June 19, 2008 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Chip Culp shares CHA’s Patterson Cup
by TOM UTESCHER

CHA’s Chip Culp seen here last September in a game against GFS is a co-recipient of his school’s Patterson Cup. (Photo by Jimmy J. Pack Jr.)

As a freshman, Chip Culp helped Chestnut Hill Academy win the Inter-Ac League championship in golf, and as a senior he was stationed in goal when the Blue Devils captured the league title in soccer. A lifelong Hill resident, Culp also played squash at the local school, and this year he was a team captain in all three sports.

He was honored for his contributions at graduation ceremonies last Tuesday, when he became co-recipient of the J.L. Patterson Cup, awarded annually by CHA to the outstanding athlete in the graduating class.

Culp, who admittedly likes changing sports with the seasons, had to settle on just one as he looked forward to playing at the NCAA Division I level. He went with golf, which he’ll pursue at Lafayette College over the next four years.

“It’s the sport that I’m most passionate about, the one I can keep playing and not get tired of,” he explained.

Although Lafayette does not yet award athletic scholarships in golf, Leopards coach Jim Hutnik actively recruited Culp, who made a successful “early decision” application.

The Lafayette squad takes a trip down south every year at the start of the spring season, and back home, the Leopards compete in the Patriot League and operate out of the Northampton Country Club, five minutes from campus. The head pro there, Gary Hardin, coached Culp’s former CHA teammate Mike Soowal (’07), and is consistently ranked among the top 100 instructors in the United States.

After visiting Lafayette twice, Culp considered Georgetown, Bucknell and Colgate, but he was not swayed from his favorable early impression of the Easton college.

“I liked the size and the location, and I knew I’d be able to play golf for them,” said Culp, who plans to follow his parents into the business world and is eying up business and economics courses.

He made CHA’s varsity golf team as an eighth-grader, and Blue Devils coach Jim Talbot noted, “He’s probably got the best natural swing on the team, long and fluid. He hits the ball long – a little wild sometimes – which is the price you pay for being able to hit it so far.

“He was a very aggressive golfer for such a quiet, unassuming lad,” Talbot continued. “He’d go for the par fives in two, and so on, and whenever I’d question his aggressiveness, he’d say, ‘Coach, that’s the way I have fun!’’’

On the course, Culp was inseparable from his classmate and playing partner, Rob Robertson, who signed with Purdue University last November. They began playing together as eighth graders, and up through their senior season, they never lost to a rival duo in scholastic competition.

“That streak went for at least 50 matches, probably more,” Talbot said. “The other coaches in the league said they’d be sorry to see those two go as far as personalities, but they were delighted they wouldn’t have to face them as competitors. Every coach also talked about how well those kids conducted themselves.”

In their final high school match, Culp and Robertson found their streak in jeopardy as they faced Haverford’s Mike Kania and Cory Siegfried at Gulph Mills Golf Club on May 15. The two Haverford players each came in right on par at 35 strokes, as did CHA’s Robertson. Culp’s aggressive approach had gotten him into trouble on the par-five seventh hole, where his ball strayed out of bounds twice.

“He’s very good at recovery,” Talbot related, “and he made a fantastic up-and-down to finish that hole, then he birdied the last two holes to finish one under par.”

This allowed the Blue Devil twosome to complete their careers with their streak intact; they produced a combined score of 69 to the Fords’ 70.

Like many Chestnut Hill youngsters, Culp started his sports career at the Water Tower Recreation Center, where he played baseball and soccer. His father had been a wrestler in high school, and had done some rowing in college. The CHA standout has two older sisters (both in their 30’s), and a younger sister, Amanda, who is a rising sophomore at Springside School.

In 10th grade, Culp made the CHA varsity teams in squash and soccer. He would be the starting goalie in soccer during his last two seasons, and as a senior he moved up to number two on the squash team ladder.

“He’s got a natural ability for the game, and he’s also incredibly hardworking and enthusiastic,” commented Blue Devils coach, Mike Jefferys. “He set a great example for the rest of the team; definitely one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of having as a captain.

“He had a great kill shot and he was very perseverant,” Jefferys went on. “Chip was very levelheaded and his sense of humor was an asset on the court. He was able to joke and diffuse situations.”

Those intrapersonal skills would also serve Culp well in his role as class president throughout his upper school years, and as a student guide for visitors to Chestnut Hill. He helped found an environmental club, and he made a foray into the theatrical realm to act in two school plays.

He enjoyed the close-knit community at CHA, pointing out, “If you manage your time right, you have the opportunity to do a lot of things while you’re there.”

This summer, he’ll hone his golf skills in tournament play.

Assessing his game, he remarked, “I think because of my squash background I get really ‘handsy.’ I have a long, loopy swing, and it can be hard to control on the longer clubs just because my hands are moving so much. I think my putting and my ‘feel’ around the greens is definitely a strength.”

Described by Coach Talbot as “the Zen-master on the team,” Culp reflected, “You can’t really perfect the game; there’s always that challenge to get better and improve. It’s a competition against yourself, sort of a never-ending struggle.”

Next week the Local will profile Patterson Cup co-winner, Mike Mattei.