Sarlo, Guarino a winning team in GAP Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship

   Kevin Sarlo and Drew Guarino, who were once teammates on a state championship Burlington Township High School golf team, proved to be still be a pretty good team in capturing the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship title in a playoff Thursday at Laurel Creek Country Club in Mt. Laurel, N.J.

   Sarlo, who plays out of Old York Country Club at Chesterfield, and Guarino, representing Burlington Country Club, were off early and ended up being one of three teams that came in at 8-under 64 over the 6,396-yard, par-72 Laurel Creek layout.

   They were joined in the playoff by Drew Panebianco of Five Ponds Golf Club and Charles Scalzott of Hidden Creek Country Club and the Tavistock Country Club pair of Jamie Slonis and Thomas Gramigna.

   First Sarlo, a senior at Rutgers-Camden, had to put out the call to Guarino, a sophomore at Rowan who was out making money delivering pizza, to get back to Laurel Creek for the playoff.

   Sarlo found the fairway – he was actually plugged and, thinking he was off in the right rough, couldn’t find it at first – and then hit a wedge to 15 feet. After the other two teams failed to find the hole with their birdie attempts Sarlo rolled in his right-to-left breaker for the birdie and the victory.

Sarlo and Guarino started their regulation round on No. 10 and sensed they needed to make something happen late in the round.

   With Guarino safely in the fairway on the 314-yard, par-4 eighth hole, Sarlo bombed driver onto the green and dropped his 17-footer for eagle. On the 529-yard, par-5 ninth, Guarino reached the green in two with a 4-iron and, after missing a 35-foot eagle putt, rolled in the five-foot comebacker for a birdie to get the team to 8-under.

   Six teams finished in a tie for fourth at 7-under 65.

   They were: The Running Deer Golf Club pair of Matthew Gaffney and Chris Meares; the Little Mill Country Club tandem of Bradley Roberts and Joseph Roeder; David Hirschhorn of Old York Country Club at Chesterfield and Adam Warner of Tavistock; the Mercer Oaks duo of Russell Loue and Johan van Schalkwyk; Zachary Falone of the Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association and Matt  Mancini of Glenmaura National Golf Club; and Gerard Rosato of North Hills Country Club and Patrick McCusker Jr. of Plymouth Country Club.

   Four more teams finished in a tie for 10^th at 6-under 66.

   They were: The Makefield Highlands Golf Club pair of Andrew Strock and Michael Minter; host Laurel Creek’s Joseph Russo and Mario Canal; the Brookside Country club duo of Alexander Maguire Jr. and Bo Maguire; and the Old York Country Club at Chesterfield pair of Dewey Bookholdt and Tom DiCinti.