SPRINGETTSBURY TOWNSHIP – For seven holes in the final
round of the PIAA Class AAA Championship Tuesday at the Heritage Hills Golf
Resort, Franklin Regional senior Palmer Jackson played as close to perfect golf
as you can.
The Notre Dame recruit birdied six holes in that seven-hole
stretch from Nos. 4 through 10 on his way to a 4-under-par 67 over the
6,700-yard, par-71 Heritage Hills layout to breeze to the PIAA title that had
eluded him a year earlier with a 2-under 140 total.
Jackson had begun the day locked in a three-way tie with
District One champion Patrick Sheehan, a senior at Central Bucks East, and
Harriton junior Andrew Wallace after all three had carded a 2-over 73 in
Monday’s opening round. There were a host of talented pursuers within three
shots of the lead.
But Jackson, who qualified for both the U.S. Junior Amateur
at Baltusrol Golf Club and the Boys Junior
PGA Championship at the Valhalla Golf Club in the summer, separated himself from the pack with his
devastating birdie run.
It began when he dropped in a 15-footer for birdie at the
fourth. He nearly made a one at the downhill, 175-yard, par-3 fifth and tapped
in for birdie. He resumed the birdie binge at the par-5 seventh with a two-putt
after reaching the green in two.
I arrived on the scene just in time to see him knock in a
four-footer after stuffing his tee shot to the 207-yard, par-3 eighth. He
rolled in a 15-footer at the tough par-4 ninth and then stroked in a 10-footer
on the 10th for his fourth straight birdie and sixth in seven holes.
He was 6-under for his round through 10 holes. It was over.
“I like to think I’m a pretty good putter, but I didn’t putt
well (Monday),” Jackson said of the remarkable run of birdies. “I putted really
well at Tom’s Run (a 6-under 66 in the West Regional). But I got to the point (Tuesday)
where every time I was standing over a putt, I felt like it was going in.”
Jackson had stood on the 17th tee a year ago tied
for the lead, only to see Holy Ghost Prep’s Liam Hart sneak past him for the
state title. If he had the chance, he was going to try to build a big enough
lead that nobody could catch him. And that’s exactly what he did.
“I really wanted to go low, if I could,” Jackson said. “Some
of those holes on the back nine, it’s easy to make a big number.”
Playing partner Jimmy Meyers, a senior at Pittsburgh Central
Catholic, birdied three of the last four holes to nail down the runnerup spot.
His 1-under 70 left him with a 2-over 144 total.
Sheehan, who also played in the final group, made a run at
second when he rattled off four straight birdies from Nos. 13 to 16, but a
closing double bogey – his drive came to rest on the roots of some kind of
unfortunately placed berry tree and he had to slap it back in play left-handed with
the backside of a 60-degree wedge – dropped him into a tie for third at 4-over
146. Sheehan carded his second straight 73.
Joining Sheehan at 146 was Hart, who, as he did a year ago,
had a strong second round, an even-par 71, after opening with a 4-over 75
Monday.
But nobody was going to catch Jackson on this day. Playing
with a big lead isn’t as easy as it sounds. His approach to the 13th
skipped off the putting surface and into the pond behind the green and he made
bogey there. And he made bogey from just over the green on the last.
“I was still trying to make birdies, but I didn’t want to
make any big mistakes,” Jackson said. “Patrick made those four birdies in a row
and that kind of reminded me that I had to keep my foot on the gas.”
Jackson was the first one to admit that playing in his
fourth state championship at Heritage Hills gave him a decided experience edge
on a lot of the players in the field. He knew where to place the ball,
particularly on the Heritage Hills greens that are always a little slicker when
the best high school players in Pennsylvania come to town.
Sheehan had to admit that being a newcomer to Heritage Hills
was decidedly not to his advantage.
“I guess we were all playing for second after Jackson made
all those birdies,” said Sheehan, a Penn State recruit. “As we were going out
for our practice round Sunday, the guy in the pro shop said to keep it below
the hole. And, other than the four birdies in a row, I didn’t do that.
“I had so many three-putts, especially (Monday). I could
have been 2-, 3-under easily.”
Sheehan’s prodigious talent was on display during that
four-hole burst on the back nine. He nearly drove it on the green on the
386-yard, par-4 13th. He chipped it close and made the putt.
His wedge shot to the notoriously fast 14th green
left him just a three-footer for birdie that he canned. He drilled his tee shot
into a freshening wind at the tough 201-yard, par-3 15th to four
feet and made the putt. And then he put a little cut on his driver off the tee
at the downhill 357-yard, par-4 16th and did find the green and
two-putted for birdie.
“I guess at one point I was nine back and I guess I got it
to four or five back, so that was good,” Sheehan said. “I’m not really happy,
but I’m not disappointed. I tied for first at Suburbans (Suburban One), won the
district, was second at regionals and tied for third here.”
Somewhere, Penn State head coach Greg Nye was smiling with
two of his recruits, Sheehan and Myers, playing the final group and another
one, Greater Latrobe senior Brady Pevarnik, in the next-to-last group.
“I’ve played with Jimmy before, but it was good to play with
him (Tuesday),” Sheehan said. “And I played with Brady (Monday) and I hadn’t
met him before so that was nice to meet him and play with him.”
But this day belonged to Jackson, who has been one of the
top junior players in the state for four years and is Franklin Regional’s first
state champion.
There is another Palmer on the list of state champions, but
that was Arnold’s last name when the burgeoning star from Latrobe ruled the
state as a youngster in 1946 and 1947. Bottom line: They can play the game in
western Pennsylvania and it’s been that way for a long time.
“If I was going to draw it up, this is how it would have
ended,” Jackson said. “But things don’t always go according to plan. I played
eight rounds here over four years and I finally got it done.”
Fox Chapel senior Gregor Meyer rebounded from an
opening-round 77 with a 1-under 70 that gave him a 5-over 147 total that left
him alone in fifth.
And while there was no gold medal for District One, it
accounted for five of the top 10, led by Sheehan and Hart in the tie for third.
The final nine holes of Caleb Ryan’s scholastic career were
typical Caleb Ryan, two birdies and no bogeys. In his third trip to Heritage
Hills, the Norristown senior had his best finish, tying for sixth at 7-over 149.
Ryan added a solid 1-over 72 to his opening-round 77.
He was joined at that figure by Unionville senior Connor
Bennink, who carded a solid 2-over 73 after opening with a 76. Connor Bennink
finished tied for fifth a year ago.
Connor Bennink and twin brother Will Bennink, who finished
tied for 12th at 153, will be back at Heritage Hills Wednesday as
Unionville tries to repeat as the PIAA Class AAA team champion. Looks like the
Benninks will be joined in the lineup of five players – the best four scores count
– by East Regional qualifiers Richie Kline and Jack Cooley and Chris Skean.
Central Bucks West senior Luca Jezzeny was the final
District One player in the top 10 as he added a 74 to his opening-round 76 to
finish alone in eighth at 150.
Sheehan’s future Penn State teammate Pevarnik finished in a
tie for ninth at 151 after adding a 75 to his opening-round 76.
Joining Pevarnik at 151 was the only underclassmen in the
top 10, Spring Grove sophomore Karl Frisk, who matched Pevarnik’s rounds of 76
and 75.
Harriton’s Wallace had put himself in the final group with
his opening-round 73, but just couldn’t get it going, particularly on the
tricky Heritage Hills greens, and carded an 82 to finish alone in 15th
at 155.
Caleb Ryan’s younger brother Joshua, a sophomore, finished
in a tie for 19th at 158 in his second straight trip to Heritage
Hills, adding an 80 to an opening-round 78. The Ryans are home-schooled by
Commonwealth Connections Academy, but represent Norristown High on the golf
course.
Souderton sophomore Stephen Butler apparently learned some
of the secrets of playing Heritage Hills after opening with an 89 as he fired a
sparkling 1-over 72 Tuesday to finish alone in 24th at 161.
Wallace’s Harriton classmate, David Fitzgerald, and
Spring-Ford senior Axel Kalbach finished in a tie for 32nd at 168.
Fitzgerald had his second straight 84 while Kalbach took eight shots off an
opening-round 88 with a final-round 80.
Rounding out the District One contingent was Council Rock
South senior Matt Fleming, who struggled to a 91 Tuesday after opening with a
78 and finished in a tie for 34th at 169.
District 12’s lone representative in the field, La Salle
junior Steve Lorenzo took 10 shots off his opening-round 88 with a final-round
78 to finish alone in 30th place at 166.
In Class AA, Notre Dame East Stroudsburg senior William
Mirams, like Jackson a disappointed runnerup a year ago, carded a 5-over 76 to
claim a two-shot victory with a 7-over 149 total.
Mirams, the runnerup in the Golf Association of
Philadelphia’s Junior Boys’ Championship in the summer at Blue Bell Country
Club, had opened with a 2-over 73 Monday.
Devon Prep sophomore Ryan McCabe, the District 12 champion,
surged up the leaderboard with a 1-over 72 to share second place with Kennedy
Catholic senior R.J. Pozzuto at 9-over 151. McCabe had opened with a 79 Monday.
Pozzuto added a 74 to his opening-round 77.
Riverside junior Skyler Fox, who ended up in a tie for fifth
a year ago, finished alone in fourth at 152 after adding a 77 to his
opening-round 75.
North Allegheny senior Caroline Wrigley made it a sweep of
Class AAA for western Pennsylvania as she cruised to a seven-shot victory.
Wrigley, who finished third a year ago, carded a solid 1-over 73 over a
Heritage Hills layout that plays to 5,145 yards and a par of 72 for the girls
for a 2-over 147 total. Wrigley opened with a 2-over 74.
Wrigley offset a double bogey at the third with birdies at
the fifth and seventh holes to make the turn at even par. She made bogeys at 13
and 15, but finished up with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole.
Chambersburg senior Mary Kate Norcross and Uniontown senior
Danae Rugola finished in a tie for second at 10-over 154. Norcross, who trailed
Wrigley by a shot after an opening-round 74, carded a 79 Tuesday while Rugola
added a 78 to her opening-round 76.
South Fayette freshman Caroline O’Connell made a pretty
impressive PIAA Championship debut as she finished alone in fourth at 155.
O’Connell added a 79 to her opening-round 76.
Conestoga senior Samantha Yao capped an outstanding
scholastic career that included a pair of District One titles with her third
straight top-10 showing at Heritage Hills. Yao finished in a tie for fifth with
the Notre Dame-bound Jessica Meyers, an Oakland Catholic senior and the twin
sister of the Class AAA boys runnerup Jimmy Meyers, at 158.
Yao carded an 80 after opening with a 78 to lead the
District One contingent at Heritage Hills. Meyers added a 78 to her
opening-round 80.
Pennsbury sophomore Jade Gu, who claimed the East Regional
title last week at Golden Oaks Golf Club, took seven shots off her
opening-round 83 with a 76 to finish alone in seventh at 159.
Downingtown East senior Liddie McCook, who is headed for
Monmouth, and West Chester East freshman Victoria Kim, finished in a tie for 11th
at 165. McCook added an 82 to her opening-round 83 while Kim opened with an 81 and
finished up with an 84.
Haverford sophomore Riley Quartermain finished alone in 14th
at 167 in her first visit to Heritage Hills. Quartermain added an 84 to her
opening-round 83.
Mount St. Joseph junior Olivia Wirsching and Unionville
sophomore Charlotte Scully both struggled Tuesday and ended up in a tie for 16th
at 179. Wirsching carded a 94 after opening with an 85 while Scully, who opened
with an 88, posted a 91 Tuesday.
Maddie Smithco, a junior at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic,
repeated as the Class AA champion as she fired a 5-over 77 to finish at 11-over
155. Smithco had trailed North East freshman Lydia Swan by four shots after
Smithco opened with a 78.
Swan fell back after her opening-round 74, shooting an 83
Tuesday, but still claimed runnerup honors at 157.
Another freshman, Greensburg Central Catholic’s Meghan
Zambruno, shared third place with Central Valley senior Kiaria Porter, each
landing on 160. Zambruno added a 79 to her opening-round 81 while Porter carded
her second straight 80.
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