Local golf: Jeff Osberg wins weather-shortened Patterson Cup

Contestants in the Patterson Cup could not get a break Thursday with the weather as Golf Association of Philadelphia officials tried to get players around the Applebrook Golf Club course to complete the tournament before darkness.

Even though the forecast did not call for widespread thunderstorms, the type of which forced the competition to be halted on Wednesday, there were two flashes of lightning that caused separate delays. The second one, at 7:23 p.m. and with the final group playing the 13th hole, prompted a halt to the proceedings.

So with approximately 20 players unable to complete their second round, the results reverted to the first-round scores, and that meant Jeff Osberg’s opening 4-under-par 67 would stand, giving him his third Patterson Cup championship.

Osberg, 35, who plays out of Pine Valley, picked up his second victory in a GAP major this season and all but wrapped up player of the year honors for the third time.

Because 69 players still had to finish their first round after play was called on Wednesday, the second round couldn’t get started until the afternoon. The cut was set at 76, and 79 contestants qualified for Round 2. Osberg didn’t tee off until 3:20 and he was on the second hole at the time of the first lightning delay, lasting 30 minutes.

“Pace of play was pretty slow on the front nine,” he said. “I think it was over three hours since we teed off when we made the turn. Obviously I figured that light was going to be more of the issue. I didn’t realize more weather was coming. I was on the 13th hole when the [second] lightning struck. That was kind of it but I wasn’t sure we were going to finish anyway.”

Osberg was 3 under and in a three-way tie for the lead when play was called. Two players, Will Davenport of Whitemarsh Valley and Tug Maude of Merion, already were in the clubhouse at 3-under 139. Davenport’s 66 was the best round of the tournament, and Maude had a 67.

“That’s just unfortunate,” Davenport said. “I played my heart out today and would have been close. I don’t know if it would have been enough or not; Jeff’s a great player. So give him the last six holes tied for the lead, I’d like his chances. But of course I would have liked to see it play out.”

Matt Teesdale of Lulu, Danny Harcourt of Mercer Oaks and Eric Williams of Honesdale were tied for second with 18-hole scores of 68.

According to Kirby Martin, GAP’s director of competitions, the tournament needed to complete two rounds in 18-hole increments. Applebrook was reserved for two days, and the contestants had planned for two days, but some would not be able to play a third day due to job considerations.

Osberg was pleased to accept the trophy but he admitted it was a strange day.

“Honestly in my mind, I kind of figured that hopefully we would get the whole thing in, didn’t really plan on us not,” he said. “There was a lot of golf left. It could have gone either way in my mind.”