Pilliod claims individual crown to lead Saint Joseph's to team title in Columbia Spring Invitational

   Saint Joseph’s senior Ross Pilliod, who starred scholastically at Berks Catholic, fired a pair of 2-under-par 68s at Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, N.J. Saturday to cruise to a five-shot victory and lead the Hawks to the team crown in the Columbia Spring Invitational.

   Pilliod has been a fixture in the Saint Joseph’s starting lineup since arriving on Hawk Hill after finishing in a tie for ninth in the 2014 PIAA Class AA Championship as a senior at Berks Catholic. With his college career nearing an end, Pilliod delivered probably his finest performance at Saint Joseph’s.

   With a freshening wind in the afternoon, Pilliod matched his morning 68 over the 6,585-yard, par-70 Montclair layout in the afternoon. Nobody in the field had a better round and Pilliod did it twice. His 4-under 136 total was five shots better than a group of three players tied for second at 1-over 141.

   Pilliod led the way as the Hawks carded a 5-over 285 in the morning and came back with another 5-over 585 in the afternoon for a 10-over 570 total.

   St. Peter’s was 12 shots behind St. Joe’s in second place at 22-over 582, the Peacocks adding a 14-over 294 to their opening round of 8-over 288. It was another six shots back to Bryant in third place at 28-over 588 as it added a 295 to its opening-round 293.

   Host Columbia was a shot behind Bryant in fourth place at 29-over 589, the Lions opening with an 11-over 291 before falling back with an afternoon 298. Colgate carded a pair of 298s to finish fifth at 36-over 596, seven shots behind Columbia.

   Rider and Fairleigh Dickinson shared sixth place in the 11-team field, each finishing with 38-over 598 totals. The Broncs opened with a 298 before adding a 300 while the Knights were the opposite, adding a 298 to their opening-round 300.

   Pilliod led a strong overall team effort for Saint Joseph’s.

   Michael O’Brien, a junior from West Chester, Ohio., finished among a trio of players tied for fifth at 3-over 143 after adding a 1-over 71 to his opening-round 72. Sophomore Wills Montgomery, a former Downingtown East standout, finished alone in eighth place at 4-over 144. He matched par in the opening round with a 70 before carding a 74 in the afternoon.

   J.T. Spina, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Pope John Paul II, continued his solid freshman season as he finished in the group tied for 14^th at 7-over 147. Spina carded a 2-over 72 in the afternoon after opening with a 75.

   Junior Richard Riva, a former Lancaster Catholic standout, rounded out the St. Joe’s lineup as he finished in the group tied for 32^nd at 10-over 150 after posting a pair of 75s.
   Saint Joseph's closes out the regular season with a trip to Annapolis, Md. for the Navy Spring Invitational, which tees off Friday at the Naval Academy Golf Club. That will be the Hawks' final tuneup before the Atlantic 10 Championship, which tees off April 26 at  the Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Fla.

   The trio tied for second at 1-over 141 included St. Peter’s Mike Winter, a senior from Hamilton Square, N.J., Fairleigh Dickinson’s Andrew Morris, a junior from St. Augustine, Fla., and St. Francis of Brooklyn’s David Tottori, a senior from Las Vegas, Nev.

   Winter trailed Pilliod by just a shot after an opening round of 1-under 69 before adding a 2-over 72 in the afternoon. Morris and Tottori had the same splits, adding a 1-over 71 in the afternoon to an opening round of even-par 70.

    Joining St. Joe’s O’Brien in the tied for fifth at 3-over 143 were Lafayette’s Brendan Cronin, a sophomore from Sutton, Mass., and Colgate’s Dean Naime, a freshman from Egypt. Cronin matched par with a 70 in the morning before adding a 73 in the afternoon. Naime added a 2-over 72 to his opening-round 71.

    Rounding out the top 10 were Rider’s Austin Devereux, a sophomore from Brielle, N.J., and St. Peter’s Melvin Morales, a freshman from Puerto Rico, both of whom finished up at 5-over 145 to share ninth place. Devereux added a 3-over 73 to his opening-round 72 while Morales carded a 1-over 71 in the morning before finishing up with a 74.

   Monmouth got a solid showing from sophomore Ron Robinson, a former North Penn standout and two-time winner of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Harry Hammond Award, the stroke-play championship for GAP’s junior players. Robinson added a 3-over 73 to his opening-round 74 to finish among the group tied for 14^th at 7-over 147.

   Robinson led the Hawks to an eighth-place finish in the team standings at 42-over 602.

   Two local players – Lafayette sophomore Cole Berger, a Westtown School product, and Rider sophomore Griffin Smith, who starred scholastically at Council Rock South – landed in the group tied for 24^th at 9-over 149. Berger and Smith had the same splits, opening with a 5-over 75 before adding a 74 in the afternoon.

   Berger and the Leopards finished 10^th with a 49-over 609 total.