Oscar Mestre Jr. of Overbrook Golf Club has been selected as captain of the team from the Golf Association of Philadelphia in the 44th Compher Cup Matches against the rival team from New Jersey.
Mestre, 45, of Berwyn, will make his seventh appearance in the Compher Cup, which is set for April 27 at Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, N.J.
The 12-man team Mestre will lead against the New Jersey State Golf Association is a cast of familiar names among the top amateurs from the area:
Brian Gillespie of St. Davids Golf Club (fifth appearance), Roc Irey of Cedarbrook Country Club (third), Chris Lange of Overbrook Golf Club (22d), Frank McFadden of Overbrook Golf Club (third), William McGuinness of Tavistock Country Club (ninth), Rich Pruchnik of West Chester Golf & Country Club (second), Glenn Smeraglio of Yardley Country Club (sixth), Michael Tash of Tavistock Country Club (eighth), P. Chet Walsh of Philadelphia Country Club (12th), and Doug Zelner of Coatesville Country Club (third).
The only Compher Cup rookie is Brian Corbett of Huntsville Golf Club.
"The [matches] are something you always strive for because you know good play all year earns you that opportunity," Mestre said in the announcement from GAP.
Although the New Jersey team prevailed, 9 1/2 to 8 1/2, last year at Bent Creek, GAP leads in the series, 28-11-4.
The Compher Cup, with its simultaneous singles and four-ball matches, is named for Fred Compher, former president of the New Jersey State Golf Association, who conceived of the matches.
Exelon's fourth. Tim Clark will round out the famous foursome at Jim Furyk's seventh annual Exelon Invitational on June 6.
Clark, 29, a South African ranked 27th in the world and a rising star in his fourth year on the PGA Tour, will join Furyk, U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, and 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir in the fan-friendly $300,000 skins game at Hartefeld National Golf Club in Avondale.
Tickets are available by phone from Ticketmaster at 215-336-2000, or online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.exelongolf.com.
Contact staff writer Joe Logan at 215-854-5604 or jlogan@phillynews.com.
Read his recent work at http://go.philly.com/joelogan.
