Jon Rusk (Golf Association of Philadelphia Photo)

The 45-year-old Rusk, the general manager at LuLu Country Club in Glenside, PA, just outside Philadelphia, bested amateur Zak Drescher and professional Andrew Cornish in a four-hole aggregate playoff at Applebrook Golf Club in Malvern, Pa., after the trio completed 36 regulation holes over two days in 4-under par 136.

The playoff was delayed by weather for just over an hour after the players reached the final green.

It was Rusk’s second Golf Association of Philadelphia title and came 29 years after his first; he claimed the organization’s Junior Boys title in 1995. He was a semifinalist in the Philadelphia Amateur two years ago and tied for second in the Philadelphia Middle-Amateur Championship earlier this year.

His name will now be inscribed on the John J. McDermott Trophy, joining the likes of Jay Sigel, a six-time winner of this championship, and Bill Hyndman III.

“I don’t know if it hit home yet, to be honest with you,” Rusk said. “I had never won a GAP Major. I never really played in too many after I turned pro, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot the last year or so.

Rush made several stops on the collegiate circuit, including Auburn, Temple, and Florida Southern, and spent time on the Buy.com Tour before regaining his amateur status in 2019.

“I failed as a professional,” he said, “and I got a lot of scar tissue from that {The win] helped peel some of that away to be honest with you. It feels good. I’ve got some friends’ names on that trophy.”

Eight of the top 11 finishers in Wednesday were amateurs. Amateurs William Howard, Ryan Tall, and William Pabst were joined by professional Danny Lewis at 3-under par 137. Amateurs Patrick Sheehan, Brockton English, and Zach Dilcher finished at 138 along with professional Zach Barbin.

Rusk started the final round tied for the lead with Darren Nolan  at four under par after opening with a 66 on Tuesday and found himself in a multi-player scramble for the lead. Six players led at one point or another including the three involved in the playoff.

Tall, who started the day five shots off the pace, played his first 12 holes in five under par. Howard , a member of the host club bogeyed his opening hole and was five under par from there.

Rusk made the turn even par for the day and at one point held a two-shot lead before recording a bogey at 14 when a bunker shot went awry.

In the meantime, Drescher, playing two groups in front of him, charged into a tie for the lead when he holed out from the fairway at par-5 16th for an eagle. He closed with his second consecutive 68.

Rusk failed to convert birdie chances at 17 and 18, including a 10-footer at 18 that burned the right edge before signing for a 70.

“I really thought I was going to birdie 17 or 18,” he said.

But he took control the playoff by chipping in for an eagle at the first extra hole, the par-5 eighth.

Drescher, who was playing in his first Philadelphia Open, came into the final round with low expectations.

“I had a rough start today,” he said. “Then I was two under for the tournament going to the back nine. I couldn’t really keep an eye on the leaderboard then the hole out on 16 kind of changed everything.”

Drescher compared his two tournament rounds.

“I hit it better yesterday,” he said. “I hit it really good yesterday but missed a lot of putts.It could have been a lot better. Today was more of a grind.”
While the weather was warm and humid on Wednesday, the conditions were less severe than they were for the opening round, when the heat index exceeded 100 degrees.

Playoff scores

Rusk 15
Cornish 17
Drescher 19