Bastians, McCabes make it a Delco sweep at Father & Son (Younger) tourney

   It was a Delco sweep of the Junior and Junior/Junior divisions in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Father & Son (Younger) Championship Tuesday at the RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve in Lower Providence.

   In the Father & Son (Younger) Junior division, the son must be 17 or younger and in the Junior/Junior division, the son is 13 or younger.

   The Rolling Green Golf Club duo of Daniel Bastian and his dad Matt took top honors in the Junior division with a 1-over-par 72 over the 6,320-yard, par-71 RiverCrest layout. The format was select drive/alternate shot.

   The Bastians drove directly from a Fourth of July weekend at the Shore to RiverCrest and off they went on the back nine. Dan made up for dad’s poor approach at the par-4 11^th by chipping in for birdie and the game was on.

   Dan hit an 8-iron to two fee at the par-3 fifth that Matt converted for a birdie. They finished with a flourish as Matt nearly drove the short, par-4 ninth hole. Dan’s attempt at an eagle went 15 feet by, but dad dropped the birdie putt.

   The Bastians agreed, however, that it was son Dan’s putter that won the day as he dropped in several lengthy par-saving putts.

   “They were just falling for me today,” 15-year-old Dan Bastian told the GAP website. “It was just one of those days. I liked the greens here.”

   The Spring-Ford Country Club pair of Ryan Tall and John Tall and the Waynesborough Country Club duo of Matthew Civitella and Matthew Civitella shared second place, each team carding a 2-over 73.

   The Springhaven Club pair of Ryan McCabe and dad Franny McCabe Jr., meanwhile, bested the Junior/Junior field with a 4-over 75.

   The McCabes started on the back nine at RiverCrest and made nine straight pars to make the turn in 35. They weren’t quite as strong on the front, but got it around in 40 to take the title.

   It was an eventful day for 13-year-old Ryan, who advanced out of a Drive, Chip & Putt subregional at Sunnybrook Golf Club earlier Tuesday with a second-place finish in his age group.

   “We were ham-and-egging today, even though the last nine was a lot more egging it,” 61-year-old Franny McCabe Jr. told the GAP website. ”We had a lot of fun today. This is the third time we’ve played together in this. We always enjoy it.”

   The Wilmington Country Club pair of Jason Homer and Matthew Homer finished a shot back in second at 76.

   Two teams -- Phillip Damico and Andrew Damico of McCall Golf & Country Club and Brendan Nolan and Darren Nola of Talamore Country Club – shared third place, each duo carding a 78.