Barbin's six birdies at Chesapeake Bay give him Junior Tour victory

   Austin Barbin felt right at home despite cool and blustery conditions for a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour stop at Chesapeake Bay Golf Club in Rising Sun, Md.

   That’s because the 6,429-yard, par-71 Chesapeake Bay layout is the home course for Barbin, an Elkton, Md. resident. And Barbin used his local knowledge to card six birdies in a sparkling 2-under 69 that gave him the top spot in the 13-to-15 age group.

   Logan Hess of Willow Street was the runnerup, five shots back of Barbin with a 74. The Kennett Square duo of Christopher Skean and Richard Kline III, finished third and fourth with respective scores of 76 and 77.

   Nikita Romanov of Wilmington, Del. and Hayden Moffat of Hatboro finished in a tie for fifth, each carding a 78. Jacob Zeng, an eighth-grader at Episcopal Academy out of Downingtown, and another Kennett Square resident, D.J. Scott, finished tied for seventh with 80s.

   Andrew Curran, a freshman on Malvern Prep’s Inter-Ac League championship team and a Media resident, was one of three players tied for ninth at 81. He was joined at that figure by Jaden Weisman of Malvern and W. David Starnes of Kennett Square.

   William Mitchell of Moorestown, N.J. had three birdies and three bogeys in a round of even-par 71 that topped the field in the 16-to-18 division. Andrew Forjan of York was the runnerup with a 3-over 74 and Zachary Barbin of Elkton, Md. was another shot back in third with a 75.

   One of the top players on Malvern Prep’s Inter-Ac champions, sophomore Matthew Davis of Newtown Square, got a share of fourth place with Nicholas Scott of Harleysville as both posted a 77. Episcopal Academy freshman Michael Zeng, older brother of Jacob, finished in a tie for sixth with Wills Montgomery of Exton and Danny Dougherty of Wilmington, Del. at 78.

   Four players rounded out the top 10 in a tie for ninth at 81. They were Cole White of Harleysville, Jacob Hanzel of Sewell, N.J., Michael Robinson of Gettysburg and Mason Staub of Hanover.

Samantha Fritzinger of Allentown claimed top honors in the girls 16-to-18 division with an 89. Alexandra Lowder of Wrightsville finished second with a 92 and Grace Hickey of Downingtown was third with a 101.

   Christine Carroll of Bear, Del. was the winner of the 13-to-15 division with an 89. Erica Gray of Lititz was the runnerup with a 103.

   Among the nine-holers, Win Thomas of Coatesville took top honors as he won a match of cards with Hannah Lydic of Ocean View, Del. after both posted 4-over 39s. Evan Barbin of Elkton, Md. – pretty good day all around for the Barbin crew – finished third with a 42 and Jeffrey Homer of Wilmington, Del. was fourth with a 45.

   Benjamin Saggers of West Chester and Matthew Pulcinella of Chadds Ford finished tied for fifth, each carding a 46. Anthony Ciconte of Wilmington, Del. and Henry Stone of Kennett Square were tied for seventh with 50s and Matthew Homer of Wilmington, Del. and Will Slavik of Middletown, Del. finished tied for ninth with 54s.