par 4, 407 yards) after a three-putt from 45 feet but responded with birdies on No. 3 after a wedge from 130 yards stopped six feet away and No. 8 (par 4, 373 yards) when his sand wedge landed eight feet from the hole. Warmbein kept his strong round going on No. 13 (par 4, 401 yards) with a birdie courtesy of a gap wedge to six feet, had a temporary hiccup on No. 14 (par 3, 175 yards) with a bogey four but birdied Nos. 15 (par 5, 554 yards) from 15 feet and 16 (par 4, 436 yards) with a 9-iron from 140 yards to two feet.
A poor tee shot on No. 17 (par 3, 208 yards) and failed up-and-down on No. 18 quelled a little bit of Warmbein’s momentum.
A quartet of players lurk two shots behind Kania, including Nathan Smith of Pinecrest CC, the 2002 Amateur champion and the recent back-to-back Amateur runner-up.
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Qualifiers |
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|
Name |
Club |
Rd 1 |
Rd 2 |
Total |
|
Michael Kania |
Overbrook Golf Club |
68 |
70 |
138 |
|
Chad N. Warmbein |
Rolling Hills Country Club |
69 |
70 |
139 |
|
Jeffrey L. Griest |
Waynesborough Country Club |
71 |
68 |
139 |
|
Robert T. Rohanna |
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort |
71 |
69 |
140 |
|
Christopher W. Ault |
Yardley Country Club |
69 |
71 |
140 |
|
Nathan Smith |
Pinecrest Country Club |
68 |
72 |
140 |
|
Nathan Sutherland |
Golden Oaks Golf Club |
70 |
70 |
140 |
|
James P. Bea |
Spring Mill Country Club |
69 |
72 |
141 |
|
Travis J. Howe |
Corey Creek Golf Club |
73 |
68 |
141 |
|
Zak Drescher |
Lancaster Country Club |
72 |
70 |
142 |
|
Matt Moot |
Windber Country Club |
70 |
72 |
142 |
|
Daniel R. Charen |
Yardley Country Club |
69 |
73 |
142 |
|
Conrad Von Borsig |
Concord Country Club |
70 |
73 |
143 |
|
Tony R. Perla |
Radnor Valley Country Club |
68 |
75 |
143 |
|
Jon Pratkanis |
Kittanning Country Club |
72 |
71 |
143 |
|
Chad A. Bricker |
Waynesboro Country Club |
70 |
73 |
143 |
|
Christopher L Schultz |
Squires Golf Club |
73 |
70 |
143 |
|
Matt Vogt |
Connoquenessing Country Club |
72 |
71 |
143 |
|
Glenn Smeraglio |
Commonwealth National Golf Club |
76 |
68 |
144 |
|
Arnie Cutrell |
Greensburg Country Club |
75 |
69 |
144 |
|
Zachary C. Herr |
Jericho National Golf Club |
68 |
76 |
144 |
|
Cory M. Siegfried |
Philadelphia Country Club |
71 |
73 |
144 |
|
Brandon Detweiler |
Lancaster Country Club |
70 |
75 |
145 |
|
Anthony D. DeGol |
Scotch Valley CC |
72 |
73 |
145 |
|
P. Chet Walsh |
Phila Country |
74 |
71 |
145 |
|
Tucker Koch |
RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve |
70 |
75 |
145 |
|
Eric W. Williams |
Honesdale Golf Club |
70 |
76 |
146 |
|
Andrew Guaraldo |
Waynesborough Country Club |
72 |
74 |
146 |
|
Artie Fink, Jr. |
Sinking Valley Country Club |
72 |
74 |
146 |
|
Joe Bevevino |
Huntsville Golf Club |
75 |
71 |
146 |
|
Eric A. Plisko |
Wyoming Valley Country Club |
75 |
71 |
146 |
|
Christian S. Davis |
Glenmaura National Golf Club |
73 |
73 |
146 |
|
Adam Hofmann |
Fox Chapel Golf Club |
73 |
73 |
146 |
|
Gregor A. Orlando |
The Kahkwa Club |
74 |
72 |
146 |
|
Pierce Dever |
Jericho National Golf Club |
75 |
72 |
147 |
|
David DeNunzio |
Latrobe Country Club |
75 |
72 |
147 |
|
Matt Smith |
Whitford Country Club |
73 |
74 |
147 |
|
Christopher Storck |
Moselem Springs Golf Club |
75 |
72 |
147 |
|
Anthony J. DeNicco |
Brookside Country Club |
76 |
71 |
147 |
|
Clayton C. Rotz |
Penn National Golf Club |
75 |
72 |
147 |
|
C.G. Mercatoris, IV |
Pinecrest Country Club |
77 |
70 |
147 |
|
Failed to qualify |
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|
Stephen Dressel |
St. Davids Golf Club |
73 |
75 |
148 |
|
Matthew E. Mattare |
Saucon Valley Country Club |
71 |
77 |
148 |
|
Brian C. Creghan |
Blue Bell Country Club |
73 |
75 |
148 |
|
Chip Lutz |
LedgeRock Golf Club |
73 |
75 |
148 |
|
Brian Belden, Jr. |
Brookside C.C. of Allentown |
72 |
76 |
148 |
|
Timothy L. Hager |
Lookaway Golf Club |
72 |
76 |
148 |
|
Alexander Maguire, Jr. |
Brookside Country Club |
76 |
72 |
148 |
|
William Miller |
St. Clair Country Club |
72 |
77 |
149 |
|
Ryan P. Castanet |
Hickory Heights Golf Club |
76 |
73 |
149 |
|
Jeff Benton |
PGA Individual Member |
74 |
75 |
149 |
|
James M. Gardas |
Honesdale Golf Club |
74 |
75 |
149 |
|
Ed Chylinski |
Chester Valley Golf Club |
71 |
78 |
149 |
|
Nicolas Milito |
Greensburg Country Club |
78 |
71 |
149 |
|
Mark D. Miller |
Yardley Country Club |
74 |
75 |
149 |
|
Kevin J. Reiber |
Penn National Golf Club |
73 |
76 |
149 |
|
Michael Domenick |
Phoenixville Country Club |
76 |
73 |
149 |
|
James Kania, Jr. |
Overbrook Golf Club |
73 |
77 |
150 |
|
Ryan Schneiter |
Lebanon Country Club |
73 |
77 |
150 |
|
Jeff L. Frazier |
Carlisle Country Club |
73 |
77 |
150 |
|
Frank Fairman |
Totteridge Golf Club |
74 |
76 |
150 |
|
Sam Pancoast |
Radley Run Country Club |
74 |
77 |
151 |
|
Sean Sweithelm |
Indiana Country Club |
74 |
77 |
151 |
|
Patrick H. Serfass |
Allentown Municipal Golf Club |
79 |
72 |
151 |
|
Dan Brown |
Pine Meadows Golf Complex |
75 |
76 |
151 |
|
Scott R. Klee |
Indian Valley Country Club |
75 |
76 |
151 |
|
Thomas Hyland |
Moselem Springs Country Club |
78 |
73 |
151 |
|
Chris G. Esbenshade |
Bent Creek Country Club |
72 |
79 |
151 |
|
Kevin M. Genuardi |
Cedarbrook Country Club |
77 |
74 |
151 |
|
Michael J. Vassil |
Country Club of Scranton |
72 |
80 |
152 |
|
Brian P. Gillespie |
St. Davids Golf Club |
73 |
79 |
152 |
|
Byron W. Whitman |
Golden Oaks Golf Club |
78 |
75 |
153 |
|
Marc A. Mandel |
White Manor Country Club |
81 |
72 |
153 |
|
Al R. Kline, Jr. |
Bucknell Golf Club |
76 |
77 |
153 |
|
Ben Wolfe |
Sunnehanna Country Club |
78 |
76 |
154 |
|
James D. Bohn |
Bucknell Golf Club |
82 |
72 |
154 |
|
Arthur J. Kania, Jr. |
Merion Golf Club |
77 |
77 |
154 |
|
Brendan M. Borst |
Hickory Heights Golf Club |
77 |
78 |
155 |
|
Ronald DeNunzio |
Latrobe Country Club |
81 |
75 |
156 |
|
Brian T. Corbett |
Huntsville Golf Club |
77 |
79 |
156 |
|
Kevin Huntington |
Penn Oaks Golf Club |
74 |
82 |
156 |
|
Robert B. Galbreath, Jr. |
Huntingdon Valley Country Club |
77 |
79 |
156 |
|
Roc Irey |
Lookaway Golf Club |
79 |
77 |
156 |
|
David Liotta |
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
78 |
78 |
156 |
|
Matthew Rebitch |
Hannastown Golf Club |
77 |
79 |
156 |
|
Rodney L. James |
Five Ponds Golf Club |
83 |
73 |
156 |
|
Scott J. McNeil |
Scranton Municipal Mens Golf Association |
75 |
82 |
157 |
|
Kevin R. Melnick, Jr. |
Plymouth Country Club |
84 |
73 |
157 |
|
Patrick Welsh |
Huntingdon Valley Country Club |
80 |
78 |
158 |
|
Edward H. Knoll |
Deer Run Golf Club |
78 |
80 |
158 |
|
Drew Panebianco |
Talamore Country Club |
77 |
83 |
160 |
|
Colin P. Smith |
Radley Run Country Club |
79 |
81 |
160 |
|
Jim Rattigan |
Schuylkill Country Club |
80 |
80 |
160 |
|
Christopher Zamias |
Sunnehanna Country Club |
80 |
80 |
160 |
|
Brad Flickinger |
Country Club of Scranton |
83 |
78 |
161 |
|
Andrew Boyle |
Dauphin Highlands Golf Course |
78 |
83 |
161 |
|
Richard W. Graf |
Allegheny Country Club |
82 |
80 |
162 |
|
Samuel F. Hockfield |
White Manor Country Club |
83 |
79 |
162 |
|
Joe Corsi |
Hannastown Golf Club |
83 |
80 |
163 |
|
Lynn T. Kilduff |
Huntsville Golf Club |
84 |
80 |
164 |
|
Patrick C. O'Brien |
North Hills Country Club |
78 |
86 |
164 |
|
Ron A. Weaver |
Meadia Heights Golf Club |
82 |
84 |
166 |
|
Kyle T. Davis |
Philadelphia Publinks GA |
79 |
87 |
166 |
|
J.C. Cardamone |
Elmhurst Country Club |
82 |
84 |
166 |
|
Dave Caldwell |
Hickory Valley Golf Club |
86 |
80 |
166 |
|
L.J. H. Scurfield |
Carlisle Country Club |
82 |
85 |
167 |
|
Thomas Hart |
PGA Individual Member |
84 |
83 |
167 |
|
James J. Bryan |
Latrobe Country Club |
82 |
87 |
169 |
|
John A. Brennan |
Spring Ford Country Club |
76 |
WD |
WD |
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WD-withdrawal |
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