Isztwan stays home and makes a major statement with Christman Cup victory at LuLu

   Patrick Isztwan could have hung his head when he failed to make the Championship Flight in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 106^th Junior Boys’ Championship at The 1912 Club a couple of weeks ago.

   There was little margin for error that day as even a 2-over round only got you in a playoff for the top flight. But Isztwan, a Penn Charter senior who plays out of Huntingdon Valley Country Club, tried to make the best of it.

   Isztwan had to rally on the final hole, but he pulled out a First Flight victory over Holy Ghost Prep junior Calen Sanderson, who plays out of Jericho National Golf Club, in a final befitting a Championship Flight title match.

   Then Isztwan teamed with his dad Andy to capture GAP’s Father & Son (Younger) Championship at Concord Country Club last week.

   Thursday at LuLu Country Club in Glenside, Isztwan made it three GAP titles in as many weeks with a one-shot victory over Inter-Ac League rival Jake Maddaloni, a senior at The Haverford School, in the Christman Cup, a GAP junior major shortened from 36 holes to 18 holes by coronavirus considerations.

   Isztwan, who will continue his academic and golf pursuits at Richmond, had originally planned to tee it up in the Junior Boys’ North & South Championship at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst Village, N.C. this week. But hey, in the coronavirus summer of 2020, you always try to make sure you’ve got a Plan B.

   When Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said anyone traveling from North Carolina to Pennsylvania would have to quarantine for 14 days, Isztwan decided to keep it local and GAP Tournament Director Chris Roselle opened a spot for him. All’s well that ends well.

   “This was a lot of fun,” Isztwan told the GAP website. “I was bummed when I saw that I couldn’t play in the Christman Cup because I love playing in all of the GAP junior events. It ended up working out.”

   Isztwan topped the Inter-Ac’s regular-season individual standings last fall. Not surprisingly, of the top nine finishers in the Christman Cup, four of them, including Isztwan and Maddaloni, were among the top five in the Inter-Ac regular-season individual chase.

   But much like last fall, Isztwan finished at the head of the class, jump-starting a 3-under-par 68 over the underrated 6,479-yard, par-71 Donald Ross design at LuLu with three straight birdies to open his round.

   Isztwan reached a greenside bunker in two at the 479-yard, par-5 first hole, blasted to eight feet and made the birdie putt. He converted from 25 feet after hitting a pitching wedge into the green at the par-4 second hole from 140 yards away.

   He again wielded the pitching wedge at the 424-yard, par-4 third hole with the ball finishing five feet from the cup. He dropped the birdie try and, just like that, he was 3-under.

   I first encountered Patrick Isztwan three years ago when I caddied for him and big brother Brian in a Christman Cup practice round at Stonewall’s North Course. Patrick Isztwan was nowhere near the player he is today, but I observed at the time that the kid was a magician with a wedge in his hands.

   A three-putt bogey at the 84-yard, par-3 fourth hole stopped Isztwan’s momentum a little. He three-putted for bogey again after sending a hybrid over the green in two at the par-5 10^th hole.

   Maddaloni, a product of the Aronimink Golf Club junior program, was in the house with a 2-under 70 and Isztwan was a shot behind him. Maddaloni, who helped the Fords claim their third straight Inter-Ac crown last fall, finished third behind Isztwan in the league’s regular-season individual chase.

   Isztwan again had the pitching wedge in his hands at the 148-yard, par-3 15^th hole and he dropped it 15 feet from the hole and made the birdie putt to get it back to 2-under for the round.

   A wedge from 75 yards away at the par-5 17^th hole left him 20 feet for birdie and Isztwan buried it to get him back to 3-under and a shot better than Maddaloni.

   Manufacturers Golf & Country Club’s Steve Lorenzo, who wrapped up his scholastic career at La Salle by helping the Explorers to a third-place finish in the PIAA Class AAA team chase, headed a group of four players who finished in a tie for third place at even-par 71.

   Joining Lorenzo at even-par were LedgeRock Golf Club’s Michael Fioravante, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier as a junior at Berks Catholic last fall, The Bucks Club’s Milo Jezzeny, a Class AAA East Regional qualifier as a junior at Central Bucks West last fall, and Merion Golf Club’s Auggie Reilly, a senior at Episcopal Academy.

   Two of Maddaloni’s Haverford School teammates, Charlie Baker, playing out of Merion, and Tyler Zimmer, playing out of Philadelphia Country Club, were among three players tied for seventh place at 1-over 72.

   Baker, a recent graduate, was right in the middle of those three straight Inter-Ac crowns for the Fords and was fifth in the regular-season individual standings last fall. Zimmer, who will be a senior this fall on Lancaster Avenue, was the runnerup to Isztwan in the regular-season individual chase last fall. Zimmer and Baker finished 2-3, respectively, in the Bert Linton Inter-Ac Championship behind winner Luke Marvin of Germantown Academy at Gulph Mills Golf Club last fall.

   Rounding out the trio at 72 was Wilmington Country Club’s Matthew Homer, a Tatnall sophomore.

   Metedconk National Golf Club’s Christopher Dorey, a Peddie School senior, finished alone in 10^th place with a 2-over 73. Dorey made a nice run to the GAP Junior Boys’ semifinals at The 1912 Club.

   Penn Oaks Golf Club’s Ryan D’Ariano and Talamore Country Club’s Jack Dunsmore, both of whom were Class AAA East Regional qualifiers last fall, headed a group of seven players who finished in a tie for 11^th place at 3-over 74. D’Ariano will be a junior at West Chester Rustin while  Dunsmore is headed into his senior season at Central Bucks East.

   Strath Haven senior Jackson Debusschere, who helped the Panthers claim the first Central League and District One Class AAA titles in program history last fall, was also in the group at 3-over. Debusschere plays out of The Springhaven Club.

   Rounding out the group at 3-over were the host club’s Darren Nolan, a teammate of Lorenzo’s on the La Salle team that made a perfect run through the Catholic League last fall, Merion’s John Bradbeer, Tavistock Country Club’s Nathan Guertler and Elmhurst Country Club’s William Pabst.