Sanderson opens a new Junior Tour season with a victory

   Calen Sanderson of Skillman, N.J. had the day’s best score, a 2-over-par 72 at Indian Spring Country Club in Evesham Township, N.J. as the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour opened its 2016-17 season Friday.

   Sanderson’s 2-over round over the 6,328-yard, par-70 Indian Spring layout gave him a four-shot edge over runnerup Stephen Lorenzo of Lower Gwynedd in the 13-to-15 division. Lorenzo was 3-over on both nines in posting a 6-over 76.

   Andrew Miller of Bryn Mawr and Ryan D’Ariano of West Chester finished in a tie for third, each player carding a 78. David Stephens III of Ellicott City, Md. and Jack Cooley of Chadds Ford shared fifth place another shot back at 79.

   Matthew Hanzel of Sewell, N.J. finished alone in seventh place with an 80. Charlie Baker of Wayne and Christian Savian of Malvern finished in a tie for eighth at 81 and rounding out the top 10 was Alec Stern of Bryn Mawr, who finished alone in 10^th with an 83.

   Akhil Giri of Moorestown, N.J. took top honors in the 16-to-18 division with a 3-over 73 that included a birdie on the par-5 second hole. Drew Skultety of Tabernacle, N.J. was the runnerup with a 75.

   Nikita Romanov of Wilmington, Del. finished third with a 77. Alec Ryden of Moorestown, N.J., Samuel Walker of Radnor and Rahil Patel of Voorhees, N.J. finished in a tie for fourth, each player carding a 78.

   Rounding out the top 10 were four players tied for seventh at 79, including Edward Gallagher II of Franklinville, N.J., Mac Costin of Bryn Mawr, Jack LaRose of Bristol and Tyler Roland of Newtown Square.

   Taylor Oberparleiter of Laurel Springs, N.J. needed a scorecard playoff to claim the girls 13-to-15 division after she and Lily Yang of West Chester both came in with an 81. Oberparleiter finished her round in style, holing a shot out of a bunker for a par. Her 38 on the back nine proved to be the difference in the match of cards.

   Kayla Gutierrez of Little Egg Harbor, N.J. finished third with an 87, Olivia Strigh of Hammonton, N.J. took fourth with a 92, Gillyoung Koh of Broomall was fifth with a 96 and Caitlyn Hagerty of Glen Mills was sixth with a 100.

   Andrea Cho of Mount Laurel, N.J. took the top spot in the 16-to-18 division with a 97. Grace Lombardi of Bear, Del. was the runnerup with a 106 and Mackenzie Cassidy of Hatboro was third at 117.

   Kristof Kopecky of Garnet Valley won a scorecard playoff with Aaron Skii of West Chester for the win among the nine-holers after each player posted a 43. Kopecky’s round was highlighted by a birdie at the par-5 fifth.

   Chase Marinacci of Elverson took third with a 45, Ryan Garvey of Media placed fourth with a 47, Brooke Oberparleiter of Laurel Springs, N.J. was fifth with a 48 and Sydney Yermish of Wynnewood was sixth with a 49.

   Charlie Hurchalla of Wallingford finished seventh with a 50, Angelina Tolentina of Mount Laurel, N.J. and Luca Gherardi of Hammonton, N.J. shared eighth place at 51 and Henry Stone of Kennett Square rounded out the top 10 by finishing 10^th with a 54.