Jezzeny grabs one-shot lead in District One Class AAA Championship with 4-under 68

   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 10^th, to offset bogeys at the ninth and 11^th 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 41^st. 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 15^th 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 19^th 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 10^th and 11^th 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.