Little pulls away for a victory at Shawnee Open

   Michael Little, a pro at Lookaway Golf Club, fired a 4-under-par 68 at the Shawnee Inn & Resort course to cruise to a four-shot victory with a 6-under 136 total in the Shawnee Open Monday.

   Little opened the tournament with a 2-under 69 in Sunday’s opening round at Great Bear Golf Club and trailed first-round leader Corey McAlarney, an assistant pro at Sunnybrook Golf Club who carded a 3-under 68, by a shot.

   But Little went 4-under through the first five holes in the second round to reach 6-under and finished that way.

   Coming off a tie for sixth at last week’s Philadelphia Section PGA Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club that earned him a trip to next June’s PGA Professional Championship in Sunriver, Ore., Little carried his strong play to the Shawnee Resort.

   “I have been playing well for the last few weeks and my performance at last week’s Championship gave me a lot of confidence,” Little told the Philadelphia Section PGA website. “I made one small adjustment in my putting and that proved to be the difference today.”

   McAlarney added an even-par 72 to his opening-round 68 at Great Bear to finish in a tie for second at 3-under 140. McAlarney was joined at that figure by Radnor Valley Country Club head pro George Forster, who had a pair of 70s. Forster’s 140 total also topped the field of senior players at Shawnee.

   Whitford Country Club assistant pro Andrew Turner matched Little’s 68 Monday at Shawnee Inn & Resort course to finish in a tie for fourth at 2-under 141. Turner was joined at that figure by John Pillar (70-71) of the Country Club at Woodloch Springs and Zac Oakley (69-72) of Heritage Shores Golf Club.

   Don Allan (71-71) of Burlington Country Club and Spring-Ford Country Club head pro Rich Steinmetz (69-73) finished in a tie for seventh at 1-under 142.

   Stu Ingraham, the head of instruction at the M Golf Range in Newtown Square, had rounds of 72 and 71 to finish alone in ninth at even-par 143. Ingraham was coming off a runnerup finish in last week’s Section championship at the Cricket Club after winning the Section’s senior title last month at St. Davids Golf Club.

   Rounding out the top 10 was Bill Sautter of Philadelphia Cricket Club who had rounds of 69 and 75 to finish alone in 10^th at 1-over 144.