Colbert wins Golf Association of Philadelphia's amateur championship

Posted: June 18, 2012

Recent Villanova graduate Brian Colbert rode a fast start and a hot putter to victory at the Golf Association of Philadelphia's 112th Amateur Championship on Saturday at Huntingdon Valley Country Club.

Colbert, a 22-year-old member at White Manor, defeated Philadelphia Publinks member Greg Jarmas, 6 and 4, in the 36-hole final and claimed the prestigious J. Wood Platt trophy.

Colbert never was threatened after winning the first three holes, building a 6-up lead after 12 holes, and he took that margin to the final 18 holes and again to the final nine. The match ended on the 14th hole of the second 18, making Colbert the first White Manor member to win the title.

"I was 3-up before I could even blink an eye," said Colbert, who had his Villanova coach, Jim Wilkes, as his caddie during the week. "The whole time I wanted to keep pressing the gas pedal. You can get too conservative and start giving away holes. I had to stay focused out there."

Colbert started the match by dropping a 12-foot birdie putt, he made a 20-footer for par and a win on No. 3, and added a 25-footer for win on the ninth.

"I always like to consider [the putter] a strength of mine," said Colbert, who was the medalist in qualifying on Tuesday. "Today [the greens] were a lot faster than they were earlier in the week. I made some nice comebackers and mid-range putts."

The victory also gave Colbert a berth in next month's Open Championship at Pine Valley (N.J.).

- Doug Hadden

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