Applecross' Saggers returns to GAP Junior-Junior Boys' final and this time he wins it

   Benjamin Saggers keeps making steady progress through the junior ranks.

   An eighth-grader at the Saints Phillip & James School in Exton, Saggers was a fixture on the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour leaderboards in the 12-and-under nine-holers division. Last year he reached the final of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior-Junior Boys’ Championship before falling to Joshua Ryan, who went on to have a strong freshman season playing for Norristown High.

   In this week’s edition of the GAP Junior-Junior Boys’ Championship, the 70^th, at Merchantville Country Club in Cherry Hill, N.J., the 13-year-old Saggers, playing out of Applecross Country Club, again advanced to the final.

   And this time, with his experience from last year’s final in the bank, Saggers captured the title with a 4 and 3 victory over Matthew Homer, an eighth-grader at The Tatnall School, in Wednesday’s 18-hole final over the 5,885-yard, par-72 Merchantville layout.

   “It means a lot to win because I came so close last year,” Saggers told the GAP website. “To get back to the final this year was a confidence booster for me today. I was glad I had another chance to win. I knew what I had to do today and I stayed focused.”

   The final was even through eight holes when Saggers grabbed a 1-up lead. A bad drive at the par-4 ninth forced him to make a spectacular recovery shot out of the trees on to the green, 40 feet from the cup. He then converted a bomb of a putt for an unlikely birdie.

   A classic match-play turnaround on the par-5 11^th proved decisive. Saggers had some tree issues on his approach and sent it just off the back of the green while Homer had a decent look at birdie from 10 feet. But Saggers got it up and down for par and Homer had an untimely three-putt for bogey to fall 2-down.

   Saggers sent in a 25-foot birdie on the next hole, the par-3 12^th, to take a 3-up lead. He finished off the match by making a tough three-footer for par at the par-3 15^th.

   It was a pretty good week for Homer and his brothers, who play out of Wilmington Country Club.

   Matthew Homer claimed medalist honors Monday with a 2-under 34. Brother Jeffrey Homer, Nicholas Ciocca of Aronimink Golf Club and Win Thomas, a GAP Youth on Course entry who is a standout on the Philly PGA’s Junior Tour, shared second place, each matching par with a 36.

   By the time the opening-round matches were completed Monday afternoon, Matthew and Jeffrey Homer were joined in the quarterfinals by brother Jack. So to review, there were eight boys left in the championship bracket and three of them were Homers.

   Something had to give in the quarterfinals with an all-Homer matchup between Matthew and Jack and Matthew Homer pulled out a 2 and 1 decision. Matthew Homer began his journey to the final with a 2 and 1 victory over Tommy Marshall of Medford Lakes Country Club in the opening round.

Saggers rolled to a 5 and 4 victory over Nathan Guertler of Tavistock Country Club in his opening-round match before taking out Jeffrey Homer, 2 and 1, in the quarterfinals.

   That set up a rematch of last year’s semifinal between Saggers and Henry Stone of Bidermann Golf Club, who edged Thomas, 2 and 1, in his quarterfinal match, and Saggers again got by Stone with a hard-fought 2-up victory. Matthew Homer, meanwhile, claimed a 2 and 1 victory over Aronimink’s Ciocca in his semifinal match.

   The early-round matches were nine holes with the final scheduled for 18 holes.

   Ben Rubanich of RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve captured first-flight honors when Kidder Urban of Bellewood Country Club conceded the final match.