Logan Paczewski has been a PIAA Class AAA qualifier in each of his first two scholastic seasons at Dallas, finishing in eighth place as a sophomore last fall.
Paczewski put his talent on display in the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour’s State College Junior Open as he lit up Penn State’s Blue Course with a 5-under-par 67 in Thursday’s opening round and added a solid 1-over 73 in the rain-delayed second round Friday to cruise to a seven-shot victory in the 16-to-18 division and in the overall 13-to-18 scoring.
Pretty sure the 36-hole tournament was a Junior Tour event that offered Junior Golf Scoreboard points that translate into opportunities to compete in American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) events.
Paczewski got it going early in Thursday’s opening round, ripping off five birdies in his first six holes on his way to putting up a 67 over the par-72 Blue Course layout that was easily the best round of the two days.
The players endured a two-hour weather delay during Friday’s second round, but Paczewski had three birdies and an eagle in a 1-over second round for a 4-under 140 total.
Strath Haven senior Jackson Debusschere, who helped the Panthers claim the first Central League and District One Class AAA team titles in program history last fall, had two birdies in a 2-over 74 in Friday’s second round to earn runnerup honors among the older guys and in the overall scoring at 3-over 147, seven shots behind Paczewski. Jackson Debusschere had carded a 1-over 73 in Thursday’s opening round.
Tyler Kipp, who completed a solid scholastic career at Muhlenberg last fall, also started strong Thursday with three birdies in his first 10 holes on his way to a 1-under 71 that left him alone in second place, four shots behind Paczewski after the opening round.
Kipp cooled off in Friday’s second round, posting a 77 that left him in a tie for third place in the 16-to-18 division and overall with Michael Lynch III of Dunmore and Luke Spangler of Fredericksburg at 4-over 148.
Lynch’s even-par 72, which included five birdies, was the best round of Friday’s second round. He had opened with a 76. Spangler was also solid in Friday’s second round, signing for a 73 after opening with a 75.
Radnor High senior Tyler Tornoe made an eagle at the 18th hole to complete an even-par 72 in Thursday’s opening round and stood in third place, a shot behind Kipp and five back of Paczewski.
Tornoe backed off a little with a 78 in Friday’s second round and ended up in a tie for sixth in the division and in a tie for seventh overall with Sean Kelly of Lewisburg, each landing on 6-over 150. Kelly closed with a solid 2-over 74 after opening with a 76.
Jared Foltz got off to a strong start with a 1-over 73 and closed with a 78 as he finished in eighth place in the division and rounded out the top 10 in the overall scoring by finishing alone in 10th place with a 7-over 151 total.
Michael Sewack of Scranton closed with a solid 1-over 73 after opening with a 79 to finish in ninth place in the 16-to-18 division at 152.
Elijah Ruppert, who finished in a tie for third place in the PIAA Class AA Championship as a junior at Brandywine Heights last fall, rounded out the top 10 in the older age group as he added a 77 to his opening-round 76 for a 153 total that left him alone in 10th place.
Maxwell Wager, a State College guy, had two birdies on the front nine in a solid 2-over 74 in Friday’s second round to overtake Tyler Debusschere of Wallingford’s Team Debusschere, and captured the top spot in the 13-to-15 division and finish in the group tied for third in the overall scoring at 4-over 148.
Wager had put together an even-par 36 on the back nine in Thursday’s opening round as he posted another 2-over 74 that left him a shot behind Tyler Debusschere going into Friday’s second round.
Wager was a member of the State College team that captured the Philadelphia Section’s PGA Junior League championship last summer at Cedarbrook Country Club and represented the section in the Region 2 Championship at the Seaview Resort in Galloway Township, N.J.
Tyler Debusschere was a freshman and a key contributor to Strath Haven’s run to the Central League crown last fall. He might not have been included in the lineup for the Panthers’ District One Class AAA team crown, but he had a lot to do with them getting the opportunity to compete at districts.
Tyler Debusschere had back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth holes in taking the opening-round lead with his 73. He kept the pressure on Wager in Friday’s second round as he went 1-under 35 on the back nine. It added up to a 5-over 77 in the second round that left him two shots behind Wager in the division and tied for seventh in the overall scoring at 6-over 150.
Wager and Tyler Debusschere were the only two players from the 13-to-15 division to crack the top 10 in the overall scoring.
Nick Mahoney of Lewisburg finished up with a 1-over 37 on the back nine that included a birdie at the 11th hole in a closing 3-over 75 to help him finish alone in third place in the division, two shots behind Tyler Debusschere at 8-over 152. Mahoney had three birdies in his opening-round 77.
Isaak Bloom of Bellefonte shaved 11 shots off an opening-round 88 with a closing 77 to grab sole possession of fourth place in the 13-to-15 division with a 165 total. Alistair Demko of Hershey also showed marked improved in the second round, taking eight shots off an opening-round 87 with a 79 that left him alone in fifth place, a shot behind Bloom.
Travis Robertson of Fort Washington and Josh Baker of West Chester finished in a tie for sixth place at 170 with identical splits of 87 and 83.
Landon Heisey of Hummelstown improved 17 shots from an opening-round 100 with an 83 to take eighth place at 183. Matthew Dietl of Glenmoore was three shots behind Heisey in ninth place at 186 after adding a 96 to his opening-round 90.
Joey McGinty of Lititz rounded out the top 10 in the 13-to-15 division as he added a 104 to his opening-round 94 to end up alone in 10th place at 198.
Only two girls made the trek to central Pennsylvania to tee it up in the State College Junior Open and Sofia Gambone of Worcester won the 16-to-18 division and was the overall winner with a 175 total.
Gambone had four pars in an opening-round 92. A second round of thunderstorms chased the girls off the golf course after they had completed 17 holes of Friday’s second round. Gambone birdied the seventh hole on her way to an 83 for 17 holes and a 175 total.
Conestoga junior Sophia Brubaker, a District One Class AAA qualifier last fall, had three pars on the back nine in an opening-round 97. She had four pars and was at 90 for the second round when play was halted and was the runnerup to Gambone with a 187 total.
Luke McGraw of Boalsburg grabbed the lead in the coed 12-and-under division with a 1-over 37 in Thursday’s opening round and extended it with a solid 4-over 40 in Friday’s second round to capture the top spot in the division with a 5-over 77 total.
McGraw had eight pars in his strong start in the opening round and made six pars in his closing 40 to edge Miles McGinty of Lititz’s Team McGinty by three shots. Miles McGinty had two birdies on his way to a 2-over 38 as he trailed McGraw by just a shot following Thursday’s opening round. Miles McGinty birdied the seventh hole on his way to a closing 42 that left him in second place at 8-over 80.
Malvern Prep seventh-grader Davis Conaway, who has been the dominant player among the nine-holers this summer, birdied the second hole in Friday’s second round on his way to a second straight 41 that left him alone in third place at 82.
Gus Stoltzfus of Lincoln University was tied for third with Conaway after an opening-round 41 before closing with a 42 that left him a shot behind Conaway in fourth place with a total of 83.
Callahan Howell of York added a 43 to an opening-round 45 to end up alone in fifth place with a total of 88. Colby Komancheck of Royersford rounded out the coed 12-and-under field as added a 47 to an opening-round 43 to finish alone in sixth place with a total of 90.
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