Shah heats up with four birdies as he claims a Junior Tour victory at Ramblewood

   Eli Shah of Newtown Square had the best round of the day, a solid 2-over-par 74 on Ramblewood Country Club’s Red and White nines, to claim the top spot in the 13-to-15 division in a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour stop in Mount Laurel, N.J. Thursday.

   Shah had four birdies on his scorecard as he finished four shots ahead of Sachin Blake of Berwyn and Nathan Guertler of Merchantville, N.J., both of whom carded a 6-over 78 to share second place. Blake had an even-par 36 on the front nine with a birdie and Guertler, coming off a victory in the 13-to-15 division in a Junior Tour stop at Running Deer Golf Club earlier this week, had four birdies and an eagle on his card.

   Ethan Martin of North Wales, Zachary Antao of Chadds Ford and Matthew Normand of Lumberton, N.J. finished in a tie for fourth place, each getting it in just under 80 with a 79.

Kristof Kopecky of Garnet Valley took seventh place with an 80 and Alec Thiele of Philadelphia was eighth with an 83.

   Rounding out the top 10 among the younger guys were four players who finished in a tie for ninth place at 84, including Kendell Gordon of Burlington Township, N.J., Thomas DiGiulio of Sicklerville, N.J., Tommy Marshall of Marlton, N.J. and Joseph Fargnoli of Mickleton, N.J.

   Bobby Nicholson of York took it out in 1-over 37 on his front nine on his way to a 3-over 75 that gave him a victory in the 16-to-18 division.

   Robert Dominy of Moorestown, N.J., coming off a co-medalist showing in the 16-to-18 division earlier this week at Running Deer, was the runnerup to Nicholson with a 77 that featured a 2-over 38 with a birdie on the back nine. Elias Sulpizio, another Moorestown, N.J. entry, took third place with a 79 as he rattled off six straight pars from the 12^th through the 17^th holes in a back nine of 3-over 39.

   Francis Wren of Egg Harbor Township, N.J. and Drew Davenport of Haverford finished in a tie for fourth place, each signing for an 81. Michael Tallarida of Philadelphia and Jake Shmonov of Harrisburg shared sixth place, each posting an 82.

   Luke Turse of Hainesport, N.J. finished alone in eighth place with an 83 and Stephan Cain of Yardley and Sean Walker of Haddonfield, N.J. rounded out the top 10 as they ended up in a tie for ninth, each carding an 84.

   Ashley Ea of Perkasie was an impressive winner of the girls 16-to-18 division as she toured the front nine in 2-over 38 on her way to a 5-over 77. Olivia Strigh of Hammonton, N.J. continued her recent run of solid play as she had four birdies in a 79 that earned her runnerup honors.

   Springside Chestnut Hill Academy senior Emma Schotsch had seven pars as she finished in third place with an 86. Harriton senior Niosha Parvizi took fourth place with a 92.

   Grace Flocco of Haddon Township, N.J. finished in fifth place with a 110 and Annalyse Dickinson of Mullica Hill, N.J. was sixth with a 121.

   Nina Harris had a front-nine 48 on her way to a 99 that left her atop the leaderboard in the 13-to-15 division.

   Sophie DeSantis of Glen Mills was two shots behind Harris in second place with a 101 that included a 49 on the front nine. Brynne Mushlin of Berwyn took third place with a 111.

   There was also a Junior Tour event at Merchantville Country Club Thursday exclusively for the coed 12-and-under division, but there was a small, but competitive contingent of nine-holers at Ramblewood.

   Anthony Primo of Marlton, N.J. had two birdies as he bested the field of nine-holers with a 9-over 45. Trevor Sieben of Medford, N.J. had two pars and finished a shot behind Primo in second place with a 46.

   Tyler Whitney of Cherry Hill, N.J. took third place with a 47 that included a par. Nicholas Fargnoli of Team Fargnoli of Mickleton, N.J. finished in fourth place with a 55.