Lofland stays hot with a Junior Tour victory in Rehoboth Junior Open

   Falling behind on my Junior Tour updates while trying to keep up with the Philadelphia Amateur, but I’ll catch up.

   While a Conestoga star of the past, Brian Gillespie, was making a spectacular run to the quarterfinals of the BMW Philadelphia Amateur Tuesday, a current Pioneer standout, senior Morgan Lofland, continued his strong run on the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour by capturing the top spot in the 16-to-18 division of the Rehoboth Junior Open at Rehoboth Beach Country Club in Rehoboth Beach, Del.

   Since the Junior Tour resumed play in the wake of the coronavirus-enforced layoff this spring, Lofland, who finished in ninth place in the PIAA Class AAA Championship last fall, has been playing some great golf, including a victory in last week’s Precision Pro Golf Open at Hickory Valley Golf Club.

   Lofland, who has been a Central League co-champion each of the last two seasons and captured the individual title in last fall’s Class AAA East Regional at Golden Oaks Golf Club, was at it again in breezy conditions along the Delaware coastline, recording three birdies in a 1-over-par 73 that gave him a three-shot margin of victory in the older age group and was the best score of the day among the guys of all ages by two shots.

   Anthony Ciconte of Wilmington, Del. was the runnerup in the 16-to-18 age group as he closed out a 1-over front nine with five straight pars on his way to a 4-over 76 over the par-72 Rehoboth Beach layout. Matthew Miller of Camden, Del. was another shot behind Ciconte in third place with a 77 that included a 1-over 37 on the front nine.

   Devon Prep senior Ryan McCabe, who has contended for the PIAA Class AA crown each of the last two falls, finished in fourth place with an 80. Griffin Haas of Avondale took fifth place with an 82 and Stephen Cain of Yardley was sixth with an 85.

   Matthew Van Istendal of Haddon Heights, N.J. and Coleman Miller of King of Prussia shared seventh place, each posting an 88. Colton Murray of Sewell, N.J. took ninth place with an 89 and Nathan Longo of Newark, Del. rounded out the field of 16-to-18 competitors with a 100 that left him alone in 10^th place.

   Matthew Homer led a trio of the Homer crew from Wilmington, Del. among the top eight finishers in the 13-to-15 division as he claimed the top spot in the division with a 3-over 75. Matthew Homer was the winner of the 13-to-15 division in the Precision Pro Golf Open event at Hickory Valley.

   Matthew Homer had two birdies while going even-par on the front nine at Rehoboth Beach. Preston Worch of Rockville, Md. had a run of nine straight pars on his way to a runnerup finish in the division with a 77.

   Strath Haven sophomore Tyler Debusschere, who helped the Panthers claim the first Central League title in program history last fall, had 12 pars in a solid 78 that left him alone in third place.

   Matthew Homer’s twin brother Jeffrey finished in fourth place with an 80. Griffin Gaughan of Avondale took fifth place with an 85 and Travis Roberston of Fort Washington was a shot behind Gaughan in sixth place with an 86.

   The younger of the Homer boys, Jack Homer, shared seventh place with Shane Powelson of Kennett Square as each carded an 87.

   Another Kennett Square entry, Drew Clark, finished in ninth place with a 90 and Evan Gebhart of Magnolia, Del. rounded out the top 10 as he finished alone in 10^th place with a 93.

   Sawyer Brockstedt, who has been a rising star on the Delaware scene since finishing in a tie for fourth in the Girls 10-11 division in the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club in 2018, fired a sparkling 2-over 74 that included three birdies to capture the top spot in the 13-to-15 division.

   Brockstedt always plays well in her home town of Rehoboth Beach, Del. and I’m guessing Rehoboth Beach Country Club is a course with which she is familiar.

   Kate Barber, making a road trip from Savannah, Ga., was the runnerup to Brockstedt with an 80 that included five pars and a birdie on Rehoboth Beach’s incoming nine. Avery McCrery of Wilmington, Del. had a birdie on the front nine and a string of six straight pars on her scorecard as she finished third with an 88.

   Stefania Fedun of Glenmoore took fourth place with an 89 and Curstan Bunch of Wilmington, Del. was fifth with a 91. Rounding out the 13-to-15 field was Emily Mayo of Boothwyn, who finished in sixth place with a 114.

   Suzie Ahn of Paoli took the top spot in the 16-to-18 division with a 99. Lily Wagner of Camden, Del. was the runnerup with a 100 that featured a birdie on the eighth hole.

   Davis Conaway of West Chester continued his recent domination among the nine-holers as he had three pars in a 7-over 43 that enabled him to top the field in the coed 12-and-under division. It was the fifth win for Conaway since the Junior Tour schedule resumed.

   Kylie Yiengst of Wyoming, Del. and Anthony Proud of Stroudsburg shared second place, each posting a 47. Yiengst birdied the first hole and Proud had three pars on his card.

   Jake Hollerback of Millsboro, Del. and Andrew Carroccio of Newtown Square finished in a tie for fourth place, each signing for a 48. Samuel Metz of Rehoboth Beach, Del. finished alone in sixth place with a 49 and Chase Wilson of Talleyville, Del. and Declan Conner of Swarthmore ended up in a tie for seventh as each posted a 50.

   Kingston Davis of Rehoboth, Del. and Cameron Wagner of Team Wagner of Camden, Del. shared ninth place, each carding a 53 and Lucas Skonieczki of Lewes, Del. rounded out the field of nine-holers, finishing 11^th with a 58. Skonieczki is listed as a Class of 2031 competitor which makes him, what, a second-grader. Look out for that one.