Shattuck fails to advance out of Web.com's First Stage

   Braden Shattuck , the 2011-2012 Daily Times Player of the Year at Sun Valley, failed to advance out of a Web.Com First Stage Qualifying Tournament last week.

   Shattuck had rounds of 72, 73, 66 and 76 for a 72-hole total of 1-under 287 at the Grasslands Golf and Country Club in Lakeland, Fla. That left him in a tie for 47^th. The top 23 and ties advanced to the Second Stage in November.

   Shattuck got a pretty good idea of what he’s going to be up against in trying to get on the Web.com Tour. Medalist honors went to Doug Letson of Tampa, Fla. who had rounds of 68, 66, 64 and 70 for a 20-undetr 268 total.

   The cut, though, came at 9-under and the 21-year-old Shattuck stood at 5-under following his 6-under 66 in the third round.

   Justin Martinson, a former Kennett High and University of Delaware standout who made a splash on The Golf Channel’s last “Big Break” reality series, fired an opening-round 63 and that carried him to a 17-under 271 total. He finished in a tie for fourth and he’ll be moving on to the Second Stage.

   In another First Stage event last week in Pine Mountain, Ga., Temple senior Brandon Matthews, who has won the Philadelphia Open twice in the last three summers, advanced to the Second Stage with an 11-under 277 total at the Mountain View course at Callaway Gardens.

   Matthews, the 2010 PIAA champion as a junior at Pittston, is maintaining his amateur status while competing in the Web.com qualifying process, although he probably has the option of turning pro and competing on the Web.com Tour if he makes it all the way through.

Curran, Chambers, Kan are Junior Tour winners

   Gary Duda’s Malvern Prep golf team is dominating the Inter-Ac League through three mini-tournaments. The Friars are so talented they barely missed freshman Andrew Curran, a Media resident and a member at Overbrook Golf Club who was out with an illness.

   Well, Curran let Duda know he’s quickly rounding back into form by firing a 2-over 73 at Woodcrest Country Club Sunday to cruise to a six-shot victory in the 13-to-15 division in a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour stop.

   Curran’s sparkling round featured a birdie and 14 pars over the 6,332-yard, par-71 William Flynn design.

   Andrew Miller of Bryn Mawr finished in a tie for fourth with an 85, Daniel Bastian of Media finished seventh with a 90, Radnor freshman  Blake Stephano finished 10^th with a  93, and Corey Kan of Boothwyn finished 19^th with a 113.

   Kan’s older sister Caprian, a junior at Chichester, tuned up for the District One Tournament by winning the girls 13-to-15 division with an 87. Kan fired an opening-round 74 at Gilbertsville Golf Club’s Red and White Nines Monday to advance to the second round of the district tournament. Details on that round appear in a story in Tuesday’s print edition of the Daily Times and, hopefully, on PaPrepLive, our new scholastic website.

   Joe Chambers, an Episcopal Academy graduate, capped a strong weekend with an 81 at Woodcrest to finish second in the 16-to-18 division. Shravann Raja of Moorestown, N.J. took division honors with an 80.

   Casey Oppenheimer of Conshohocken won the girls 16-to-18 division with an 88.

Among the nine-holers, John Wang of Wilmington, Del. won in a match of cards with Henry Fish of Malvern after both carded 6-over 41s. Chase Stephano of Radnor finished in a tie for fourth with a 51 and Charlie Bastian of Media finished sixth with a 52.

   Chambers began his weekend by trekking up to Berks County Saturday to win the 16-to-18 division in a Junior Tour stop at Heidelberg Country Club.

   Chambers had a pair of birdies in touring the 6,281-yard, par-70 Heidelburg layout in 6-over 76.   Radnor junior Daniel Bullock tuned up for the District One Tournament by finishing fifth with a 90.

Alex Seelig of Birdsboro won the 13-to-15 division with a 79. Jack Cooley of Chadds Ford finished in a tie for fifth with a 94.

   Lily Byrne of Downingtown won the girls 13-to-15 division. Conshohocken’s Oppenheimer won the 16-to-18 division with a 103 while Radnor senior Caitlin Bullock, like her brother also preparing for districts, finished second with a 115.

   Joshua Ryan of Norristown topped the nine-holers with a 38.