Jeremy Wall (GAP/Twitter photo)
Jeremy Wall became the first back-to-back winner of the BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship in 25 years, defeating medalist and 2014 titleholder Jeff Osberg, 3 and 2, at the par-70 Stonewall Links in Elverson, Pa., on Saturday. Wall and his masterful short game never trailed in the scheduled 36-hole final and he became the 10th player in the 119-year history of the championship, and first since Chris Lange of Overbrook Golf Club in 1993-94, to successfully defend the title.
“[The Amateur] is a total marathon and to get through it and be the last guy standing. All those emotions of winning and repeating were a little much to handle,” Wall said as he accepted the J. Wood Platt Trophy. “And the way it ended. [Me] making a putt. That’s what I’ve been doing the whole week. For whatever reason, everything was going in.
“To have my name on [the trophy] twice is cool,” he said before adding with a smile. “And I have two more than [brothers] Jack and Ethan.”
Wall, 23, of Brielle, N.J., has been a lifelong Manasquan River Golf Club member. He never trailed in the championship match. Wall took No. 1 (par 5, 507 yards) with a par; built a 3-up lead after nine holes; a 5-up advantage thru 18 holes and had a 4-up spread through 27 holes.
“It was a great week. I wish I would have played a little bit better in the final but I lost to a well-deserved champion who played some really great golf today,” said Osberg, 34, of Bryn Mawr, Pa. “Making the final is difficult. I felt like I had a difficult match every single match. I was down in every match this week. I was really happy the way I battled back.”
Wall put Osberg on the defensive with clutch par saves and birdie putts throughout the match. He made a remarkable 11 of 14 putts inside 10 feet.
“[His short game] was pretty unbelievable,” said Osberg, playing in his third final in six years. “I think his entire game is really great. It was spectacular. He made a ton of big putts. A ton of crucial par saves. He made some phenomenal par saves.”
View results for Philadelphia Amateur
ABOUT THE Philadelphia Amateur
Format: 36-hole individual gross stroke play
qualifying on the first day. 32
players continue to match play competition with two
rounds scheduled on
the second and third days, and the final at 36 holes
on the last day.
Eligibility: Open to all GAP Member Club
golfers with handicaps of 7.0 or less. Non-exempt
players must prequalify.
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