You could tell from a summer of junior golf that the Inter-Ac League was going to be a closely contested battle among its three perennial contenders, The Haverford School, the two-time defending champion, Episcopal Academy and Malvern Prep.
But three teams separated by a single shot? Can’t get much closer than that.
The first of the six invitationals that make up the Inter-Ac’s regular season was held Tuesday, hosted by the William Penn Charter School at Huntingdon Valley Country Club, one of the many William Flynn designs in the Philadelphia area.
Episcopal and Malvern Prep each posted a sparkling 187 to share first place with The Haverford School just a shot behind its two chief rivals with a 188 total.
Episcopal junior Liam Crowley and Haverford School junior Harry Neilly shared individual medalist honors for the day, each posting a 1-under-par 34 at the challenging Huntingdon Valley layout.
Backing up Crowley for the Churchmen was talented freshman George Hampel, who signed for a 2-over 37. Junior Freddy Hartmann, who was popping up on junior leaderboards all summer, was another shot behind George Hampel with a 3-over 38.
Another member of Team Hampel, Arthur Hampel, a junior, Connor Smolenski, a junior, and senior co-captain Will Krietsch, each tallied a 4-over 39 and Episcopal had the luxury of choosing any two of those three scores to round out its last two counters.
Junior Colby Komancheck, who represented the Philadelphia Section PGA in the Boys Junior PGA Championship at Purdue’s Birck Boilermaker Complex in West Lafayette, Ind. this summer, and Michael DiDomenico, also a junior, led the way for Malvern Prep, each carding a 1-over 36.
Davis Conaway, one of the Friars’ three senior captains, backed up Komancheck and DiDomenico with a solid 2-over 37. Conaway has been of the Inter-Ac’s top performers since he was in eighth grade, winning the Bert Linton Invitational for the Inter-Ac’s individual title as a freshman in the fall of 2022.
Like Episcopal Academy, Malvern Prep had three players put up a 4-over 39 with the Friars taking their pick of two scores for their final two counters.
That trio included Pat Duda, another senior captain and the son of Malvern Prep head golf coach Gary Duda, senior Noah Brand and junior Ayden Gallen.
Backing up Neilly for Haverford School was the talented trio of seniors Sean Curran, Liam McFadden and Nicky Nemo, all of whom registered a 3-over 38.
Curran was the best player in the Inter-Ac a year ago, finishing first in the individual points race during the six regular-season invitationals, capturing the title in the Bert Linton Invitational at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club and claiming the individual crown in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) Championship at Radley Run Country Club.
Curran, who will join the program at the Ivy League’s Penn next summer, and Nemo, both Merion Golf Club members, battled it out for the title in the Golf Association of Philadelphia Junior Boys’ Championship at Merion’s West Course with Curran defeating his Haverford School teammate for the title.
The Fords got a pair of 40s from junior Quinn Gallagher and senior William Forman as they could take their pick from one of those two scores as their final counter.
Host Penn Charter finished 12 shots behind Haverford School in fourth place with a 200 total, Germantown Academy was fifth at 202 and Springside Chestnut Hill Academy ended up sixth with a 220 total.
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