Wissahickon's Beek survives playoff to capture PIAA Class AAA girls crown at Heritage Hills

   SPRINGETTSBURY TOWNSHIP – When the predicted rain finally arrived, there they were, the three best players in District One, Wissahickon freshman Elizabeth Beek, West Chester East sophomore Victoria Kim and Lower Merion freshman Sydney Yermish, getting ready to tee off at No. 18 at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort for a playoff to determine the PIAA Class AAA champion Tuesday.

   That was only after Beek reached the green at the par-5 seventh hole, her 16^th of the day, in two with a 5-wood and two-putted for birdie to put herself two shots ahead of Kim and Yermish. That was only after Kim dropped a beauty of a 20-foot birdie putt at the par-3 eighth hole to join Beek at the top of the leaderboard.

   That was only after Yermish, whose putter misbehaved badly down the stretch and seemed to take her out of the running for the championship, displayed a pretty prominent clutch gene by drilling her approach to the par-4 ninth hole to a foot for a birdie that earned her a place at the playoff table.

   The playoff, by comparison, was somewhat anticlimactic. With the rain falling, it ended on the third playoff hole, a second shot at the par-5 18^th hole. Yermish was gone by then, the putter betraying her one last time with a three-putt on the par-4 10^th hole, the second hole of the playoff, knocking her out.

   Then Kim, so gritty all day, yanked her tee shot into the water to the left of the 18^th fairway and found the water once more when she tried to rescue a par by trying to go at the pin. Beek had three putts to win from inside 15 feet. She took only two.

   After watching Kim knock it in the water off the tee, Beek laid up on the short par-5 hole. It was the smart play and that’s what Beek was about all day.

   “I’m very excited,” Beek said after becoming Wissahickon’s first state golf champion. “I was so far back, I didn’t even shoot (the distance with her range-finder). I was just trying to get it on in regulation and make two putts. The playoff was tough. I know Sydney and Victoria, we’ve played together a lot.

   “All day I was just trying to keep the ball in play, don’t make any big numbers.”

   Beek, who captured the Class AAA East Regional title last week, carded a second straight 1-over 73 over the 6,223-yard, par-72 Heritage Hills layout. Kim, the District One Class AAA champion as a freshman a year ago, did the same. Yermish, the winner of this year’s district title, had started the day with a one-shot lead over her playing partners after matching par in the opening round with a 72. She needed that birdie at the ninth hole for a 2-over 74 that also landed her at 2-over 146 for two rounds.

   At times it seemed like it was Yermish’s championship to lose and yet she had to make that incredible approach at nine just to get in the playoff.

   And then on the first hole of the playoff, it again looked like Yermish might be the winner. She delivered a second straight masterful approach, her second shot into the par-5 leaving her 10 feet for eagle. It’s a par-4 for the guys and I’m sure Yermish considers it a par-4 in her mind. She struck her eagle putt and took a big step like she expected it to fall, but it did not.

   Kim had made a tremendous two-putt from 75 feet for a birdie. Beek also had a decent look for eagle from 18 feet, but settled for a two-putt birdie.

   Yermish then three-putted her way out of the playoff on the second hole and Kim yanked her drive on the third playoff hole into the water and it was over. The rain was really coming down by then, so it was probably just as well it was over.

   The predicted rain prompted PIAA officials to call for an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start, which was absolutely the right call.

   The all-District One foursome of Beek, Kim, Yermish and Mary Dunigan, another freshman from Unionville, started off the 10^th tee. I’ve seen a ton of tense finishes on Heritage Hills’ back nine, this time I would see one on the front nine.

   I had guessed that Dunigan’s dad was John Dunigan, a Golf Digest top 50 teacher in America a couple of years ago. I was able to confirm that Tuesday as I reintroduced myself to a guy who I once profiled in the Delaware County Daily Times when he was an instructor at Aronimink Golf Club.

   After a long run at White Manor Country Club, Dunigan is hanging his shingle at Applebrook Golf Club these days. In addition to guiding his daughter, he is the swing coach to both Beek and Kim as well, so he was a very interested observer.

   After a bogey at the 10^th hole, Beek rattled off birdies at the 11^th, 12^th, 14^th and 18^th holes to share the lead with Yermish at 2-under. A blocked drive at the first hole led to a double bogey for Beek at the first hole.

   But Yermish fell behind when she first three-putted for bogey at the fourth hole and then four-putted from 70 feet at the short par-3 fifth hole when her first putt didn’t quite reach the downslope down to the hole. The original mistake there was probably the club selection off the tee.

   Two holes later, Beek faced a long second shot into the par-5 seventh hole and fired that 5-wood to 30 feet. She nearly made the eagle putt, but the birdie gave her a two-shot lead over Kim and Yermish.

   “I was in the rough, but it wasn’t sitting too bad,” Beek said. “I figured I could sweep it out of there with the 5-wood and I caught it perfect.”

   It looked like it might be over, but it wasn’t quite yet. Kim’s birdie at the eighth hole, combined with a three-putt bogey by Beek left them tied for the lead. A par by Yermish left her a shot out of the lead and set the stage for her heroics at the ninth hole.

   Michelle Cox, a junior from Emmaus playing in the group ahead of the winner, carded a solid 3-over 74 to earn fourth place at 5-over 149, three shots out of the playoff. Dunigan earned the fifth and final medal awarded, despite struggling to 78 that left her four more shots behind Cox at 9-over 153.

   Still, she is only a freshman as are Beek and Yermish. Kim is a sophomore. It had been four years since District One had produced a Class AAA state champion when Radnor’s Brynn Walker won the second of her back-to-back crowns. It will be interesting to track the progress of these talented youngsters.

   Natalie Brosig, a junior at McDowell, was a shot behind Dunigan in sixth place at 154 after adding a 78 to her opening-round 76. Ammala Moua, a junior at Cocalico, added a 77 to her opening-round 80 to take seventh placed at 157. Ella McRoberts, a junior at Peters Township, carded an 82 to finish in eighth place at 158.

   Grace Smith, a sophomore at Strath Haven, carded a second straight 80 to finish ninth at 160. She’ll be back at Heritage Hills along with big brother Kevin Smith as the District One Class AAA champion Panthers compete for a PIAA team title Wednesday.

   Rounding out the top 10 was Amanda Gerrish, a junior at Hershey who finished a shot behind Smith in 10^th place at 161.

   Ava O’Sullivan, a sophomore at Downingtown East, was the final District One representative and she finished in a tie for 14^th place after adding an 84 to her opening-round 82 for a 166 total.

   On the other side of the golf course Tuesday, Josh Ryan, a junior representing Norristown, found himself in the lead with eight holes to go after making birdies at the second, sixth, seventh and ninth holes. Ryan, the District One Class AAA champion, was 4-under for his round and 5-under for the championship.

   But the putts that had fallen for 10 holes started lipping out and Carson Bacha, the supremely talented senior at Central York, suddenly couldn’t miss. Bacha, who will join the program at Southeastern Conference power Auburn next summer, made birdies at the 11^th, 13^th and 14^th holes and, after a momentary lapse with a bogey at the tough par-3 15^th hole, added birdies at the 16^th and 18^th holes.

   It added up to a second straight 4-under 67 over a Heritage Hills layout that measures 6,700 yards – although the rumor was it was about 200 yards shorter Tuesday – and plays to a par of 71 for the guys.

   Bacha’s 8-under 134 total left him three shots clear of Ryan Ferry, a senior at Meadville who fired a brilliant five-birdie, no-bogey 66 that left him at 5-under 137.

   Ryan, making his third appearance at Heritage Hills, made a bogey at the 12^th hole, three-putted for bogeys at the 13^th and 14^th holes and three-putted for par after driving the green at the downhill par-4 16^th hole.

   It left him with a second straight 1-under 70 and in a tie for third place at 2-under 140 with John Peters, a junior at Carlisle who added a 2-under 69 to his opening-round 71.

   “I think I finally figured out a few things about this golf course,” said Ryan, whose previous two trips yielded a tie for 23^rd place and a tie for 19^th. “I figured out what to hit off most of the tees to get it in the fairway. The putts stopped falling for me on the back nine. Carson’s so good. He didn’t miss anything on the back nine.”

   It was a tremendous postseason for Ryan, who followed up his victory in the Pioneer Athletic Conference Championship with a District One crown at Turtle Creek Golf Club and a PIAA medal this week.

   Adam Lauer, a senior at Shady Side Academy, and Evan Rowane, a junior at Erie’s Cathedral Prep, finished another two shots behind Ryan and Peters in a tie for fifth place at even-par 142. Lauer had opened with a 3-under 68, but fell back with a 74 while Rowane matched par for the second straight day with a 71.

   Rocco Salvitti, a freshman at Pittsburgh Central Catholic, added a 1-under 70 to his opening-round 73 to finish in seventh place at 1-over 143. Logan Paczewski, the talented sophomore at Dallas, also bettered par Tuesday with a 1-under 70 after opening with a 77 as he finished in eighth place at 5-over 147.

   Conestoga junior Morgan Lofland, who captured the Class AAA East Regional title last week at Golden Oaks Golf Club, earned a PIAA medal with a ninth-place finish. Lofland, in his second appearance at Heritage Hills, added a 73 to his opening-round 75 for a 6-over 148 total.

   Four players finished in a tie for 10^th place to earn the final medals, including Donnie Professori, a Pine Richland senior, Devin Smith, a junior at Waynesboro, and a couple of Upper St. Clair players, senior Nathan Platt and junior Scott Jordan. They all landed on 7-over 149.

   The next-best District One finisher after Lofland was Jeff Cooper, a junior at Methacton who added a 78 to his opening-round 75 to end up alone in 16^th place at 153.

   Dylan Gooneratne, a junior at Plymouth-Whitemarsh, and John Engle, a junior at Boyertown, were among the group tied for 18^th place at 155. Harriton senior Andrew Wallace, Radnor senior Jack Hamilton and Unionville junior Roy Anderson were all among the group tied for 22^nd place at 156.

Anderson’s teammate, Jack Cooley, a senior, rounded out the District One contingent as he posted a second straight 80 to finish among the group tied for 28^th place at 160.

   Ryan McCabe, a junior at Devon Prep, had another strong finish in the PIAA Class AA Championship as he added an adventurous 4-over 75 that included a quadruple bogey 8 at the 17^th hole and an eagle 3 at the par-5 seventh hole to an opening-round 73 for a 6-over 148 total that left him in a tie for third place.

   McCabe, making his third appearance at Heritage Hills, finished in a tie for second a year ago.

   Skyler Fox, a senior at Riverside, broke out of a three-way tie for first place with a second straight 1-over 72 to capture the Class AA state championship with a 2-over 144 total. Fox preserved his lead with a gritty run of eight straight pars to finish his round.

   Austin Outman, a senior at Cowanesque Valley, bettered par with a 1-under 70 after opening with a 77 to claim runnerup honors at 5-over 147.

   The two players who shared the opening-round lead with Fox at 1-over, Cam Colbert, a junior at Hickory, and Elijah Ruppert, a junior at Brandywine Heights, joined McCabe in the trio tied for third place at 148. Colbert and Ruppert each posted a 5-over 76.

   Bobby Lugiano, a senior at Lake Lehman, was another shot behind the trio tied for third in sixth place at 149 after closing with a solid 1-over 72. Jack Hritsko, a senior at Chartiers Valley, was another three shots behind Lugiano in seventh place at 152 after adding a 77 to his opening-round 75.

   Isaiah Swan, a junior at North East, finished in eighth place at 154 after struggling to an 81 in Tuesday’s second round. J.F. Aber, a senior at Sewickley Academy, finished ninth at 156 after shaving six shots off his opening-round 81 with a 75.

   Three players claimed the final medals as they shared 10^th place at 160, including Ben Ortwein, a sophomore at Notre Dame Green Pond, Tommy George, a junior at Shenango, and Jacob Wolak, a freshman at Slippery Rock.

   District One champion Paul Brady, a sophomore at Pope John Paul II, added an 83 to his opening-round 88 to finish in a tie for 32^nd place at 171.

   It also took a playoff to decide the Class AA girls champion, but it only took one hole for Lydia Swan, a sophomore at North East, to beat Vileska Gelpi, a junior at Rockwood, for the title.

   Swan, the runnerup a year ago as a freshman, and Gelpi were in lock step as each added a 75 to an opening-round 76 to land a 7-over 151. The two returned to the 18^th hole and Swan finished the job.

   Sarah White, a senior at Mercyhurst Prep, was another shot behind the top two in third place at 152 after adding a 75 to her opening-round 77.

   Meghan Zambruno, a sophomore at Greensburg Central Catholic, was three shots behind White in fourth place at 155 after posting an 80 in Tuesday’s second round. Rounding out the medal-winners in Class AA was Paige Richter, a sophomore at Camp Hill who finished three shots behind Zambruno in fifth place at 158 after also carding an 80 Tuesday.