Team Mitchell, Team Keane crowned co-champions in Father & Son (Younger)

   The Mitchell family seems to have this Father & Son thing figured out pretty well.

   Randy Mitchell of Wilmington Country Club won four Father & Son titles with son Davis. He then added a couple of Junior-Junior division wins with younger son Colman. So it wasn’t too much of a shocker when Randy Mitchell and Colman Mitchell teamed up to get a share of the title in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Father & Son (Younger) Championship’s junior division (17-and-under) Monday at Bellewood Country Club in North Coventry Township.

   Playing in the afternoon wave, the Mitchells were on pace to better clubhouse leader, the Philadelphia Country Club pair of Will Keane and William Keane Jr., who had carded a 1-over 72 in the select-drive, alternate-shot format over the 6,306-yard, par-71 Bellewood layout.

   Colman Mitchell, who had the driver going all day despite not playing a whole lot of golf lately, nearly drove the green on the par-4 13^th, leaving it in the front greenside bunker. Randy Mitchell blasted it out to 15 feet and Colman Mitchell dropped the birdie try to get Team Mitchell to even-par for the round.

   But a three-putt bogey at the 14^th dropped the Mitchells back to 1-over and they had to settle for a share of the title with Team Keane.

   It is not the easiest format to master, but with Colman Mitchell bombing it off the tee, Team Mitchell rattled off birdies at three, four and five. Big drives by 16-year-old Colman Mitchell, a junior at Salesianum, at three and four left 57-year-old Randy Mitcthell, the 2016 GAP Senior Amateur champion, with short approaches. Dad was able to get it close and Colman Mitchell made short birdie putts. The younger Mitchell then rolled in a 20-foot birdie try at the fifth.

   The three birdies more than offset a double bogey at the second, but bogeys at six and seven left Team Mitchell at 1-over turning for home. The birdie at 13 got them to even before the bogey at 14 dropped them back into a share of the top spot.

   “This is my favorite event on the calendar,” Randy Mitchell told the GAP website. “We had a great time as always. He hasn’t touched a club in more than a month so we weren’t expecting this.”

   The 13th hole was a turning point in the round for the other co-champion as 17-year-old William Keane Jr., a junior at St. Joseph’s Prep, nearly holed his wedge shot from 105 yards away, leaving dad with a tap-in for birdie.

   Team Keane, Newtown Square residents, started on the back nine and the birdie at 13 came on the heels of a birdie at the 11^th as William Keane Jr. fired a 6-iron approach to 15 feet and the 49-year-old Will Keane, a clinical analyst at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, rolled in the birdie try.

   Team Keane ultimately arrived at its final hole of the day -- a day when the real-feel temperatures soared into triple digits -- the ninth at Bellewood, at even-par, but made a bogey to finish at 1-over 72. Turned out nobody else could do better.

   “He’s gotten dramatically better as a partner,” Will Keane told the GAP website concerning the play of his son. “He doesn’t let the bad shot get under his skin. It’s been a pleasure to watch the maturation process.

   “There’s nothing more thrilling than watching your son grow, not only as a player, but also emotionally.  It’s a proud moment for me as a dad.”

   The Cedarbrook Country Club pair of Jackson Tappen and Roger Tappen finished alone in third with a 2-over 73.

   Luke Watson and Trey Watson of Spring-Ford Country Club and another Wilmington Country Club entry, Anthony Ciconte and Jeffrey Ciconte, finished tied for fourth, each pair carding a 3-over 74.

   Four teams – the Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association entry of P.J. Sullivan and Patrick Sullivan, Nick Schnur and Mike Schnur of Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, James Gradisek of Philadelphia Country Club and Michael Gradisek of Stonewall and Joseph Garvey and Ryan Garvey of Rolling Green Golf Club – all landed on 4-over 75 in a tie for sixth.

   The Springhaven Club’s Ryan McCabe, who captured the District One Class AA title while leading Devon Prep to the Class AA team crown as a freshman last fall and who has had a strong spring and early summer in junior competitions, teamed with Franny McCabe Jr. to get a share of 10^th place with the Aronimink Golf Club duo of Jack Fialko and Jeff Fialko at 5-over 76.

   A foursome of Gregors from Huntingdon Valley Country Club – Frankie Gregor and Frank Gregor and Wade Gregor and Douglas Gregor – were part of a three-way tie for 12^th at 6-over 77 along with Bobby Beck and Bob Beck of Lehigh Country Club.

   Rounding out the top 15 were five teams tied for 15^th at 79, including the homestanding Ben Griffaton and George Griffaton of Bellewood, a couple of Talamore Country Club entries in Christian Matt and Kenneth Matt and Darren Nolan and Brandon Nolan, Garnet Valley junior Jacob Sokalsky and Lee Sokalsky of Penn Oaks Golf Club and Matthew Lafond of Blue Bell Country Club and Mark Lafond of Whitemarsh Valley.

   A couple of youngsters whose games have made rapid progress on the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour teamed with their dads to share top honors in the Junior-Junior Division with Bellewood playing at 5,707 yards for the younger guys.

   Applecross Country Club’s Benjamin Saggers, a 13-year-old headed into eighth grade at Saints Philip & James School in Exton, and his dad Nicholas Saggers, a Pennsylvania Golf Association individual member, and Win Thomas, a 13-year-old heading into eighth grade at Upland Country Day School, and his dad Bill Thomas of Reading Country Club, each carded a 1-over 72 and were co-champions in the Junior-Junior Division.

   Benjamin Saggers, the runnerup in GAP’s Junior-Junior Championship last summer, and Win Thomas became friends while playing the Junior Tour and their dads, 45-year-old Nicholas Saggers and 56-year-old Bill Thomas, became acquainted following their boys around the circuit.

   Team Thomas established the clubhouse lead with its 1-over 72 and then headed back out on the course in 100-degree weather to cheer on Team Saggers as it completed its round.

   Kevin Lafond of Blue Bell Country and Mark Lafond of Whitemarsh Valley and the Wilmington Country Club pair of Jeff Homer and Jason Homer finished tied for third at 3-over 74.

   The Tavistock Country Club pair of Nathan Guertler and David Guertler finished alone in fifth, posting a 4-over 75.

   Four more teams – the Aronimink tandem of Nicholas Ciocca and Nick Ciocca, Travis Robertson and Bruce Robertson Jr. of Sunnybrook Golf Club, Nate Wiseman of The Bucks Club and Talamore’s Barry Wiseman and the Talamore duo of Scott Hughes and Ed Hughes – finished tied for sixth at 7-over 78.