Marmorstein takes second in two-day tourney at Hickory Valley

   Brianna Marmorstein, who helped Notre Dame Academy claim its eighth straight Inter-Ac League title this spring, finished second in a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour stop at Hickory Valley Golf Club in Gilbertsville Friday.

   It was a two-day event which awarded points toward Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings as well as performance-based entries into American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) events. There were just boys and girls divisions with competitors in each division from ages 13 to 18.

   Marmorstein, a Havertown resident who just completed her sophomore season at Notre Dame, held the first-round lead with a solid 82 in windy conditions at Hickory Valley’s 5,749-yard, par-71 course Thursday.

   But Marmorstein was in a battle the whole way with Julianne Lee of York, who trailed Marmorstein by a shot with an opening-round 83.

   The players took on the more challenging 5,839-yard, par-72 Presidential Course at Hickory Valley Friday with the wind abating only slightly and Lee grabbed the lead on the front nine and never let go. Lee carded an 84 for a 167 total while Marmorstein had an 87 for a 169 total, two shots back of Lee’s winning score.

   Molly Holbert of Mechanicsburg finished third with a pair of 87s and a 174 total, Casey Oppenheimer of Conshohocken was fourth with rounds of 89 and 92 for a 181 total, Savana Haas of Pottstown placed fifth with rounds of 91 and 99 for a 190 total and Michelle Cox of Allentown took sixth with rounds of 96 and 104 for a 200 total.

   It was a similar scenario on the boys side as Hayden Rousselle of Doylestown trailed Andrew Gallagher of Mount Laurel, N.J. by two shots following Thursday’s opening round, but came on strong Friday to overtake Gallagher and claim a two-shot victory.

   Rousselle fired a 3-over 75 over the Presidential Course, which measured 6,236 yards for the guys, after opening with a 5-over 76 Thursday for an 8-over 151 total. Gallagher opened with a 3-over 74 on Hickory Valley’s par-71 layout and added a 7-over 79 on the Presidential Course for a 10-over 153 total.

   Matthew Bricker (79-75) of York and Wills Montgomery (76-78) of Exton finished tied for third, a shot back of Gallagher at 11-over 154.

   William Mitchell of Moorestown, N.J. played some pretty solid golf in posting what was easily the best round yielded by the Presidential Course, a 1-over 73 that helped him finish in a tie for fifth with David Robbins of Holland at 155.  Mitchell had opened with an 82 Thursday. Robbins had rounds of 77 and 78.

   J.T. Spina (79-77) of Schwenksville and Carson Bacha (77-79) of York finished in a tie for seventh at 156. Rounding out the top 10 were Paul Fedele (76-83) of Easton and Nathaniel Hiriak (75-84) of Doylestown, who shared ninth place at 159.