Crowley edges Episcopal Academy teammate Hampel in a playoff to claim title in Bert Linton Invitational

 

   PLYMOUTH MEETING – When Liam Crowley tapped in for a bogey that gave him the title in the Bert Linton Invitational for the Inter-Ac League’s individual championship Wednesday at The 1912 Club, it capped a pretty remarkable 24 hours for the Episcopal Academy golf program.

   The bogey on The 1912 Club’s first hole, enabled Crowley, a junior, to defeat his Episcopal Academy teammate and classmate Arthur Hampel in a playoff.

   A day earlier at Sunnybrook Golf Club in neighboring Whitemarsh Township, Episcopal Academy junior Freddy Hartmann had carded a sizzling 3-under-par 33 to lead the way as the Churchmen finished first in the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Invitational, the last of the six invitationals that comprise the league’s regular season, and clinched their first Inter-Ac League crown since 2016.

   Hartmann, whose 33 at Sunnybrook left him atop the Inter-Ac’s regular-season individual points race, was very much in the mix for the Bert Linton title and would have been in the playoff as well were it not for an untimely four-putt at the par-3 16^th hole that featured a, shall we say, tricky pin placement.

   Up ahead of Hartmann, though, Crowley and Hampel each got it to the house with a 2-over 72 over the classic 6,326-yard, par-70 1912 Club layout.

   “I made birdies at No. 2 (175-yard, par-3) and at 11 (364-yard, par-4) and 15 (338-yard, par-4),” Crowley said moments after needing just one hole of a playoff to beat his teammate Hampel. “That got me to 1-over and I made a bogey at 16. We were hearing that the guys behind us were having trouble there.”

   Hampel got it to 1-over when he made back-to-back birdies at the 11^th hole and the 502-yard, par-5 12^th. A bogey at the short, 291-yard par-4 13^th hole dropped Hampel back to 2-over.

   “I made a 30-footer for par at 17,” Hampel said.

   Crowley and Hampel agreed that the 453-yard, par-4 17^th hole was a difficult hurdle in the closing stretch at The 1912 Club.

   “It’s a long hole and it was playing right into the wind, it was tough,” said Crowley, who, like Hampel, plays out of Merion Golf Club.

   The wind was a factor all day and when the sun was overtaken by a thick cloud cover, it got pretty chilly at The 1912 Club.

   “I’m from England, so I’m used to playing in these kinds of conditions,” Hampel said. “Liam and I played in The Kerry Cup in Ireland last summer.”

   On the first hole of the playoff, Crowley came up short of the 416-yard, par-4 first hole, but safely chipped on about 10 feet from the hole.

   Hampel’s approach sailed over the green and ended up on the tee box for the second hole. Hempel, however, sent his chip through the green and into the fairway in front. He again was too strong with another chip and when his 20-footer for bogey didn’t fall, Crowley had two putts from 10 feet for the win.

   Crowley was Episcopal Academy's first Bert Linton champion since Hunter Stetson captured the title, also in a playoff, at Bluestone Country Club in 2021.

   While Hampel was back in England for the summer, Crowley captured the title in what had to be one of the most competitive junior club championships around at Merion when he defeated Radnor senior Brad McDermott in the final.

   Crowley has been a fixture in the lineup for the Churchmen since his freshman year. He was happy to see Episcopal Academy come out on top in a tough three-team battle among the Churchmen, runnerup Malvern Prep and two-time defending champion Haverford School for the Inter-Ac title.

   “Arthur and I didn’t play all that well (Tuesday), but it was nice to see us pull out the win,” Crowley said.

   It was a talented group at Episcopal Academy and the leaderboard in the Bert Linton bore that out.

   Hartmann, who plays out of Overbrook Golf Club, was awarded the third-place plaque in a match of cards with his two Malvern Prep playing partners, junior Colby Komancheck and Davis Conaway, one of the Friars’ senior captains, as that trio finished in a tie for third place, each ending up with a 4-over 74.

   I caught up to that group, which included defending Bert Linton champion Sean Curran, a senior at The Haverford School who will join the program at Penn in the Ivy League at the end of next summer, on the back nine at The 1912 Club and, at different times, it looked like Hartmann, Komancheck or Conaway, the Bert Linton winner as a freshman in 2022, was going to take the title.

   Hartmann got it up and down from a greenside bunker for a birdie at the par-5 12^th and then drove it on the green at the short par-4 13^th and two-putted for birdie to surge into contention.

   He was the only player in the group to hit the green at the par-3 16^th, but when he got too aggressive with his birdie try, it led to a four-putt double bogey that ruined his chances.

   Komancheck, the son of Jamie and Kelly Komancheck, the husband-wife team of PGA professionals that runs the pro shop at the RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve, made the turn at even-par, but he, too, saw his title bid derailed at the 16^th when a pulled tee shot resulted in a double bogey.

   Conaway, who will join the program at Richmond in the Atlantic 10 at the end of next summer, made the turn at 1-under for his round. But a poor drive at the par-5 12^th hole led to a double bogey.

   He was still in the hunt when he came up just short at the par-3 16^th.  He was a little too careful with his chip shot and left it on the fringe above the hole. Four putts later, a disappointed Conaway walked off the green with a triple bogey six.

   Two more Episcopal players, senior co-captain Jimmy Warmkessel and junior Connor Smolenski, finished in a tie for sixth place, each signing for a 5-over 75. That gave the Churchmen five finishers among the top seven.

   The Haverford School’s Curran, Pat Duda, another of Malvern Prep’s senior captains, and Penn Charter’s Jasper Dittus rounded out the top 10 as they finished in a tie for eighth place, each tallying a 6-over 76.

   Malvern Prep senior Noah Brand finished alone in 11^th place with a 77.

   Episcopal Academy’s other senior co-captain, Will Krietsch, and Haverford School junior Jack Luterman shared 12^th place, each recording a 78.

   Episcopal Academy junior Carson Jakuc, Onyu Park, Germantown Academy’s talented sophomore, and Haverford School junior Quinn Gallagher each carded a 79 to finish in a tie for 14^th place.

   Haverford School senior Nicky Nemo and Malvern Prep junior Michael DiDomenico ended up in a tie for 17^th place, each landing on 80.

   There was a three-way tie for 19^th place as Springside Chestnut Hill junior Brandon Varga, Haverford School junior Harry Neilly and Malvern Prep junior Ayden Gallen each tallied an 81.

   Haverford School senior William Forman took 22^nd place with an 82, Haverford School junior Liam McFadden was 23^rd with an 84 and Malvern Prep junior Timmy Burns rounded out the elite field for the Bert Linton as he finished 24^th with an 85.