Ault returns to GAP Amateur quarters

Chris Ault taps a putt at an earlier season amateur tournament.

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Chris Ault gave it a good run in this year’s Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) Amateur Championship going on this week at Stonewall GC in Elverson, Pa. Ault, a 2003 graduate of Pennsbury who hails from Yardley, returned to the quarterfinals for the first time since the 2006 Amateur held that year at Torresdale-Frankford CC.
A 16 seed in the tourney after carding 145 in his first two rounds, Ault posted a 6&5 triumph over Edward McCrossen, Jr., of Whitemarsh Valley CC Tuesday June 15 in the round of 32 then came through with a 2&1 victory over Doug Marcincin in the Round of 16.
Marcincin, a 32 seed from Northampton CC, had stunned top seed Michael Hyland, of Little Mill CC, with a 2-up triumph in the Round of 32.
But that’s as far as Ault would reach in the tourney as defending GAP Amateur champion Michael McDermott, of Merion Golf Club posted a 2-up victory on Wednesday, June 17 in the quarterfinals.
In the match with McDermott, Ault was 1-up at the halfway point, thanks to a pair of birdies he recorded on Nos. 7 (par 3, 166 yds.) and 9 (par 3, 235 yds.).
Chris got off to a rough start on the back nine however, bogeying Nos. 10 (par 4, 444 yds.) and 13 (par 4, 452 yds.). The 23-year old Ault played scratch golf the rest of the way save No. 18 (par 4, 450 yds.), which he also bogeyed. His opponent meanwhile got down in two on both 15 (par 3, 178 yds.) and 17 (par 3, 134 yds.). McDermott went 1-up with his bird on No. 17 and finished 2-up when he hit par on 18.
The day before, McDermott defeated Brian Gillespie of St. Davids GC, 2&1, in the Round of 16 on the Old Course. Jeffrey Griest, a 30 seed from Waynesborough CC, defeated Mark Miller of Yardley CC, 6&5.
James Kania, Jr. of Overbrook GC and Conrad Von Borsig of Concord CC, a pair of long-hitting, upstart 20-somethings, advanced to the GAP Amateur final on Wednesday on the Old Course. Kania, the 11th seed, who turned in a very workmanlike effort in search of his first Amateur title, stopped Anthony Martire of Seaview Marriott Resort & Spa, 3&2, in the semis the got past Griest, 3&2, in the quarters. Von Borsig, who also is in search of his first Amateur crown, stunned defending champion McDermott, 1-up, in the semifinals and Thomas Gramigna, the No. 4 seed, of Tavistock CC, with a 1-up victory.
On Monday, Ault carded scores of 73 (Old Course, par 70, 6,579 yds.) and 72 (North Course, par 70, 6,690 yds.) for a total of 145 in his first two rounds before entering Tuesday’s match play.
And Hyland didn’t miss a beat in his return to the Philadelphia golf scene. The winner of the 2000 Amateur Championship at the Elverson venue, Hyland carded a 1-under-par 139 on Stonewall’s two courses to take the 109th Amateur Championship medalist honors. A golfer who turned professional shortly after winning the 2000 title and returned to the Amateur ranks in 2005, Hyland posted Monday’s lone sub-par total.