Thomas Butler, a recent Souderton graduate, got in front
with a sparkling 3-under-par 69 and then wrapped up a three-shot victory with a
solid 2-over 74 in Thursday’s second round in a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior
Tour two-day tournament at Makefield Highlands Golf Club in Yardley.
There were American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) PBE
(Performance Based Entry) stars handed out and Junior Golf Scoreboard points
were up for grabs.
Thomas Butler, with his 1-under 143 total over the
6,615-yard, par-72 Makefield Highlands layout, claimed the top spot in the
overall 13-to-18 scoring and led the way in the traditional Philly Junior Tour
16-to-18 division.
Thomas Butler had four birdies on the front nine and a
birdie at the 16th hole in his opening-round 69 Wednesday. He came
back for Day 2 and made an eagle on the fifth hole and added three more birdies
in his closing 74.
Another member of Team Butler, Stephen Butler, a PIAA Class
AAA qualifier as a sophomore at Souderton, last fall, was only four shots
behind Thomas Butler – I’m guessing they’re brothers, but I’m only guessing –
with his opening-round 73. Stephen Butler had birdies on the fourth, ninth and
13th holes in his solid 1-over start.
But Stephen Butler struggled in the second round with an 81
and finished in a tie for ninth in the 16-to-18 division and overall with a 154
total.
Stephen Butler struggled in his PIAA debut at Heritage Hills
last fall, but he fired a 1-over 72 in the second round. He’ll be a better player
at Heritage Hills it he can get back to states just from the experience of
playing the tricky Heritage Hills course.
Another PIAA Class AAA qualifier from a year ago, La Salle
senior Steve Lorenzo, was the runnerup to Thomas Butler, both overall and in
the 16-to-18 division, with a 2-over 146 total.
Lorenzo was only two shots behind Thomas Butler with a solid
opening round of 1-under 71. Lorenzo registered seven straight pars while going
1-under on the front nine at Makefield Highlands. Lorenzo’s second round
included back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth holes and another birdie
on the 16th as he finished with a 3-over 75. He was six shots clear
of the rest of the field.
Spring-Ford junior Luke Watson, a Class AAA East Regional
qualifier last fall, Blake Stewart of Perkasie and Brett Ostroski of Dallas
shared third place, each landing on 8-over 152. Watson added a 78 to his
opening-round 74, Ostroski added a 77 to his opening-round 75 and Stewart
carded a pair of 4-over 76s.
A couple more PIAA qualifiers from a year ago, Harriton
senior David Fitzgerald Jr., who was competing in Class AAA, and Lake Lehman
senior Bobby Lugiano, a Class AA competitor, headed a group of three players
tied for sixth at 153. They were joined at that figure by Pennsbury senior Will
Gerity.
Fitzgerald opened with a 76 before adding a 77 in Thursday’s
second round. Lugiano improved by five shots from his opening-round 79 with a
closing 2-over 74. Gerity shaved three strokes off his opening-round 78 with a
closing 3-over 75.
Joining Stephen Butler in the tie for ninth at 10-over 154 to
round out the top 10 in the 16-to-18 division was Pennsbury junior Chris Myers,
who added a 76 to his opening-round 78.
Eric Morgan of Newtown Square was the only 13-to-15
competitor to break into the overall 13-to-18 top 10 as he took top honors
among the younger guys with a pair of 77s and a 154 total that enabled him to
join Stephen Butler and Myers in the tie for ninth overall.
Morgan had a birdie at the fourth hole while matching par on
Makefield Highlands front nine in his opening round. He had three birdies on
the front nine and added another on the 16th hole in Thursday’s
second round.
Scott Hughes of Ambler held the lead in the 13-to-15
division after the opening round as he carded a 4-over 76 that included a birdie
at the third hole and 12 pars. But he fell back with an 82 in the second round
to end up in a tie for runnerup honors with Kevin Lydon of Doylestown. Lydon
posted a pair of 78s.
Matthew Normand of Lumberton, N.J. was another three shots
behind Hughes and Lydon in fourth place at 161 after adding an 82 to his
opening-round 79. Christopher Deussing of Solebury was three more shots behind
Normand in fifth place at 164 after adding an 81 to his opening-round 83.
Zachary Sandler of Gladwyne shaved 11 shots off his opening-round 89 with a
closing 78 that left him alone in sixth place at 167.
Radnor High sophomore Chase Stephano headed a group of three
players tied for seventh at 170 after adding an 88 to his opening-round 82.
Stephano was joined at 170 by John Lee of Jamison and Michael Lugiano of
Shavertown’s Team Lugiano. Lee knocked 10 shots off his opening-round 90 with
an 80 in Thursday’s second round while Lugiano added an 84 to his opening-round
86.
Jack Quinn of Jamison rounded out the top 10 in the 13-to-15
division with a 171 total after adding an 87 to his opening-round 84.
The overall 13-to-18 winner among the girls emerged from the
younger group as Kayla Maletto of Sinking Spring, whose game has taken some big
strides this summer, opened with a 5-over 77 and added a 4-over 76 for a 9-over
153 total.
Maletto had 13 pars in her opening-round 77 and made birdies
at the 12th and 14th holes in her closing 76.
The runnerup to Maletto in the 13-to-15 division was Leah
Armour of Doylestown, who added a 123 to her opening-round 109 for a 232 total.
Armour was sixth in the overall scoring.
Olivia Strigh of Hammonton, N.J. took top honors in the
16-to-18 division and was the runnerup to Maletto in the overall scoring with a
162 total. Strigh had birdies at the second, eighth and 14th holes
in an opening-round 78 and birdies at the second and fourth holes in a closing
84.
Stef Bonini, a junior at the Academy of Notre Dame, was the
runnerup to Strigh in the 16-to-18 division and third overall with a 173 total.
Bonini got off to a good start in her opening round with three straight pars
and ended up with seven pars on her way to an 86. Bonini had a run of four
straight pars on the front nine in a closing 87.
Bonini finished in a tie for fourth in the Inter-Ac League
Championship at French Creek Golf Club in May to cap her sophomore season.
Arielle Shultz of Yardley finished third in the division and
fourth overall with a 191 total. Shultz rattled off three straight pars on the
10th, 11th and 12th holes during her opening-round
95 before closing with a 96.
Zoe Sousa of Millstone, N.J. finished fourth in the division
and fifth overall as she shaved four shots off her opening-round 99 with a
closing 94 for a 193 total.
Colton Orris of Hershey was the lone competitor in the coed
12-and-under nine-hole division and finished with a 104 total. Orris had a par
at the fourth hole in an opening-round 56 before improving by eight shots with
a second-round 48 that featured three pars.
Carolyn Mueller, a scholastic standout at Villa Joseph Marie,
was the lone competitor in the women’s 17-to-24 college division and improved
10 shots from her opening-round 99 with an 89 in the second round for a 188
total.
Mueller had four pars on the front nine in the opening round
and her closing 89 included a birdie at the sixth hole and six pars.
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