A couple of New York invaders came out with victories in the
boys divisions in the International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) Faldo Series
Philadelphia Championship last weekend at White Manor Country Club in
Willistown Township.
The last weekend in March can be pretty dicey weather-wise
in our part of the world, but the junior golfers got a spectacular Saturday,
with temperatures in the 70s, followed by a Sunday during which rain fell early
while temperatures were going down followed by wind and temperatures dropping
even more.
Ryan Lovelass of Galway, N.Y. played better in Sunday’s tougher
conditions as he fired a 3-over-par 74 over the tough 6,588-yard, par-71 White
Manor layout after opening with a 79 for an 11-over 153 total that gave him the
top spot in the 19-and-under division. Lovelass’ 74 was the best round of the
day Sunday.
Billy Pabst of Roaring Brook Township carded a 4-over 75
Sunday after opening with a 78 to catch Lovelass at 153. It appears the
deadlock was broken in the favor of Lovelass, but I can’t find any details as
to whether it was an actual playoff or a match of cards.
Tyler Buddendeck of Victor, N.Y. had taken the lead
following Saturday’s opening round with an impressive 1-over 72, the best round
of the weekend. He fell back with an 85 Sunday, but still held onto third place
at 157, four shots behind the top two.
Evan Drummond of Exton bounced back from an opening-round 82
with a 5-over 76 to finish alone in fourth place at 158.
Lake Lehman junior Bobby Lugiano, a PIAA Class AA qualifier
last fall, and Unionville junior Jack Cooley, a member of the Indians’ District
One Class AAA championship team last fall, headed a group of five players that
finished tied for fifth at 18-over 160. Lugiano added a solid 78 to his
opening-round 82 while Cooley shaved two shots off his opening-round 81 with a
79 in Sunday’s second round.
Joining Lugiano and Cooley in the group tied for fifth at
160 were Benny Hagerty of Manasquan, N.J., who added a 79 to his opening-round
81, Justin Dougherty of Wyndmoor, who opened with a 78 and added an 82, and
Jeremy Sommerson of Victor, N.Y., who added an 81 to his opening-round 79.
Spring-Ford junior Nate Pierce and Benjamin Lee of Malvern
shared 10th place, each ending up at 163, three shots behind the
quintet tied for fifth. Pierce and Lee had identical splits, each opening with
a 78 before falling back in Sunday’s tougher conditions with an 85.
Luke Buckley of Rochester, N.Y. carded a pair of 82s for a
164 total that left him alone in 12th place.
Haverford School junior Charlie Baker, a key member in the
Fords’ run to the Inter-Ac League championship each of the last two falls, and
Alec Stern of Bryn Mawr finished tied for 13th, a shot behind
Buckley at 165. Baker and Stern each struggled in the opening round with an 85
before bouncing back with an 80 in the second round.
Samuel O’Hara of Rye, N.Y. matched the totals achieved by
Lovelass and Pabst in winning the division for the older boys to capture first
place in the 16-and-under division.
O’Hara matched Lovelass for the best round of the day in
Sunday’s more challenging conditions with a 3-over 74. Like Lovelass, O’Hara
opened with a 79 and his 11-over 153 total gave him a one-shot victory in the
16U division.
Nick Ciocca of Berwyn added a 4-over 75 to his opening-round
79 to finish a shot behind O’Hara in second at 154. Colin Elias of Staten
Island, N.Y. had posted the best round in the 16U division Saturday with a
6-over 77 before falling back with a second-round 83 to finish alone in third
place at 160, six shots behind Ciocca.
Harriton junior David Fitzgerald, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier
last fall, finished alone in fourth place after adding an 82 to an opening-round
80 for a 162 total. Jack Davis of Newtown Square was another three shots behind
Fitzgerald in fifth place at 165. Davis struggled in the second round with an
86 after opening with a 79.
Thomas Elliott of Wayne was another three shots behind Davis
in sixth place as he carded a pair of 84s for a 168 total. Ethan Kuhlkin of New
York City was three shots behind Elliott in seventh place at 171 after adding
an 87 to his opening-round 84.
Robert McNelly of Collegeville finished eighth at 189 after
adding a 93 to an opening-round 96 and Amit Limaye of Upper Saddle River, N.J.
was ninth at 227 after rounds of 109 and 118.
Mount St. Joseph sophomore Clare Gimpel, a two-time PIAA
Class AAA East Regional qualifier, took top honors in the girls 19-and-under
division as she shaved nine shots off her opening-round 94 with an 85 Sunday
for a 179 total.
Hallie Bridgers of Baltimore was 10 shots behind Gimpel in
second place at 189 after adding a 93 to her opening-round 96.
Sydnee Gaines, another Maryland invader from Nottingham, was
the only entry in the 16-and-under division, so she got the victory. Gaines had
the best total of any of the three goals who teed it up at White Manor as she
added an 84 to her opening-round 87 for a 171 total.
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