Bagga claims individual crown, leads Germantown Academy to team title in PAISAA Championship at the Golf Course at Glen Mills

    Sophomore Ajeet Bagga was an impressive individual winner as he led Inter-Ac Leagued champion Germantown Academy to the team crown in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association Championship Monday at the Golf Course at Glen Mills.

   Bagga fired a 2-under-par 69 over the par-71 layout at Glen Mills that was six shots clear of the field. Runnerup honors went to Episcopal Academy sophomore Hunter Stetson, who carded a 4-over 75. Stetson captured the Bert Linton Inter-Ac League individual crown last week in a playoff with Germantown Academy sophomore Will Irons after both landed on 5-over 77 at Bluestone Country Club.

   Bagga was the runnerup to Malvern Prep senior Keller Mulhern in the individual points race during the Inter-Ac’s six regular-season invitationals. I watched Bagga play nine holes or so during the Bert Linton at Bluestone last week and his ball-striking was really solid. A balky putter left him in a group of six players tied for fourth place with a 79, two shots behind Stetson and Irons.

   Germantown Academy head coach Dave Martin went with his seniors to round out the lineup for the PAISAA Championship, which utilizes a four-score-three format. The Patriots finished with a 230 total, 10 shots clear of runnereup Mercersburg Academy. Malvern Prep, the runnerup to GA in the Inter-Ac race this fall, finished in third place with a 245 total. The victory in the state independent school championship was a first for Germantown Academy.

   Seth Roth added an 80, which left him in fifth place in the individual standings, to back up Bagga. Jack Luviano, who finished in third place in the Inter-Ac’s regular-season individual points race, was the final counter for the Patriots with an 81. Luke Marvin, the Bert Linton Inter-Ac individual champion in 2019 as a sophomore, rounded out the Germantown Academy lineup with a solid 82.

   Malvern Prep head coach Gary Duda went with an all-senior lineup at Glen Mills. The Friars were led by Henry Fish, who registered an 81. Co-captain Mulhern, the regular-season individual points leader who joined Bagga in the group tied for fourth place in the Bert Linton last week, was a shot behind Fish with an 82.

   Jack Davis, the Friars’ other co-captain, matched Mulhern’s 82 as they accounted for Malvern Prep’s final two counters. Joey Vandergeest rounded out the Malvern Prep lineup with a 91.