Feld rallies to win tourney in playoff

Earlier this summer, Ben Feld held the lead over Brian &ROEHUW Ln WKH VHPLfinDOV RI the Philadelphia Amateur Championship.

)HOG wDV 4-uS Rn WKH EDFN nine and was still 2-up on the 17th tee. He lost both the 17th and 18th holes, then fell Rn WKH fiUVW SODyRII KROH WR Colbert, who went on on to win the Philadelphia AmaWHuU Ln WKH nHxW URunG.

The loss stung Feld, 21, who was the defending champion entering this year’s Montgomery County Amateur Championship.

Feld, playing out of Green Valley CC but a former member at Blue Bell CC, led by two shots heading into 6unGDy’V finDO URunG. BuW, by the time he reached the 18th tee at Blue Bell, Feld was one shot back of Temple sophomore Paul Carbone.

Drawing off the combined HxSHULHnFHV RI KDYLnJ wRn this tournament a year ago, and being unable to close out Colbert last month, Feld found the will to drop in a 12-foot birdie putt on the finDO KROH RI UHJuODWLRn, SuOOing him to even-par for the tournament and even with Carbone.

Feld then parred the second playoff hole to successfully defend his title, winning the 2012 Montgomery County Amateur Championship in only the event’s second playoff.

“7KLV RnH GHfinLWHOy GLGn’W feel easier than it did last year, that’s for sure,” Feld said, “but when I realized there was a playoff, I had D OLWWOH ELW RI FRnfiGHnFH , might not have otherwise had just thinking back.

“I’ve done this on a big stage before, going to the playoff at the Philly Am. I had been there and knew how to keep my emotion in check and just focus. I couldn’t help but think back to that.”

Rick Custer from Brookside CC won the Senior Division for the third straight yHDU, EHFRPLnJ WKH fiUVW person to win any of the 36hole divisions three years in a row. He earned a one-shot victory over former twotime division winner Scott Carney of Commonwealth National.

Sandy Run CC’s Bruce Gladish won the Super-SenLRU DLYLVLRn Ey VLx VKRWV while Hee Young Park from Blue Bell CC took the Women’s Division by four shots.

)HOG FDUGHG D 5-unGHU 66 Ln 6DWuUGDy’V fiUVW URunG DW LuLu Country Club, holding a two-shot lead over Oliver White of Manufacturer’s G&CC, with Rob Savarese and Anthony Stephenson both four back. Carbone, from Old York Road CC, wDV DPRnJ IRuU SODyHUV fiYH back at even-par.

7KDW KRW fiUVW URunG IRU Feld would not carry over to Sunday as he gave back four shots on the front nine and two more on the 11th and 12th holes, falling to 1-over for the tournament.

Feld’s playing companion and closest pursuer, White, was 2-over on the front nine, leaving them tied for the tournament. White took a two-shot lead over Feld on the par-3 12th with a birdie, but a bogey on 13 and then D GRuEOH Rn WKH 15WK wRuOG drop White back.

Carbone, meanwhile, was steady as could be. He made 16 pars on the round, includLnJ WKH fiUVW 11 KROHV, ERJHying the 12th and making his RnOy ELUGLH DW WKH SDU-5 17WK WR SRVW HYHn-SDU 142 Ln WKH clubhouse.

“I had no idea where I stood,” said Carbone, 19, who played a solid freshman season at Temple after having attended Archbishop WRRG. “WH GLGn’W finG RuW unWLO DERuW WKH 14WK RU 15WK what anybody behind us was doing. Once they said you were kind of in it, you keep going.

“Coming down the stretch, I birdied 17 and lipped out for birdie on 18.”

Mike Carr, the 2010 champion, also shot an even-par URunG RI 71 6unGDy, finLVKing one stroke back at 1-over 143 Ln D WKLUG-SODFH WLH wLWK 6DYDUHVH, WKH 2004 DnG 2007 champion.

White was among a trio to WLH IRU fiIWK DW 144, DORnJ wLWK Stephenson and Huntingdon Valley CC’s Ben Cooley, who posted the only sub-par round of the day with a 1-under 70.