Isztwan eanrs a ticket to Baltusrol for U.S. Junior Amateur

   Brian Isztwan undoubtedly had a busy spring. He was graduating from Penn Charter and since he’s  going to Harvard, I’m guessing there were some academic awards mixed in there.

   He was also the best high school golfer, at least in recent memory, at Penn Charter, so that probably earned him some graduation accolades. I don’t know enough about the history of Penn Charter golf to claim that Isztwan is the best golfer ever at Penn Charter, but he has to be in the conversation.

   I do know the Inter-Ac League compiles an individual ranking during the six mini-tournaments that make up the regular season that basically measures each player’s performance against the rest of the league in every event. And Isztwan was the top point-getter each of the last two falls, the first player to claim the honor twice since the Inter-Ac adopted the format when it switched its regular season from the spring to the fall in 2011.

   There’s been some pretty good players teeing it up in the best scholastic golf league in Pennsylvania in that time frame.

   Isztwan also led the way as the Quakers elbowed their way into contention in the Inter-Ac against the traditional  powers at The Haverford School, Episcopal Academy and Malvern Prep in his final two seasons at Penn Charter.

   This week Isztwan put a spring of celebrations behind him and got back to some serious business on the golf course. And an even-par 72 at the Union League National Golf Club in Swainton, N.J. Wednesday means that Isztwan will get to play on the biggest stage in junior golf on his way out of the junior ranks this summer.

   Isztwan, who plays out of Huntingdon Valley Country Club, made a clutch birdie on the final hole of the 6,858-yard, par-72 Union League National layout that used to be known as the Sand Barrens Golf Club to join two other players as co-medalists in the U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier administered by the Golf Association of Philadelphia.

   Isztwan will tee it up at one of America’s classic golf complexes at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. There will be two rounds of qualifying for match play, July 16 and 17, at Baltusrol’s Upper and Lower courses with match play being contested on the Upper Course.

   “To have that kind of week of experience going into school will be huge for me,” Isztwan, the runnerup in GAP’s Junior Boys’ Championship last summer, told the GAP website. “It’s so cool when you get to play with the kids who are going to the top schools – the Alabamas, Oklahomas and all of those programs.

   “They might beat me up, but it will be really fun. After that, I’m super excited to get up to Harvard. We only have six players, so I should get good playing time.”

   Isztwan has played in some pretty big American Junior Golf Association events, including a runnerup finish in the AJGA Philadelphia Junior on his home course at Huntingdon Valley last summer. And as a Transamerica Scholastic Junior All-America selection last year, he got to compete in the AJGA’s Rolex Tournament of Champions at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. over the Thanksgiving weekend last fall.

   So he won’t be intimidated.

   Isztwan began the week competing in the Pennsylvania Junior Boys’ Championship at the challenging Hershey Country Club’s East Course and finished tied for fourth with two other players, including younger brother Patrick. That turned out to be the perfect preparation for the U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier.

   Isztwan had four birdies at Union League National, but none bigger that the one at the last. Sitting at 1-over and sensing another birdie would help the cause, Isztwan faced a 167-yard shot into the wind at the 420-yard, par-4 finishing hole. He drilled a 6-iron to kick-in range for what turned out to be a crucial birdie.

   The other two tickets to Baltusrol available at Union League National went to Central Bucks West senior Luca Jezzeny and Tyler Gerbavsits, a St. John’s recruit from Huntingdon, N.Y.

   A day earlier Jezzeny fired a 1-under 71 at Downingtown Country Club to top a strong field in a qualifier  for the Philadelphia Junior PGA Championship July 9 at The Springhaven Club. Isztwan earned a spot in that field in an earlier qualifier at Bent Creek Country Club.

   Berths in the Boys Junior PGA Championship, another of the top national junior events, at Valahalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. will be on the line at Springhaven for both Jezzeny and Isztwan.

   Jezzeny, who plays out of both The Bucks Club and Doylestown Country Club, carried his strong play from Downingtown to Union League National and looked like he was going to take medalist honors when he got it to 3-under with just two holes to play.

   Jezzeny, who started on the back nine, made double bogey on the par-5 eighth hole and bogey on the ninth to fall back to even. One of the early finishers, Jezzeny had a long wait ahead, but the even-par 72 eventually got him to Baltusrol.

   Six players each carded a 1-over 73 and four of them played off for the two alternate spots. Brendan Hansen of Spring Lake, N.J. emerged with the first alternate spot and Akhil Giri of Moorestown, N.J., a name I recognize from some Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour events, is the second alternate. According to the GAP website, the playoff went six holes.

   Also at 73 were Drue Nicholas of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., Jack Irons of Naples, Fla., George Roessler of New York City and Patrick Welch of Providence, R.I.

   Malvern Prep senior John Updike was in the group tied for 10^th place with a 2-over 74. Updike, who plays out of Aronimink Golf Club, was seventh in the Inter-Ac individual rankings last fall.

   Several local players were among a group of nine players tied for 15^th at 3-over 75, including two of Brian Isztwan’s Penn Charter teammates, younger brother Patrick and Noah Schwartz of Cherry Hill, N.J. Patrick Isztwan captured the Bert Linton Inter-Ac League individual title on his home course at Huntingdon Valley as a freshman last fall, matching the accomplishment of big brother Brian, who won the Bert Linton when he was a freshman. Schwartz finished eighth in the Inter-Ac individual rankings last fall.

   Another Inter-Ac standout, Charlie Baker, a key figure in Haverford School’s run to the league title, was also in the group at 75.

   Also in at 75 were Neshaminy’s Greg DeLuca, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier who finished third in the District One Championship, and recent Pope John Paul II graduate J.T. Spina, a Saint Joseph’s recruit who was a PIAA Class AAA qualifier in each of his last two years at PJP.