Smeraglio seizes Marston Cup--again

Newtown's own amateur golfer Glenn Smeraglio hits a tee shot Aug. 19 in the Marston Cup tournament.

His putter may have been ugly in appearance, but Glenn Smeraglio’s round wasn’t as the Commonwealth National Golf Club member carded a 6-under-par 66 to win the fifth edition of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Marston Cup Wednesday, Aug. 19 at Cedarbrook Country Club (par 72, 6,833 yards) in Blue Bell.
Smeraglio, who hails from Newtown, also won the Marston Cup in 2006.
“The more I read about Max Marston, the more impressed I am,” said. “To win a tournament with his name on it is special. To be on it twice is an honor.”
Smeraglio attributed his success primarily to an aesthetically hideous flatstick that had been tucked away at home.
“Obviously, I putted good,” he said. “I’ve been playing pretty good all year and not making any putts. Today, I broke out a new putter from the basement. It was the ugliest thing I could find. Ugly was good. It seemed to have a good feel. The greens were soft. You could go right at the pins.”
Smeraglio played alongside William McGuinness of Tavistock CC, the 1996 Amateur Champion, and defending Marston Cup Champion Chip Lutz of LedgeRock GC, who both carded a 4-under-par 68.
“I think that’s important,” Smeraglio said. “Everyone was pushing each other to make birdies. I think we had 16 birdies in the group.”
Smeraglio set the tone early with a downhill, left-to-right breaking 15-footer for birdie on No. 1 (par 4, 395 yards).
“I said, ‘Wow. Maybe this putter’s OK,” he said.
Smergalio rocketed his 3-wood over the green on No. 6 (par 5, 550 yards), but chipped up and converted a 2-footer for birdie. After making the turn at 2 under, Smeraglio, 49, fired three straight birdies. He smashed a 5-iron 195 yards to the front fringe and two-putted for birdie on No. 10 (par 5, 530 yards). On No. 11 (par 4, 380 yards), his approach 9-iron soared 140 yards and settled 15-feet from the flagstick. Smeraglio then cleaned up the birdie putt. He blasted a 3-hybrid from 209 yards out on No. 12 (par 5, 515 yards) and again two-putted for birdie.
Smeraglio nearly registered a birdie on the par 3, 13th hole, but his 25-footer stopped just shy of the cup. He dug deeper into red figures the next hole, though, after smashing his 4-iron uphill from 190 yards out to 15-feet. He drained the downhill birdie putt.
“That’s the best hole out there,” Smeraglio said.
Smeraglio will next attempt to qualify for the USGA Middle-Amateur Championship Aug. 31. at Links GC.