14th Hole at Cobbs Creek GC

The 2009 golf season saw many great accomplishments from PPGA players and the achievements of four, in particular, is arguably the best year collectively from PPGA players in the history of the PPGA. Mike Brown captured the GAP Mid-Am Championship and qualified for two USGA events. Rick Umani finished T-6 at the Senior British Amateur at Prestwick. Greg Jarmas was the GAP Junior Sportsman of the Year, won the Harry Hammond Invitational at Penn Oaks GC and finished second in the PIAA High School State Golf Championship. Travis Gahman qualified for the USGA Amateur at Southern Hills GC, won the PPGA Player of the Year Award and began his college season with a runner-up finish for Bridgewater College at the Tom Kinder Memorial in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Mike Brown was the first of the four to grab the spotlight in 2009. Brown found himself one shot out of the lead at the GAP Mid-Am at Tavistock CC after the first day, trailing only three-time champion Mike McDermott. Coming down the last hole Brown needed a par to secure the championship, but an untimely bogey forced a playoff with Tavistock CC member and home course favorite, Sean Leonard. Brown subsequently won the four-hole aggregate score playoff by two shots posting four straight pars. “It had been a while since I was in contention to win a golf tournament. I was not in control of the golf ball but was thinking well those two days.” Brown’s victory marked the first GAP Major championship won by a PPGA player since Publinks players were first allowed to play in GAP events in 2000.

Brown followed up his GAP Mid-Amateur victory with a return trip to the USGA Publinks Championship where he again qualified for match play. The following week, Brown tied Travis Gahman for low score at the PPGA Publinks Championship at Jeffersonville GC, which was eventually won by Gahman in a sudden-death playoff. Brown continued his highly successful 2009 campaign by qualifying for the USGA Mid-Amateur Championship at Kiawah Island. The week before the USGA Mid-Am, Brown teamed with North Hills’ CC member Everett Farr to capture the inaugural PPGA Fall Classic. “Qualifying for the U.S. Publinks and the U.S. Mid-Am were the top moments of my summer. USGA events are the highest level of amateur golf, and I was honored to be a part of it.

Brown, a reinstated amateur, was an assistant professional at North Hills CC before his re-entry into amateur golf in 2008. He played several mini-tours in his quest to join the PGA Tour. Brown spent time and competed on the Nationwide, European Challenge, and Canadian Tours as well as the Tour De las Americas. Brown’s highlight was a 12-under par fourth place finish in the first stage of PGA Q-School in 2001, after which he proudly claimed “this his is my greatest accomplishment to date.” Brown was also chosen in 2009 to represent the GAP in the Compher Cup Matches, the Mason-Dixon Matches and the Philadelphia Challenge Cup Matches.

When asked about the PPGA, Brown said, “The Philly Publinks Association has been so valuable to my continued development. The events hosted by the Publinks Association are tightly run. The events have an organized feel, which is important to me. It has also been an avenue to tournaments for which I would otherwise not be eligible. I love being a Philly Publinks player. I grew up practicing at John F. Byrne and still keep my handicap there today.”

Greg Jarmas had a busy summer in his own right. People took notice of the senior at Lower Merion High School when he finished second at the GAP Open Qualifier at Woodstone CC. A week later, Jarmas’ solid play continued at Glenmaura National GC, where he was first alternate for the USGA Junior Boys Championship. Jarmas kept rolling with a 3rd at the Christman Cup at Torresdale Frankford CC and a 3rd at the PPGA Philadelphia Open Amateur at Cobbs Creek. Next up was the Philadelphia Open at Bent Creek where Jarmas really opened some eyes, including his own.

“I definitely surprised myself at the Philadelphia Open. It was a totally different experience playing with professionals, and I went out there and played very well. I played consistently all day, one shot at a time, and ended up at 142 in 19th place. That showed me that I could play with anyone.” And play with anyone he did. Fresh off his top 20 finish in the GAP Open, Jarmas captured the Harry Hammond Invitational with a 2-under par 69 at Penn Oaks GC. Jarmas was then named to represent the GAP in the Williamson Cup matches at Oak Hill CC in Rochester, NY. “Oak Hill was tremendous and by far the hardest course I've ever played. There was awesome hospitality, and I made several friends with whom I'm still in very close contact.” Jarmas was also later recognized by the GAP as the “Junior Sportsman of the Year.” Of the experience, he says, “It was a huge honor being named Junior Sportsman of the Year. There are so many great Bitmap players and great competitors in the GAP. It felt great to be chosen out of them. It definitely reinforced to me that how I've been trying to conduct myself has come across in the right way.”

During his successful run, Jarmas posted top tens over the summer in AJGA events with an 8th at the AJGA Northeast Open in Danbury, Connecticut and a 6th at the AJGA Junior at Kingsmill in Williamsburg, VA. Jarmas also posted impressive finishes in the fall high school golf season. He finished 3rd in the PIAA Eastern Regional qualifier which advanced him into the state tournament. Once there, Jarmas was in position to win coming down the back nine but settled for an impressive 2nd place finish. “Going into the year I really wasn't sure what to expect,” said Jarmas. “After playing well in the Philadelphia Open qualifier, I really carried that momentum through the rest of the summer. I knew I was playing well, but I never really felt it was going to be a great year. I just tried to take it one tournament at a time, and eventually great results started piling up. I played the best golf of my life this summer and fall.”

Longtime PPGA player Rich Umani made his mark internationally in 2009. Umani earned an exemption into to the 2009 Senior British Amateur by virtue of qualifying for match play in the 2008 USGA Senior Amateur at Shady Oaks CC in Fort Worth, Texas. Umani’s parents were frequent visitors to Scotland and Ireland and had made many friends there. He remembers, “my father passed away three-and-a- half years ago and his final wish was to have is ashes spread about the ‘Postage Stamp’ hole at Royal Troon Golf Club,” said Umani. Upon his acceptance into the Senior British Amateur Championship, which was played at Prestwick GC (about 10 minutes from Troon), Umani went to Scotland with the purpose of playing good golf and spreading his father’s ashes.

“Once there, I called Royal Troon and went through a few different people to finally get to one of the officers of the club. I explained to him why I was there (playing in the British Senior Am) and that my fathers last request was to have his ashes spread about the ‘Postage Stamp’ hole. He asked my fathers name. He asked again. And then he said, ‘I remember your father. He would come and play here with a big, tall pro from the states. Tom Smith if I'm not mistaken? Your father enjoyed his Grouse. Famous Grouse (this is the scotch that dad loved and is it what the Scots drink). When would you like to do this?’ Well I'm floored!! ‘Well how about next Saturday?’ ‘How about Saturday after high tea?’ he said. I had no idea when high tea was. I said, "That would be fine. Thank you". He gave me the pass code to get through the barrier and drive on to the course. He told me where to go and park and that he would love to be there, but he was going out of town that weekend. So I played the entire week with dad. Finished sixth.

On Saturday, after high tea (around 5:00), the folks I was staying with, six others that knew dad and my caddie at Prestwick met with me at Royal Troon. We had a brief ceremony, spread the ashes and toasted dad with a bottle of Famous Grouse and sprinkled some on dad's ashes. It was a great trip!! However the tournament took a back seat to the experience at Royal Troon.”

The golf may have been secondary, but Umani’s strong play and sixth place finish earned him a trip back to the 2010 Senior British Amateur at Walton Heath GC in Surrey England. Umani also posted a 6th place finish in the GAP Senior AM and represented the GAP in the Senior Challenge Matches.

Umani won his first PPGA event in 1992 when he teamed with Steve Spuhler to capture the PPGA Better-Ball Championship. He won this event again in 2002, this time teaming with Bill Rapone. The following year Umani was again in the winner’s circle when he won the Philadelphia Senior Championship at FDR GC in 2003.

Travis Gahman highlighted his successful 2009 campaign with a trip to the 2009 US Amateur at Southern Hills CC in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Gahman faced a tough challenge against four past US Amateur qualifiers in a five-for-three playoff, including most notably Mike McDermott of Merion Golf Club. It came down to Gahman and McDermott for the final spot. Gahman secured his trip to the most prestigious amateur golf tournament in the country by making his seven foot par putt on the 2nd playoff hole after watching McDermott’s par attempt from eight feet narrowly miss. “The summer was made when I qualified for the US Amateur, it was a great experience,” said Gahman. “I was excited to play a major championship course. The whole experience of the US Amateur was amazing, I felt like royalty out there, everyone greeted you with a smile and were there for your every need. When it came to the golf it was amazing, the course was in great shape, the greens rolled true, the tees and fairways were immaculate, and the rough was consistent but difficult. It was also an eye opener because it was my first time ever playing on Bermuda grass, which is entirely different than the bent and rye grasses around the Philadelphia area. It was awesome being on the same practice green and range as the top amateurs in the world.”

“When it came to the golf, it was disappointing, and I wish I had confidence in my game and was playing well entering that week, but all aspects of my game were not in control.” Gahman posted a 76 at Southern Hills on day one of match play qualifying, putting him in contention for making the field of 64. The second day at Cedar Crest CC was a struggle as he fell back in the pack and missed the match play cut.

Although the US Amateur was the highlight of the year for Gahman, he posted solid finishes throughout the summer. Starting with the Philadelphia Better-Ball tournament at Cobbs Creek, he and partner Paul Cornely posted a second place finish. Gahman followed that with a runner-up finish in the Hoffner tournament at Sandy Run CC losing out to the eventual winners in a three-hole playoff. The following day he defeated Mike Brown in a playoff to capture the PPGA Publinks Championship at Jeffersonville GC. A few weeks later, Gahman qualified for the PA Open with a round of 2-under par 70 at Spring Mill GC. The next day Gahman teed off at the 37th Philadelphia Open Amateur Championship. In the final round, he found himself in a battle down the stretch with three-time champion, Mike Owsik. The two battled back and forth until the last hole. Gahman three putted the 71st hole and settled for a par while Owsik made birdie to take a one shot lead heading to the last. After Gahman’s birdie putt slid over the left edge, Owsik coaxed in his par putt for the one-shot victory.

Before Gahman’s trip to Southern Hills, he visited another major championship venue, Oakmont CC, host of the 2009 PA Open Championship. “The PA Open at Oakmont CC was another eye-opening experience,” said Gahman. “Oakmont was, by far, the toughest course I have ever played. It was set up extremely difficult the first day and thanks to some rain, played easier the second day, but I still missed the cut and was unable to make it to the third day. It was an awesome time with my dad on the bag despite my terrible play. It was very satisfying to see my dad’s reactions and emotions being at a US Open type venue at Oakmont CC. It meant the world to me and it didn’t matter what I shot those two rounds it was well worth the 5 hour drive, although it would have been extra special to have played there 3 days.”

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