Weisman comes up big in cruising to Junior Tour victory at Newark

   With the fall high school golf season already under way for a lot of the area’s junior players, a two-day Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour event Monday and Tuesday at Newark Country Club drew a small field.

   But there was nothing small about the way Jaden Weisman of Malvern played in capturing the overall  victory in the 13-to-18 scoring and the top spot in the 16-to-18 division with a 3-over 143 total that was nine shots better than anyone else in the field could accomplish.

   Weisman’s short-game wizardry was on display in a 1-over-par 72 over the 6,287-yard, par-71 Newark layout in Monday’s opening round. Of the eight times Weisman missed a green at Newark, he got it up-and-down seven times.

   In Tuesday’s final round, Weisman unleashed a birdie barrage, making birdies at the fourth, ninth, 13^th and 15^th holes on his way to an even-par 71.

   Michael Mitnick of Linwood, N.J., however, had the best single round of the two days, carding a spectacular 3-under 68 in Tuesday’s second round that gave him second place at 10-over 152. Mitnick’s 68 was a 16-shot improvement over his opening-round 84.

   John Bradbeer of Bryn Mawr carded a solid 4-over 75 Tuesday after opening with an 81 to finish third at 156. William Tone of Moorestown, N.J. was a shot behind Bradbeer in fourth at 157. Tone opened with the second-best score of the opening round, a 5-over 76, before slipping back a little with a final-round 81.

   Another Moorestown entry, Hayden Greer, finished fifth in the division and shared sixth overall with 13-to-15 division runnerup Kristof Kopecky of Garnet Valley with a 164 total. Greer added an 84 to his opening-round 80.

   Carl Ernst of Mickleton, N.J. was a shot behind Greer in sixth in the division and eighth overall at 165. After opening with a 79, Ernst posted an 86 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Rounding out the 16-to-18 division was Luke Connors of Garnet Valley in seventh place at 212. Connors improved 22 shots after opening with a 117 Monday by posting a 95 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Ryan Dolan of Newark, Del., so playing a home game, topped the 13-to-15 division with a 161 total that left him alone in fifth overall.

   Dolan had back-to-back birdies at the fourth and fifth holes on his way to a 78 in Monday’s opening round and secured his lead in the division with pars at 15, 16 and 17 on his way to an 83 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Kopecky had a pair of 82s to finish second to Dolan in the 13-to-15 division at 164, sharing sixth overall with Greer. Kevin Deng of Newtown Square took third in the division and ninth overall with a 172 total. Deng added an 84 to his opening-round 88.

   David Pic of Wilmington, Del. finished fourth in the division and rounded out the top 10 in the overall standings alone in 10^th place with a 191 total. Pic opened with a 98 before improving five shots with a 93 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Caleb Cavazos of Havertown had rounds of 101 and 103 to finish fifth in the 13-to-15 division with a 204 total.

   Joseph Mancini of Philadelphia was the lone competitor in the 12-and-under nine-hole division. After opening with a 58, Mancini improved four shots Tuesday with a 54 for a 112 total. Still, he earned his first Junior Tour victory.