Episcopal Academy junior Sean Fahey reached the semifinals of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Boys Championship before falling Friday at Running Deer Golf Club in Pittsgrove Township, N.J.
Fahey, playing out of Overbrook G.C., dropped a 1-up decision to Reilly Erhardt, the 14-year-old medalist from Newtown, Bucks County and Trenton C.C. Later Friday, Brandon Matthews of Fox Hill C.C. edged Erhardt, 1-up, in the title match.
In the semifinals, Erhardt drew even with Fahey when he dropped a seven-footer for birdie on the ninth hole. Fahey lost the next two holes when he found fairway bunkers off the tee and Erhardt kept him at bay the rest of the way.
“It’s been a great week,” Fahey, who carded a 76 over the 6,595-yard, par-72 Running Deer layout in qualifying Monday, told the GAP website. “It’s the first time I’ve played in the tournament. It’s fun to come out and do pretty well.”
Fahey had an interesting day Wednesday. He knocked off Episcopal classmate Alex Dupre — Dupre, playing out of Rolling Green G.C., had finished in a tie for fourth in qualifying with a 1-over 73 — 5 and 4 in an opening-round match.
Then Dupre turned around and caddied for Fahey in the afternoon and a long day got longer when Fahey needed 22 holes to finally edge Kevin Conners Jr. of Whitford C.C.
Sam Soeth, coming off an All-Delco freshman campaign at Marple Newtown, made a big splash in his GAP debut by carding a 1-under 71 to finish a shot behind Erhardt in qualifying.
Soeth, playing out of White Manor C.C., started on the back nine at Running Dear and made three straight birdies at 16, 17 and 18 to make up for a double bogey and a bogey and make the turn at even-par. After a bogey at the second and a birdie at the third, Soeth got under-par for the round by drilling a 9-iron approach at the par-4 sixth to five feet and making the birdie putt.
“I’m trying to play in bigger tournaments this summer,” Soeth told the GAP website. “I wanted to come out and play a good round and see what happened.”
T.J. Summers of Commonwealth National G.C. knocked Soeth out in the opening round of match play, 3 and 2.
Overbrook G.C.’s Mac Ryan, a junior at St. Joseph’s Prep, carded a 2-over 74 in qualifying before falling, 3 and 1, to Zach Arsenault of Little Mill C.C. in the opening round of match play.
Garnet Valley senior Eddie Maul was among the qualifiers for the first flight of matches after carding an 81 in qualifying. Maul advanced to the first flight quarterfinals when Merion G.C.’s Jake Van Arkel withdrew from their opening-round match before falling, 7 and 5, to Connor Goodrich of Merchantville C.C.
Haverford School senior Mac Selverian, an All-Delco as a sophomore, was also a first-flight qualifier with an 80, but fell, 4 and 3, to Jack Quirk of Huntingdon Valley C.C. Selverian was playing out of Aronimink G.C.
Overbrook is still the one
A potent Overbrook G.C. team won the GAP Team Championship for the second straight year and 14th time overall by piling up 20 points Thursday at Philmont C.C.’s North Course.
Competing against Llanerch C.C., Commonwealth National G.C. and Little Mill C.C., Overbrook finished two points ahead of Llanerch and Commonwealth with Little Mill finishing fourth with 16 points.
A couple of the Overbrook veterans, Frank McFadden and Oscar Mestre picked up 2.5 points apiece in the singles competition. Mestre teamed with Villanova junior Michael Kania, the two-time Haverford School All-Delco, to earn 1.5 points in foursomes and McFadden and Chris Lange Jr. added a point in foursomes.
Rounding out the Overbrook team were James Kania Jr., the 2005-06 Daily Times Player of the Year at Haverford School, Chris Lange, Ray Thompson and former Radnor High and Saint Joseph’s standout Bob Cunningham.
The Llanerch side included five-time William Hyndman III Player of the Year Michael McDermott, Strath Haven All-Delco Steve Seiden, Jeff Osberg, Sean Coyle, Mike Rogers, J.P. Glynn, Tom Spano and Brian McDermott. Osberg was Llanerch’s top point-getter in the singles competition with three. He also teamed with Coyle to earn 2.5 points in the foursomes matches.
Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour
Garnet Valley senior Erica Cornacchia, a two-time District One qualifier, carded an 89 to take the top spot in the 16-to-18 division in a Junior Tour stop at Wyncote G.C. June 24.
In the boys 13-to-15 division Penncrest sophomore Ethan Heller shared the top spot with Kevin Connors of Downingtown at 1-over 73, but Connors took top honors in a match-of-cards tiebreaker.
Sam Soeth, the Marple Newtown All-Delco, was a shot back in a tie for third at 2-over 74.
Jake van Arkel, a Merion G.C. member, finished ninth with a 78, Radnor sophomore Austin Dunlap was 13th with an 83, John Concannon of Glen Mills finished in a tie for 23rd with an 89, Griffin Colvin of Media and Michael Stanilka of Garnet Valley were among the players tied for 28th with 92s and Cole Stratton of Glen Mills finished in a tie for 32nd with a 94.
In the boys 16-to-18 division, Garnet Valley senior Eddie Maul finished 14th with an 88.
Caddie Tournament
James Pokorny, a former Haverford High standout representing Merion G.C., carded an 81 at Green Valley C.C. Monday to finish in a tie for 14th at the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 65th Caddie Tournament.
Overall top honors went to Matthew Wiley, a 37-year-old looper at Hidden Creek G.C. who carded a 1-under 70 at the 6,360-yard, par-71 Green Valley layout.
Club Pro Championship
Concord C.C. head pro Mike Moses did not earn a trip to this year’s PGA Championship with his performance at the PGA Professional National Championship this week at Hershey Country Club, but he played some pretty good golf.
Moses had rounds of 73, 69, 72 and 74 to finish in a tie for 43rd at 288. It took four shots better to make the top 20 and earn a spot in the field at the Atlanta Athletic Club in August.
Stu Ingraham, the teaching pro at the M Golf Range in Newtown Square, was a shot back of Moses at 289. Ingraham made the field for the 2010 PGA at Whistling Straits with a strong showing at the National Club Pro.
Merion G.C. head of instruction Mark Sheftic had finished third and second in the last two National Club Pro events, but failed to make the cut with a pair of 72s and a 144 total.
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