Siegfried, Haverford School take a stand at final Inter-Ac mini-tournament

  Malvern Prep took most of the drama out of the Inter-Ac League golf race by the time the six teams descended on Waynesborough Country Club Wednesday for the final mini-tournament hosted by the Friars.

   Malvern Prep had already clinched the league title, but there was that matter of the Friars’ pursuit of a perfect 30-0 sweep of the six mini-tournaments, a feat accomplished by the 2012 Haverford School team.

   And the Fords, led by a 1-over 36 by senior All-Delco Max Siegfried, and a 2-over 37 by Thomas Gravina, managed a 231 total that matched Malvern Prep and left the Friars with a 29-0-1 record. The Fords managed to protect the program’s perfect season, but it was still a remarkable run through arguably the toughest scholastic golf league in Pennsylvania by Gary Duda’s Friars.

   Malvern Prep sophomore Matthew Davis grabbed medalist honors with a 1-under 34, the third time he was the medalist in the six mini-tournaments. Freshman John Updike added an even-par 35. Rounding out the counters for the Friars were Gavin Sims and Andrew Curran with 40s and 41s by Marty McGuckin, Mike  Miller and Matt Civitella.

   Haverford School got three clutch 39s from David Hurley, Sam Walker and Peter Garno, but ultimately got the round that earned the Fords the tie with Malvern Prep from somebody named Roland, whose 41 came in the first mini-tournament he teed it up in, which is why I don’t have his first name. I’ll work on that little piece of information.

   The Fords also needed a strong showing to hold off Episcopal Academy and nail down a second-place finish and their 4-0-1 day did that as they ended up 21-7-2.

   Episcopal Academy, led by 2-over 37s by Cole Kemmerer and Jon Perry, was only five shots back of Malvern Prep and Haverford School with a 236 total at Waynesborough. The Churchmen finished third at 19-10-1. Matt Marino and Mike Zeng chipped in with 39s.

   The battle for the top spot in the individual standings was something of an Aronimink Golf Club junior club championship affair. Despite the fact that Davis was the medalist three times, he finished third behind his teammate Updike, the best of a ridiculously talented crop of freshmen in the league, and Siegfried.

   Siegfried had a number of near misses during the summer, but his consistency was rewarded with the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Player of the Year award. The same thing happened in the Inter-Ac mini-tournaments. Other than a 41 at Plymouth Country Club, he had a 35, a 36 and three 37s. It added up to a 246-23-13 record. Fellow Aronimink member Updike was second at 244-26-12 and Davis, yeah, he’s Aronimink, too, was 232-35-15.

   Penn Charter sophomore Brian Isztwan, who will defend his Bert Linton Inter-Ac League Tournament title Wednesday at Merion Golf Club’s East Course – they’ve played five U.S. Opens there, as you may be aware – finished fourth at 230-29-13. Isztwan is a member at Huntingdon Valley Country Club.

   Updike really does lead a remarkable freshman class in the league. I’m not certain of the classes of all the players in the league, but of the 18 automatic qualifiers to Wednesday’s league tournament at Merion, the ones I’m reasonably sure of are Malvern Prep’s Updike and Civitella and  Episcopal’s Zeng.

   Haverford School’s Garno is just outside the top 18. Malvern Prep’s Curran missed the first three mini-tournaments with an illness, but closed out strong with a 38 at Plymouth and a 40 at Waynesborough. And Episcopal’s Case Hummer finished 19^th, but you can’t really count him because he won’t be a freshman until next year.