Ault eight strokes off in GAP Mid-am
It was another magical Middle-Amateur Championship for Merion’s Michael McDermott. The 38-year-old secured a record fourth career MiddleAmateur Championship title on Thursday, May 23 at Fieldstone Golf Club (par 71, S,S38 yards) with a GDzzOLnJ ELUGLH Rn WhH finDO playoff hole against Pete Barron III, of Stone Harbor Golf Club.
McDermott recorded 1S strokes in the four-hole agJUHJDWH SODyRII. BDUURn finished the playoff with 17 swings after carding bogeys Rn WhH finDO WZR hROHV, 1RV. 17 (par 4, 434 yards) and 18 (par 5, 523 yards). Both SODyHUV finLVhHG WhH 36 hROHV of regulation at even par.
“It was such a battle for two days. It’s such a tough course,” said McDermott. “The leader board was all over the place all day. There were moments when I was four back of Ray Thompson and he’s just playing perfect JROI DnG ,’P fiJuULnJ hH’V JRLnJ WR finLVh DW 2 unGHU and I have to do something miraculous. Then he had his unfortunate stumble. Then I have a feeling I can win it which I end up in a playoff. The playoff was such a roller coaster. Pete outplayed me. He did everything but win the playoff. And then I make that great birdie at the last. I’m very, very excited.”
McDermott, of Bryn Mawr, won his last MiddleAmateur in 2008, also at Fieldstone. His other titles came in 2001 and 2004. Barron was in search of his fiUVW *A3 0DMRU ChDPSLRnship. Barron’s only Association victory came in the 2012 Tournament of Champions.
Meanwhile, Chris Ault, 27, of Yardley Country COuE, finLVhHG MuVW HLJhW strokes behind the winner after carding 8-over-par 150 in his two-round total. The Pennsbury graduate was just seven strokes off the money on May 22, day one of the tournament, locked in a seven-way tie for 15th place after carding a 3-over par 74.
Philadelphia Cricket Club’s goe April, of Philadelphia, was the leader on day one, posting a sensational 4-under-par S7.
AuOW finLVhHG WhH WRuUnHy Ln D fiYH-ZDy WLH IRU 20Wh place with April, who had a bad day on the links on May 23, carding a 12-over-par 83. Ault is a 2004 graduate of Pennsbury and a 2008 graduate of bast Carolina University, where he played all four years for the Pirates.
This was the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 30th Middle-Amateur Championship.
*** NOTES: The scoring average for round two was 7S.8. The round one scoring average was 79.9.
UPDATE: ln gune 19 at Aronimink GC, Ault was eliminated in the GAP Amateur by Alexander Hicks, who made it all the way to WhH finDO EHIRUH IDOOLnJ 5 DnG 4 to Michael McDermott, of Merion GC.