Central Bucks West senior Luca Jezzeny played in the two
biggest championships in junior golf this summer.
Jezzeny, who plays out of The Bucks Club and Doylestown
Country Club, didn’t make it to match play in the U.S. Junior Amateur at
Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. nor did he make the 36-hole cut in the
Boys Junior PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.
But he was there, rubbing shoulders with the best junior
players in the country. Just getting there is tough enough and Jezzeny
performed well enough to advance out of two pressure-packed qualifiers at which
dozens of hopefuls are vying for two or three spots in these national events.
The experience Jezzeny gained over the summer was on full
display in the opening round of the District One Class AAA Championship at
Turtle Creek Golf Club in Limerick Monday. He fired a 4-under-par 68 at the 6,375-yard,
par-72 Turtle Creek layout to take a one-shot lead over a host of talented
pursuers.
The top 37 players survived the cut, which fell at 5-over 77.
Last year District One sent its top 15 finishers to the PIAA Class AAA East
Regional at Golden Oaks Golf Club in Fleetwood. Not sure if that number is the
same, but I’ll find out because I’m planning to head to the Turtle for
Tuesday’s second round.
Jezzeny rattled off three straight birdies on the back nine
at 13, 14 and 15 to surge to the top of the leaderboard. He had two other
birdies, one at the second and another at the 10th, to offset bogeys
at the ninth and 11th holes.
Jezzeny didn’t fall into the trap of the big number at the
Turtle that can easily derail an otherwise good round.
A shot behind Jezzeny in a tie for second are Holy Ghost
Prep senior Liam Hart, the defending PIAA Class
AAA champion, and Council Rock South’s Matt Fleming, both of whom carded
a solid 3-under 69.
Radnor senior David Colleran, who won his second straight
Central League title last week at Turtle Creek, is alone in fourth at 2-under
70. Colleran, a Drexel recruit, made it out of the district tournament to
regionals a year ago.
Harriton’s Andrew Wallace was the only other player to better
par in cloudy, breezy conditions as he carded a 1-under 71 and is alone in
fifth.
Central Bucks East senior Patrick Sheehan, the runnerup to
Spring-Ford’s Ben Pochet in the District One Class AAA Championship a year ago,
and Strath Haven junior Kevin Smith are tied for sixth at even-par 72.
Sheehan joined Jezzeny at Valhalla for the Boys Junior PGA
Championship and played four rounds, finishing tied for 41st. Smith
is coming off a runnerup finish in a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour event
Sunday at Ballamor Golf Club at the Jersey Shore.
Norristown sophomore Joshua Ryan, the Pioneer Athletic
Conference champion, heads a group of six players tied for eighth at 1-over 73.
Ryan reached the PIAA Class AAA Championship as a freshman a year ago.
Also in the group at 73 are two members of Unionville’s
reigning PIAA Class AAA championship team, Will Bennink and Richie Kline. I’m
guessing the Indians will be favored to repeat as the District One Class AAA
team champions when that title is up for grabs Tuesday at Turtle Creek.
Rounding out the group at 1-over 73 are a couple of Central
League entries, Conestoga’s Kemp Bassett and Harriton’s David Fitzgerald, and
Spring-Ford’s Luke Watson.
Norristown senior Caleb Ryan, a two-time PIAA Class AAA
qualifier, heads a group of four players tied for 15th at 2-over 74.
Caleb Ryan, older brother of Joshua, is coming off a sparkling 1-under 69 at
The Bucks Club that gave him a Junior Tour victory Saturday.
Rounding out the foursome tied at 2-over 74 were
Unionville’s Roy Anderson, Spring-Ford’s Nate Pierce and Souderton’s Stephen
Butler.
Conestoga sophomore Morgan Lofland, who shared the Central
League title with Radnor’s Colleran and who reached the PIAA Class AAA
Championship as a freshman a year ago, headed a group of seven players tied for
19th at 3-over 75.
Joining Lofland at that figure were two members of Methacton’s
Pioneer Conference championship team, Dylan Lasecki and Nick Martin, Pennsbury’s
Will Gerrity and Ethan Finkelstein, Souderton’s James O’Malley and
Spring-Ford’s Axel Kalbach.
Kyle Sullivan of New Hope-Solebury leads four players who
survived the cut in Class AA with an 83.
Sullivan is being chased by three Pope John Paul II players
as Paul Brady and Alex White are tied for second, each carding an 87, and Jack
Hershey is alone in fourth after posting an 88.
The girls were a few miles up Swamp Pike, playing the
opening round of the District One Class AAA Championship on Gilbertsville Golf
Club’s Red and White Nines.
West Chester East’s Victoria Kim grabbed a two-shot lead as
she carded a sparkling 3-under 68. The top 16 players from Monday’s opening
round will head to the Turtle for Tuesday’s second round. The cut fell at 81.
Last year, District One sent its top eight finishers to
Golden Oaks for the East Regional. Again, we’ll see if that number is the same
Tuesday.
Pennsbury’s Jade Gu, Wissahickon’s Cristea Park and
Unionville’s Charlotte Scully are tied for second after each posted a 1-under
70.
Lurking alone in fifth place after matching par with a 71 is
Conestoga senior Samantha Yao, who is seeking a third straight District One
title. Don’t think that has happened since Chichester’s Aurora Kan did it from
2007 to 2009.
Yao, who was the runnerup in the state tournament as a
sophomore two years ago and finished fourth last year, is very comfortable at
Turtle Creek. She fired a 1-under 71 there to claim the girls title in the
Central League Championship last week.
Riley Quartermain, Haverford’s talented sophomore, is alone in
sixth after carding a 2-over 73 at Gilbertsville.
Downingtown East senior Liddie McCook, the PIAA Class AAA
runnerup a year ago, heads a list of three players tied for seventh at 5-over
76. McCook was joined at that figure by Downingtown West’s Lily Byrne and
Central Bucks East’s Sarah Scarpill.
Olivia Wirsching and Clare Gimpel are in 10th and
11th places with respective totals of 77 and 78, scores which helped
lead Mount St. Joseph to, I believe, its sixth straight District One team
title.
I might be wrong about that, but I don’t think the Mount has
been denied the district team title since Radnor won its second straight
District One Class AAA championship on its way to a PIAA Class AAA team crown
in 2012.
Caroline Gola added an 81 for Mount St. Joseph’s third
counter, giving it a 236 total. Teams were allowed five players with the top
three scores counting. Brianne Mahon added an 87 and Nora Blatney had a 91 for
the Mount.
Mount St. Joseph received a stiff challenge this year as
Downingtown East, behind McCook, finished just a shot behind the Mount with a
237 total.
Mount St. Joseph’s Catholic Academies Conference rival
Gwynedd Mercy Academy finished third at 252, Unionville was fourth with at 259,
Downingtown West was fifth at 269 and Central Bucks East was sixth at 287.
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