O'Brien leads Saint Joseph's to Bucknell Invitational title

   While three former Saint Joseph’s standouts, brothers Michael and Brian McDermott and Sean Seese, were teeing it up at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Stonewall, the current crop of Hawks were soaring to the team title last weekend in the Bucknell Invitational.

   The Hawks were led by Michael O’Brien, a freshman from West Chester, Ohio who captured the individual title, defeating Lafayette’s Reid Bedell on the first hole of a playoff.

   O’Brien fired a sizzling 4-under 66 over the 6,224-yard, par-70 Bucknell Golf Club in the opening round and followed it up with a 1-over 71 for a 3-under 137 total. His performance earned him Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors.

   He helped the Hawks post an opening round of 5-under 275. They added a second-round 295 for a 10-over 570 total. Host Bucknell and Wayne State shared second place, six shots behind Saint Joseph’s at 576.

   Tyler Sokolis, a junior from Central Bucks West, finished in a tie for ninth at 143. He opened with a 2-under 68 and added a 75. Reed Winkler (70-74), another freshman out of Salesianum, was a shot back of Sokolis in a tie for 14^th at 144.

   Ross Pilliod, a sophomore from Berks Catholic (and an occasional Stonewall looper this summer), had rounds of 73 and 75 and finished in a tie for 22^nd at 148. And Drew Taylor, a senior from East Berlin, backed off from an opening-round 71 with an 80 in the second round to finish in a tie for 36^th at 151.

   By the way, Alec Kerr, a solid four-year starter at Cardinal O’Hara, shows up on the Saint Joseph’s roster.

   La Salle finished fifth at Bucknell with rounds of 284 and 297 for a 581 total.

   P.J. Acierno, a senior from La Salle High, opened with a 3-under 67, before falling back with a 76 to finish in a tie for ninth at 143. Acierno was joined at that figure by freshman Evan Gaesser of Kendall, N.Y., who had rounds of 72 and 71.