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Jeff Osberg captures Philadelphia Open championship for second time

Osberg had himself in position to win the first two Golf Association of Philadelphia majors of the season but did not, yet he remained positive and used that feeling to win the Open by two strokes over Zac Oakley.

Jeff Osberg, shown here during the Philadelphia Amateur Championship match in June at the Stonewall Old Course in Elverson, Pa., won the Philadelphia Open on Thursday.
Jeff Osberg, shown here during the Philadelphia Amateur Championship match in June at the Stonewall Old Course in Elverson, Pa., won the Philadelphia Open on Thursday.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

Although he put himself in position to win the first two Golf Association of Philadelphia major championships of the season and didn’t finish the job, Jeff Osberg never allowed the word “disappointment” to occupy his thoughts.

Instead, Osberg took every positive he could out of some late putting woes at the GAP Mid-Amateur and a runner-up finish at the Philadelphia Amateur and used them to claim his second championship in the Philadelphia Open.

Osberg, 35, an amateur playing out of Pine Valley, fired a 2-under-par 68 Thursday on another steamy day at Huntingdon Valley Country Club and posted a 2-stroke victory with a 36-hole score of 5-under 135.

Zac Oakley of Bidermann birdied the 18th hole for a 67 and second place at 137 while edging out Dave McNabb of Applebrook for low professional honors. McNabb, the first-round leader with a 66, wound up with a 72 and 138, tying him for third with amateur John Brennan of Philadelphia Cricket.

Osberg preferred to look at the Mid-Amateur as “probably some of the best golf that I’ve played” for the first 27 holes when he held the lead. He called the Philadelphia Amateur “a great week” where he “walked away with a ton of confidence and really took that into this week.”

“I think that if you look at it as a disappointment, then you’re feeling like you’re not where you want to be,” he said Thursday. “I really felt that I was exactly where I wanted to be, by putting myself in contention. It’s kind of all you can ask for.

“Whether you come out on top isn’t always up to you and sometimes it is, but I felt extremely confident coming into this week, was definitely happy to piece together a really great round today.”

Starting the day one stroke behind McNabb and playing with him in the day’s final group, Osberg, a former Huntingdon Valley member, made the turn leading by one. He built his advantage to four following a three-hole stretch when he birdied the 12th and 14th holes and made a clutch 10-foot par save at the par-3 13th.

“After the putt on 13, that’s when I really felt like I was really in control of what I was doing,” Osberg said. “Then I turned around and birdied the next hole and at that point in time, I had separated myself a little bit and just felt confident coming in.”

McNabb had two birdies and two bogeys on his first six holes but could not cash in on any birdie chances after that while carding bogeys at 11 and 17.

Osberg won his first Philadelphia Open in 2016 at the Ridge at Back Brook. His father, Rick, a longtime professional, captured the championship in 1999.

“Obviously when I won three years ago it was pretty unbelievable because getting my name on the same trophy as my dad was extremely special to me,” he said. “To be able to do it again, it’s a tremendous accomplishment to come out on top.”

Oakley, who went without a bogey the entire day, would like to match the Osbergs’ achievements someday. His father, Pete, won the Philadelphia Open in 1989 and 1990.