Ryan, Sanderson share second place in KJ Choi Foundation Junior Championship at Fiddler's Elbow

    Josh Ryan and Calen Sanderson, two of the top returning players for a scholastic golf season that might never happen, finished in a tie for second in the American Junior Golf Association’s KJ Choi Foundation Junior Championship by SK Telecom, which wrapped up Thursday at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club’s River Course in Bedminster Township, N.J.

   Ryan, who is home-schooled by Commonwealth Connections Academy and represents Norristown High on the golf course, was the District One Class AAA champion as a junior last fall at Turtle Creek Golf Club. Ryan went on to finish in a tie for third place in the PIAA Class AAA Championship at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort.

   Sanderson, a junior at Holy Ghost Prep, finished in a tie for second at the Turtle last fall before abandoning the PIAA postseason trail to tee it up in national junior tournament.

   The strong showings for Ryan and Sanderson at Fiddler’s Elbow are just the latest in what have been some impressive performances by the two youngsters this summer.

   Ryan captured the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Boys’ Championship at The 1912 Club and followed it up with a stunning run to the title in the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s R. Jay Sigel Match Championship at the Country Club of York.

   Earlier this month, Sanderson was right there after two rounds of the Pennsylvania Open at the Pittsburgh area’s iconic Oakmont Country Club, a shot out of the lead after carding one of the day’s best rounds, a 1-under 70 at the renowned Henry Fownes design.

   Sanderson faded a little with a final-round 80 that left him in the group tied for 25^th place at 10-over 283, but if he was intimidated by playing against the best professional and amateur golfers the state has to offer on one of America’s most difficult golf courses, it didn’t show.

   Sanderson flashed his talent in the opening round at Fiddler’s Elbow, grabbing the lead with a spectacular 5-under 67 over the 7,004-yard, par-72 River Course layout.

   He ripped off four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the front nine and added two more birdies against his lone bogey of the day at the 12^th hole on the back nine to finish at 5-under.

   Sanderson backed off with a 5-over 77 in the second round and trailed the eventual winner, Luke Sample of New York, N.Y., by two shots entering the final round.

   Sample posted a pair of 1-under 71s in Tuesday and Wednesday’s first and second rounds and closed with a roller-coaster ride of a 2-under 70 to capture the title with a 4-under 212 total.

   Sample’s final round featured seven birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey. Doesn’t sound like any lack of aggressiveness on his part on his way to the victory.

   Ryan trailed Sanderson by three shots after opening with a 2-under 70 before adding a 2-over 74 that left him in a tie for second with Sanderson at even-par 144 after two rounds, two shots behind Sample.

   With Sample pulling away, Ryan didn’t lose focus in Thursday’s final round as he made eight straight pars before closing with a birdie on the River Course’s incoming nine. Ryan signed for a 1-over 73 and a 1-over 217 total that left him five shots behind Sample.

   Sanderson also couldn’t make a move on Sample in the final round as he, too, closed with a 1-over 73 to get a share of runnerup honors with Ryan at 1-over 217.

   Billy Pabst Jr. of Roaring Brook Township closed with a solid 2-under 70 to finish alone in fourth place, two shots behind Ryan and Sanderson at 3-over 219.

   It was another strong showing for Conestoga senior Morgan Lofland at Fiddler’s Elbow in a summer filled with them as he posted a final round of 2-over 74 to join a large group tied for 17^th place at 229.

   Wissahickon junior Christian Matt and Spring Grove senior Karl Frisk, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier a year ago, shared 28^th place at 233. Matt and Frisk both had their best rounds of the week in Thursday’s final round as they registered matching 4-over 76s.

   James Ulsh of Carlisle sandwiched a second-round 80 with a pair of 78s to finish in a tie for 34^th place at 236.

   Episcopal Academy senior Shane Lawler followed up a pair of 80s in the first two rounds with a final-round 77 to end up in a tie for 36^th place at 227.

Conestoga’s Lofland and EA’s Lawler saw their respective leagues, the Central and the Inter-Ac, announce last week that there will be no fall sports in this, the year of the coronavirus pandemic.

   It would seem that the spring would be a logical option, but what happens to a guy like Lofland if the PIAA goes ahead with its fall postseason because some leagues – Wissahickon and the Suburban One League said last week that they plan to conduct fall sports – play their fall schedules?

   John Bradbeer of Rosemont had his best round of the week in the final round, a solid 2-over 75 to finish in a tie for 43^rd place at 240. Jack Ross of Medford Lakes, N.J. was alone in 46^th place at 256 after a final-round 84. Ross’ best round was an 80 in Wednesday’s second round.

   Jack Dunsmore of Doylestown sandwiched an 86 in the second round with a pair of 82s to finish in a tie for 50^th place at 250. Manheim Township senior Connor Strine, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier a year ago, finished alone in 52^nd place at 255. Strine’s best effort came in Wednesday’s second round when he posted a 79.

   In the Girls Division, Eunice Kim of Edgewater, N.J. birdied the 18^th hole in Thursday’s final round to edge Katherine Lu of Plainsboro, N.J. by a shot for the title.

   Kim grabbed the opening-round lead after a 1-over 73 over a River Course that played to 5,969 yards for the girls and still held the lead after falling back with a 77 in Wednesday’s second round.

   The closing birdie gave her a 2-over 74 and an 8-over 224 total. An eagle at the par-5 sixth hole of her final round gave Kim a huge boost. She also had five bogeys on her scorecard.

   Lu trailed Kim by a shot after adding a 76 to her opening-round 75. Lu matched Kim’s final-round 74 to end up a shot behind Kim in second place at 9-over 225.

   Megan Meng, the Pennington, N.J. youngster who was so impressive in capturing the Pennsylvania Junior Girls’ crown at Lebanon Country Club earlier this summer, grabbed a share of third place with Katie Dzialga of Greenwich, Conn., both landing on 11-over 227, two shots behind Lu.

   Meng, who had opened with a 77, closed with a second straight 75. Dzialga sandwiched a second-round 77 with a pair of 75s.

   It was a second straight strong showing in an AJGA event for Angelina Tolentino of Mount Laurel, N.J. as she was three shots behind Meng and Dzialga in fifth place at 230.

   Tolentino claimed her second AJGA title in the Junior Golf Hub Junior All-Star presented by Explore York at Regents’ Glen. At Fiddler’s Elbow, Tolentino only trailed Kim by a shot after opening with a 2-over 74 before adding a pair of 78s.