The RiverCrest Golf Club and Preserve just opened the doors to its stately clubhouse and paved the cart paths that wind through and around its demanding layout a few years ago … and there’s no shortage of good players among its membership.

At least not when it comes to teeing it up in the Golf Association of Philadelphia Team Matches.

RiverCrest has three entries in the annual competition, which features 81 four-team sections bracketed in seven divisions. All three are unbeaten through the first two rounds and all three will attempt to capture their respective section titles this Sunday. And another winning swing would earn each of them a spot in next weekend’s playoff or challenge matches.

RC’s first team, 2-0 in Division A-Section Six, is coming off a 39.75-34.5 win over Heidelberg and holds a slim lead over second-place Rolling Green (1-1). Big points on Sunday, and a win of course, over Woodbury could move RC into a position to challenge for a spot in next year’s top Division AA bracket. The first team’s big scorers thus far have been Tucker Koch, Andy Achenbach and Joe, Daniel and Charles Bernard. Also contributing have been Matt German, Paul Stewart, Tom Grady, Craig Labarbera. Robert De Rojas, Kurt Meyers and Tim Westfall.

RC’s second team, 2-0 in Division C-Section 14, won a narrow 35.25-32.75 meeting with Cavaliers last week and has a formidable challenger on Sunday in Hartefeld National, which has amassed a section-high point total despite splitting its first two matches. Headlining the second team’s hopes will be Rich Moyer, Charles Meadows, Michael Beran, Johan Scholdstrom, and Peter Mark. Teammates Rich Bass, Vic Worry, Brandon Famous, Roger Bomgardner, Andy Keys, Bill Green, Michael McGarry, Terry Fair, Rob O’Brien and Glen Dotterer have also added depth to the second team’s lineup.
RC’s third team, 2-0 in Division E-Section Seven, had an easy time in a 48.25-17.75 rout of Sandy Run last week and could wrap up an unbeaten spring season on Sunday against winless Meadowlands (0-2). Leading the way for RC will be Ron Monson, Daryl Sonnichsen, James Malloy, Carter Devol, Mark Mazzie and Tim Kearns, its top point-producers thus far.

The only other area club attempting to cap an unbeaten season on Sunday will be Brookside C.C.’s first team, which is 2-0 in Division A-Section Six. Brookside is coming off a 37-75-25.25 win over Little Mill and go against Blue Bell (0-2) this weekend.
Brookside’s leaders thus far have been Rob Francis, A.J. DeNicco, Alex Maguire Sr., Scott Orr, Joe Major, Mark Szilagyi, Alex Maguire Jr., Hudson Green, Bo Maguire and Pat Romano. Also contributing have been Pressley Day, Bill Norris, Eric Householder and David Beasten.

Records of other area club’s entries as they head into Sunday’s final round of the GAP Team Matches are as follows:
Bellewood’s two teams are both 1-1; Brookside’s second through fourth teams are all 0-2; French Creek’s first team is 1-1 and second team is 0-2; Phoenixville’s two teams are both 0-2; Raven’s Claw lone entry is 1-1; Spring-Ford’s four teams are all 0-2; and Stonewall’s first team is 0-2 and second team is 1-1.

In the only match of the season featuring two area clubs, Raven’s Claw got into the win column last weekend with a 46.25-29 win over Phoenixville No. 2 in a Division E-Section 16 showdown. Raven’s Claw was led by Tom Cherry, Brian Cortright, Bruce Jackson, Al Kane, Dave McFetridge and Joe McKenna, while Phoenixville’s effort was led by Joe DiMartini, Charles Hiestand and George Kawchak Jr.

WOMEN’S GAP

Brookside Country Club opened the Women’s Golf Association Team Matches season on Tuesday with an impressive 6-1 win over Phil-Mont in a 13th Cup matchup.

Providing the points in the lopsided affair were Beth Allain, Tammy Sucoloski, Barbara DeAngelis, Diane Maniscalco, Sue Suzenski and Linda Lucci. Suzenski coasted 8-and-6, while both Allain and Sucoloski had similar 7-and-5 romps. Lucci survived her thriller that went 19 holes.
PHILA. PGA

Rivercrest G.C. and Preserve’s Jamie Komancheck teamed up with Kurt Meyers, Mike McGarry and Vic Worry to finish in a tie for fourth place during last week’s Philadelphia PGA Section’s Jack Jolly & Son Stableford Team Championship at Atlantic City C.C.
The foursome closed with a 139, five shots off the pace set by Little Mill’s George Frake and his three teammates.

Spring-Ford’s Rich Steinmetz teamed up with Rick Custer, Dennis Perna and Frank Kunze for a 142 and tie for 10th place. Stonewall’s Eric McNamee, Jerry Cashman, Tom Valyo and Rich Franklin combined for a 144 and tied for 15th.
PHILA. PGA JUNIORS

The Philadelphia PGA Section Junior Program opened its spring run last Saturday at Center Square Golf Club and featured six area golfers.
Collegeville’s Brandon Nguyen tied for fourth and Royersford’s Alex Caracappa tied for 14th in the Boys 13-15 Division, and Chester Springs’ Kyle Donovan tied for ninth and Audubon’s Hans Gureck was 19th in the Boys 16-18 Division. In the 9-Hole Division for younger entries, Kimberton’s Madeline and Collin Sager were eighth and ninth, respectively.

TEE TIME
There are still openings in the sixth annual Carl Burns Memorial Golf Tournament, set for Saturday, July 12 at Blackwood G.C. All proceeds from the outing go to the Carl Burns Memorial Fund, which benefits a Pottsgrove High School senior student-athlete who possesses outstanding character traits on and off the athletic field.

The tournament is played in honor of Carl Burns Jr., an outstanding student-athlete at Pottsgrove and later a scratch golfer who lost a courageous battle with cancer seven years ago.
To play or offer a sponsorship, call 610-326-6376 or 610-705-5559.