Fazio matches par at Linfield National to claim a Junior Tour victory

    Luke Fazio of Schwenksville rode a fast start to an even-par 71, which was the low score of the day in a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour stop Saturday at Linfield National Golf Club and gave him a victory in the younger 13-to-15 division.

   Fazio birdied the first hole and eagled the second hole. He had three more birdies on his scorecard.

   Fazio is a big name in golf, dating back to Norristown’s George Fazio, who was part of the three-way playoff in the 1950 U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club’s East Course, the title ultimately and quite historically going to Ben Hogan. Not sure if Fazio is part of that great golfing family, but if he keeps shooting scores like that, I’m sure I’ll find out.

   Strath Haven sophomore Tyler Debusschere and Ethan Martin of North Wales landed in a tie for second place, each carding a 3-over 74 and each making back-to-back birdies at the 15^th and 16^th holes.

   It looks like Debusschere will tee it up in the rescheduled Central League Championship, which will be held Monday at Downingtown Country Club. The tournament comes too late to qualify the league’s top finishers to the District One Championship, a sore point for many players and their parents. I might have to wander over to Downingtown and sample some opinions and maybe watch a little golf.

   Ajeet Bagga of Blue Bell took fourth place with a 4-over 75, Jack Chodkowski of Bryn Mawr was fifth with a 78 and Shaun Mazzalupi of Wayne and Adam Farkas of Ardmore shared sixth place, each carding a 79.

   Hank Kancher of Philadelphia finished alone in eighth place with an 81 and Quinton Heljenek was ninth with an 82.

   Rounding out the top 10 were three players – Charlie Hurchalla of Wallingford, Jake Blackmore of Pottstown and Hunter Probst of Bear Creek – who finished in a tie for 10^th place, each signing for an 84.

   Downingtown East senior Dylan Gute had a birdie on each nine on his way to a 3-over 74 that landed him atop the leaderboard in the 16-to-18 division.

   West Chester Rustin junior Ryan D’Ariano, coming off a tie for 14^th place in the PIAA Class AAA Championship at Heritage Hills Golf Resort, and Ryan Horenci of Collegeville finished in a tie for second place, each registering a 4-over 75. D’Ariano had three birdies on the front nine at Linfield National. Horenci birdied the eighth hole.

   Ryan Garvey of Media took fourth place with a 76, Francis Sass of Exton was fifth with a 77 and Harriton junior Zach Sandler and Jim Kelly of Slatington shared sixth, each posting an 80.

   Kristof Kopecky of Garnet Valley finished alone in eighth place with an 82, Jonathan Seifarth of Schwenksville was ninth with an 83 and Charlie Hurchalla of Wallingford’s Team Hurchalla rounded out the top 10 as he ended up alone in 10^th with an 84.

   The best score among the girls at Linfield National also emerged from the younger 13-to-15 age group as Pennridge sophomore Taryn Shine, who was a District One Class AAA qualifier this fall, had birdies at the third and 16^th holes on her way to an 82.

   Kiran Bagga of Blue Bell’s Team Bagga, was the runnerup in the 13-to-15 division as she had six pars on her scorecard while recording an 89.

   Yet another Team Bagga entry, Germantown Academy sophomore Serena Bagga, finished atop the leaderboard in the 16-to-18 division with an 86, a round that featured seven pars, including a run of four straight on the front nine.

   Springside Chestnut Hill Academy senior Emma Schotsch and Shine’s Pennridge teammate, senior Ashley Ea, finished in a tie for second place, each carding an 88 that left them two shots behind Serena Bagga. Schotsch had six pars and Ea had seven pars on their scorecards.

   Ea also represented the Rams in the District One Championship and both Shine and Ea survived the cut after the opening round at Raven’s Claw Golf Club and played the second day at Turtle Creek Golf Club.

   Rounding out the 16-to-18 field was Rachel Panico of Lansdale as she finished in fourth place with a 108.

   Once again, it was a very competitive field of nine-holers with Lannon Boyd of Radnor claiming a one-shot victory with a 2-over 37, a round that featured six pars and a birdie at the par-3 seventh hole.

   Ian Rotto of Kennett Square was a shot behind Boyd as he earned runnerup honors with a 3-over 38 that included four pars and a birdie on the par-5 second hole. Anthony Proud of Stroudsburg was another shot behind Rotto in third place with a 39 as he also birdied the second hole and three pars.

   Liam McFadden of Bryn Mawr took fourth place with a 40 and Quin Zeigner of New Hope, Avery O’Neill of Romansville and Daniel Zimmerman of Phoenixville finished in a tie for fifth, each registering a 41.

Charlie Zimmerman of West Chester finished in eighth place with a 44, Declan Conner of Swarthmore was ninth with a 45 and Colby Komancheck of Royersford rounded out the top 10 in the coed 12-and-under division with a 46 that left him alone in 10^th.