Inter-Ac's best got a little taste of Scottish golf

   It couldn’t have been much fun for the Inter-Ac League’s top players to slog their way around a tough Philadelphia Cricket Club Militia Hill course in Wednesday’s rain and wind. The players were even called off the course at one point because of the threat of lightning.

   It was, as league secretary Paris Sterrett described it, Scotland weather.

   Such was the parity of talent in the league this year that Penn Charter freshman Brian Isztwan, a coach’s wild-card pick into the Bert Linton Inter-Ac League Tournament, emerged with the title after tying with Haverford School’s Otis Baker at 76. Isztwan parred the first hole of a playoff to take the title.

   Malvern Prep’s Nick Miller, who endured the disappointment of being disqualified in the next-to-last mini-tournament of the season for signing an incorrect scorecard, showed he has put it behind him with a 77 to take third.

   Another coach’s wild card, Haverford School’s Jack  McAleese, got a share of fourth with another freshman, Episcopal Academy’s promising Jon Nolan Perry, and Malvern Prep’s Mike Lamond. McAleese had some clutch rounds during Haverford School’s run to a fourth Inter-Ac League title in five years this fall.

   Junior Max Siegfried, Haverford School’s best player this seaon, shared seventh place with Episcopal senior Joe Chambers, Malvern Prep’s Brendan Bacskai and Germantown Academy’s Jake Niedosik. They all shot 80.

   Rounding out The Haverford School contingent were Peter Garno (81), Jay Losty (84), Ryan Bowman (84), Jack Henderson (87) and Matt Grubb (89). Episcopal’s Scott McConnell posted an 84 and Trey Croney had an 88.

   Such were the conditions that Penn Charter’s JB Bradbeer, who led the league in the points standings compiled from the regular-season mini-tournaments, could only manage an 86.

   Some of the top players from Haverford School, Episcopal and Malvern Prep will tee it up Saturday at Brookside Country Club in Pottstown in the Pennsylvania Independent School Athletic Association Tournament. Episcopal’s Croney won the title last year at Stonewall.

Berman claims second win

   It has been quite a start to his Georgetown career this fall for Cole Berman, the two-time Daily Times Player of the Year at The Haverford School.

   You’d think it would be tough to top winning the title in your debut event as a freshman,  but earlier this week Berman won a playoff to capture the Georgetown Intercollegiate, hosted, obviously, by the Hoyas, for his second win of the fall campaign.

   Berman fired a 2-under 69 Tuesday at The Members Club at Four Streams to end up in a tie for the top spot with William & Mary’s Alex Hicks, the same Alex Hicks who reached the final of the 2013 Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Amateur Championship at Aronimink Golf Club before falling to Michael McDermott.

   Combined with his opening-round 71, the 69 gave Berman a 2-under 140 total. He parred the first hole of a playoff to claim the title.

   “It was great to win  with the entire team here,” Berman told the Georgetown website. “Today was a grind.  I was playing well, but  not making any putts, so luckily I had a chance to be in  a playoff.

   “I knew I had to shoot something in the 60s to win. Luckily 69 was enough. Throughout the day, I didn’t know if it would be enough, you need some things to go your way and today they did.”

Berman’s first-place finish helped Georgetown finish in a tie for sixth with Penn State at 589. The Hoyas had rounds of 297 and 292.

   Toledo captured the team title at 569 (284-285) as the Rockets had three players – Chris Selfridge (70-71), Otto Black (69-72) and Stephen Watts (71-70) – finish in a tie for third in the individual chase at 1-under 141.

   One of the teams Berman’s Hoyas did beat though was Temple, which finished ninth at 595 (304-291). The Owls were led by junior Brandon Matthews, the 2013 GAP Player of the Year who finished in a tie for seventh with rounds of 71 and 72 for a 1-over 143 total.

   Earlier this month, the Owls captured the title in their Temple Invitational that was played at Huntingdon Valley Country Club, one of several William Flynn-designed gems in this area. Temple had rounds of 287 and 285 for a 572 total.

   Matthews led the way, taking the individual title with a pair of 69s and a 138 total. Newly crowned 2014 GAP Player of the Year Matthew Teesdale, winner of the Philadelphia Open last summer at Applebrook Golf Club, finished in a tie for eighth at Huntingdon Valley for the Owls with rounds of 70 and 77 for a 147 total.

   Berman, who recently received the GAP Junior Player of the Year award for the third straight year, and Georgetown also teed it up in the Temple Invitational and the two-time Inter-Ac League Tournament winner was the Hoyas’ low man, finishing in a tie for eighth overall with rounds of 71 and 76 for a 147 total.

   Berman helped Georgetown finish in a tie for fifth in the team standings with rounds of 291 and 306 for a 597 total.

   One of the players who also finished in a tie for eighth at that 147 figure was Hartford’s Will Betts, the Pittsburgh area resident who drove across the state to earn co-medalist honors in U.S. Amateur qualifying at Stonewall last summer. Betts had rounds of 72 and 75 at Huntingdon Valley.