Normand, Horenci, Kerprich share the top spot in Junior Tour stop at Raven's Claw

    Matthew Normand of Lumberton, N.J. continued his recent hot streak as he carded a solid 2-over-par 73 to share a victory with Ryan Horenci of Collegeville and Charlie Kerprich of Dresher in the 16-to-18 division of a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour stop Tuesday at Raven’s Claw Golf Club where Lower Pottsgrove Township meets Limerick Township.

   Last week Normand claimed a victory with a sizzling 63 on his home course at Laurel Creek Country Club and backed up that win by capturing a two-day, 36-hole event at Hershey Country Club’s East Course.

   The left-hander’s midsummer roll continued at the 6,307-yard, par-71 Raven’s Claw layout as he recorded back-to-back birdies on the 14^th and 15^th holes and had 13 pars on his scorecard. Normand brought it home with a 1-under 34 on Raven’s Claw’s incoming nine.

   Horenci made birdies at the seventh, 10^th, and 12^th holes and had 11 pars on his card to get his share of the top spot. Kerprich birdied the 10^th hole and had 14 pars, opening his round by making pars on the first six holes in a row.

   Jason Minter of North Wales and Jack Brennan of Pottstown finished in a tie for fourth place, each signing for a 6-over 76 that left them three shots behind the top three.

   Evam Rosenstein of Plymouth Meeting, Matthew Dietl of Glenmoore and recent Pennridge graduate Blake Stewart shared sixth place, each landing on 6-over 77.

   Rounding out the top 10 in the 16-to-18 division were Bo Meakim of Hatboro and Owen Wisner of Reading as they finished in a tie for ninth place, each registering a 78.

   Josh Baker of West Chester recorded birdies at the first, 10^th and 14^th holes and had 12 pars on his scorecard as he claimed a victory in the 13-to-15 division with a solid 3-over 74. Alec Thiele of Philadelphia birdied the 13^th hole and had 11 pars on his card to earn runnerup honors among the younger guys with a 76, two shots behind Baker.

   It was another shot back to Nolan Corcoran of Lansdale as he finished in third place with a 5-over 76 that featured four birdies at the fifth, 13^th, 15^th and 18^th holes and seven pars.

   Chase Dillman of Gilbertsville took fourth place with an 82 and Owen Reape of Blue Bell, Nicholas Vitale of Kennett Square and Steve Callahan of Schwenksville finished in a tie for fifth place, each landing on 83. Zach Moua of Berwyn finished a shot behind the trio tied for fifth place as he took eighth with an 84.

   Macade Knoblauch of Pottstown finished in ninth place with an 85 and Michael Furey of Warminster rounded out the top 10 among the younger guys as he carded a solid 86 to finish alone in 10^th place.

   The best score among the girls came out of the 13-to-15 division as Rhianna Gooneratne of Plymouth Meeting continued her recent solid play with a 4-over 75 that included birdies at the first, third and 14^th holes and eight pars. Gooneratne was the Philly Junior Tour’s 13-to-15 Player of the Year in the wraparound 2019-2020 season.

   Cierra Griffith of Pottstown and Kiran Bagga of Blue Bell shared runnerup honors as each posted an 83. Griffith made a birdie at the seventh hole and had five pars on her scorecard while Bagga made a birdie at 17 and had nine pars on her card.

   Kayla Benson of Beach Lake took fourth place with an 88, Cloe Wright of Jackson, N.J. was fifth with a 108 and Julia Hashem of Coatesville rounded out the 13-to-15 division field as she finished sixth with a 126.

   Villa Maria Academy senior Elizabeth O’Connell and Downingtown East junior Silvana Gonzalez shared top honors in the 16-to-18 division as each carded a solid 8-over 79. O’Connell birdied the 18^th hole and had nine pars on her scorecard and Gonzalez made birdies at the third, 12^th, 14^th, 16^th and 17^th holes, touring the incoming nine at Raven’s Claw in even-par 35.

   Emma Schotsch, a recent Springside Chestnut Hill Academy graduate, finished in third place with an 84 that featured six pars.

   Mount St. Joseph senior Nora Blatney, a member of the Mount’s 2019 PIAA Class AAA championship team, took fourth place with an 87, Maria Crowe of Downingtown was fifth with a 98 and Keerthana Rajamohan of Limerick rounded out the 16-to-18 division field as she finished sixth with a 106.

   Jason Mack of Delaware Water Gap has been playing solid golf throughout 2021 and he shared a Junior Tour victory among the nine-holers with Wyatt Underwood of Telford, each landing on 3-over 39. Mack opened his round with a birdie at the first hole and had four pars on his scorecard while Underwood finished with six pars.

   Lawson Leeper of York, another frequent contender in the coed 12-and-under division, made a birdie at the third hole and had four pars on his card as he finished alone in third place, a shot behind the co-medalists with a 4-over 40.

   Carson Jakuc of Newtown Square took fourth place with a 42, Sebastian Park of Lansdale was fifth with a 45, Justin Stickel of Churchville was sixth with a 46 and Devin Manning of Downingtown was seventh with a 48.

   Ryan Kelly of Harleysville finished in eighth place with a 49 and the trio of Gavin Schraegle of Phoenixville, Brady Ward of King of Prussia and William Thorkelson of Bryn Mawr finished in a tie for ninth, each signing for a 52. Kieran Shaw of Downingtown rounded out the coed 12-and-under division field, finishing alone in 12^th place with a 58.