It wasn’t as if Malvern Prep played poorly in finishing
fourth in the Inter-Ac League this fall. It was more a matter that the three
teams that finished ahead of the Friars were just a little better.
As if to prove the point as to how little separated the
Inter-Ac’s top four teams, Malvern Prep claimed a three-shot victory over
Inter-Ac champion Haverford School to capture the team title in the Pennsylvania
Independent Schools Athletic Association Championship Monday at White Manor
Country Club.
Haverford School, Episcopal Academy and Penn Charter
probably had a little more depth than Malvern Prep and the six Inter-Ac invitationals
that comprise the regular season count six scores for each team. The PAISAA
Championship was teams of four players with three scores counting.
That enabled Malvern Prep’s top three players, junior John
Updike, senior captain Matt Davis and junior vice captain Andrew Curran to shine
as they combined for a 234 total over the tough White Manor layout to edge
Haverford School, which posted a 237 total.
Those three finished among the top seven in the Inter-Ac’s
individual points standings, which are compiled over the six regular-season
mini-tournaments. It is a measure of consistency against top-caliber
competition on tough golf courses. Davis finished third, Curran was sixth and
Updike was seventh.
Updike carded a 6-over 77 to lead the way for Malvern Prep at
White Manor and finished third in the individual standings in a match of cards.
Davis added a 78 and Curran had a 79. The Friars were able to toss the 81
posted by junior Kevin Hagan.
I don’t have the details yet, but the Golf Association of
Philadelphia revealed on Twitter Wednesday night that Davis, who is headed for
Villanova next summer, was named its Junior Sportsperson of the Year. The award
went to Agnes Irwin senior Meghan Fahey, who plays out of Overbrook Golf Club
and Merion Golf Club, last year and also considers a player’s off-course
activities.
I spent a long day on the golf course with Davis, who plays
out of Aronimink Golf Club, while caddying for his Inter-Ac rival, Penn Charter’s
Brian Isztwan, when the Christman Cup was played at Stonewall’s North Course
last summer and they were both nothing but quality young guys.
Davis will be the subject of a story in an upcoming GAP Magazine story concerning his selection as
its Junior Sportsperson of the Year.
I watched Davis struggle through a 7-over 42 on the back
nine, the first nine of his round, at Huntingdon Valley Country Club in the
Bert Linton Inter-Ac League Championship last week, but he kept grinding and
matched par on the front nine with a 35 to get a share of third with Updike at
77.
The individual PAISAA title went to Haverford School junior
David Hurly, who carded a solid 4-over 75. Hurly’s Haverford School teammate,
Peter Garno, who’s much better at lacrosse and he’s a pretty good golfer, was
the runnerup with a 76.
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