Barbin's game warms up for Junior Tour win at Frog Hollow

   Austin Barbin of Elkton, Md. enjoyed a Saturday that finally felt a little spring-like with mild temperatures as he carded a 3-over-par 74 to take top honors in the 16-to-18 age group in a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour stop at Frog Hollow Golf Club in Middletown, Del.

   Barbin, who earned a trip to the U.S. Junior Amateur at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn. last summer, had three birdies and an eagle on the 6,371-yard, par-71 Frog Hollow layout.

   He also claimed low-Barbin honors at Frog Hollow with Zachary Barbin finishing 13^th in the 16-to-18 age group with an 89 and Evan Barbin finishing in a tie for fifth in the 13-to-15 age group with an 85.

   Nikita Romanov of Wilmington, Del. was the runnerup to Austin Barbin with a 78. Romanov, the Junior Tour’s Player of the Year in the 13-to-15 division a year ago, was coming off a sweep of a pair of Junior Tour events at the Jersey Shore as the 2017 season teed off last weekend.

   Kaden Kinard of New Castle, Del. finished third with a 79 and Alec Ryden of Moorestown, N.J. and Liam Ward of Malvern shared fourth place, each carding an 80. Casey Dao of Elkins Park took sixth with an 81, Jackson Paradee of Dover, Del. was seventh with an 82 and Simon Asadoorian of Richboro was eighth with an 83.

   Bryan Donato of Chester Springs and Akira Pavey of Dover, Del. rounded out the top 10 as they shared ninth place at 85.

   Franklin Zhu of Warren, N.J. won the 13-to-15 division with a 6-over 77 that was highlighted by a birdie on the par-4 15^th hole. William Brown of Clarks Summit was the runnerup with an 82.

   Jack Cooley of Chadds Ford and James Ulsh of Carlisle finished in a tie for third, each posting an 84. Evan Barbin of those Elkton, Md. Barbins shared fifth place with William Pabst of Roaring Brook Township and Matthew Lafond of Blue Bell at 85.

   John Girone of Bear Del. finished eighth with an 88, Stephen Cain of Yardley was ninth with a 90 and Kevin Motil of Sewell, N.J. rounded out the top 10 with a 93.

   Olivia Perry of Millsboro, Del. claimed her first Junior Tour win, taking top honors in the 16-to-18 division with a 93. The Downingtown contingent rounded out the rest of the division’s top finishers as Shae Cabaddu was the runnerup with a 94, Lily Byrne was third with a 99 and Sarah Fernandes took fourth with a 101.

   Elizabeth Beek, a sixth-grader at Wissahickon Middle School, continued her domination of the 13-to-15 division, firing a sparkling 77 for her ninth straight Junior Tour win. Beek, the reigning Junior Tour 13-to-15 Player of the Year, finished her round in style with a birdie at the par-5 18^th hole. It looks like Beek is gearing up for a big summer on the golf course.

   Eden Richmond of Princeton, N.J. was the runnerup to Beek with an 89. Kathleen Mark of Media finished third with an  95, Riley Quartermain of Bryn Mawr took fourth with a 97 and Niosha Parvisi of Gladwyne was fifth with a 103.

   Matthew Normand of Lumberton, N.J. finished up with a birdie on the par-4 ninth hole to best the field of nine-holers with a 5-over 40 on the front nine at Frog Hollow. Sawyer Brockstedt of Rehoboth, Del. was the runnerup with a 43.

   Benjamin Saggers of West Chester took third with a 43 and Daniel Shin of Horsham and Hunter Probst of Bear Creek shared fourth, each carding a 49. Nicholas Joyce of Quakertown took sixth with a 51 and Sydney Yermish of Wynnewood was seventh with a 52.

   Kevin Lafond of Blue Bell and Michael Dignazio of Wilmington, Del. finished in a tie for eighth at 53 and Megan Adelman of Bryn Mawr rounded out the top 10 with a 54.