Rogowicz's victory over Perrotta in WGAP Match Play Championship final was a good tuneup for U.S. Women's Amateur

    I have characterized the time between Christine Shimel’s 2008 PIAA championship and the second of Brynn Walker’s back-to-back state crowns in 2015 as a golden age of District One girls golf.

   And right in the middle of all of it was Pennsbury’s Jackie Rogowicz. A four-time PIAA qualifier, Rogowicz’s record at the state tournament was second in 2011, second in 2012, second in 2013 and tied for fifth in 2014. Penn State women’s golf coach Denise St. Pierre penciled Rogowicz’s name in her starting lineup for four years because St. Pierre knew that Rogowicz would always be out there grinding, trying to get a score for the team.

   Rogowicz made it clear after capturing the Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur Championship in 2019 – beating former Penn State teammate Olivia Zambruno in the final at Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Militia Hill Course, the last time the state women’s amateur would be contested at match play – that she was planning to remain as an amateur.

   A couple of weeks ago, Rogowicz, playing out of Commonwealth National Golf Club, defeated defending champion Samantha Perrotta, 3 and 2, at Saucon Valley Country Club’s Grace Course to capture the Women’s Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Match Play Championship.

   Rogowicz’s week at Saucon Valley was perfect preparation for her fifth appearance in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, which tees off Monday at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y.

   Rogowicz punched her ticket to the U.S. Women’s Amateur by earning medalist honors in one of the earliest qualifiers of the summer June 21^st at Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale, N.Y. with a sparkling 6-under-par 65. Rogowicz has been unable to make it into the match-play bracket in her first four U.S. Women’s Amateur appearances, although she did get into a playoff for the final spot in the 2016 edition at Rolling Green Golf Club, the William Flynn gem in Springfield, Delaware County.

   Rogowicz found herself 2-down to Perrotta after 10 holes of the scheduled Philadelphia Women’s Amateur 36-hole final July 15^th at Saucon Valley’s Grace Course when she ripped off wins at the 13^th, 15^th and 17^th holes to grab a 1-up lead. Perrotta won the 18^th hole to even the match heading into the afternoon round.

   Twice in the afternoon Rogowicz went 1-up only to see Perrotta battle back to square the match. Rogowicz finally got a little breathing room by winning the 26^th and 28^th holes to take a 2-up lead. Rogowicz maintained that lead as the two halved the next five holes.

   Perrotta’s tee shot at the 34^th hole found a bunker and she eventually missed a 15-foot par putt. Rogowicz then calmly drained a five-footer for par to close out Perrotta.

   Perrotta is an interesting story. She is autistic and found golf as something that was almost therapeutic. But it has gone beyond that and she has become an accomplished player.

   Perrotta reached the Philadelphia Women’s Amateur final two years ago before falling to Walker, the two-time PIAA champion at Radnor and four-year standout at North Carolina who has turned professional, on Walker’s home course at St. Davids Golf Club.

   Perrotta put her name on the Glenna Collett Vare Trophy a year ago by prevailing in an epic 40-hole final against Overbrook Golf Club’s Alyssa Roland at Old York Road Country Club.

   Rogowicz reached the final at Saucon Valley with a pair of match wins July 14^th as she claimed a 5 and 3 victory over Barbora Maralikova of Honeybrook Golf Club in a quarterfinal match and earned a 4 and 3 decision over Stevenson University senior Casey Oppenheimer of Whitemarsh Valley Country Club in a semifinal match.

   Perrotta rolled to a 5 and 4 victory over Mary McGuiness of Tavistock Country Club in her quarterfinal match before advancing to the final with a 5 and 4 win over Suzi Spotleson, the 2015 Philadelphia Women’s Amateur champion from the RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve, in the other semifinal.

   Rogowicz opened her run through the match-play bracket with an 8 and 7 victory over Eleanor Good of Gulph Mills Golf Club July 13^th while Perrotta claimed a 5 and 4 win over Karen Siegel, an assistant coach for the Penn’s women’s golf team who plays out of Commonwealth National.

   Another notable opening-round match saw Angella Coleman of DuPont Country Club edge Meghan Stasi of Tavistock Country Club, 1-up. Stasi, a four-time U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion, lives in the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. area, but came home in search of her ninth Philadelphia Women’s Amateur crown.

   Stasi won the Philadelphia Women’s Amateur seven straight times from 1999 to 2005 when she was known as Meghan Bolger. She was probably looking for some competition as she starts to prepare for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am, which tees off Sept. 25 at the Berkeley Hall Club’s North Course in Bluffton, S.C.

   Stasi and the rest of the mid-ams didn’t have a national championship to shoot for in the coronavirus pandemic year of 2020. Stasi reached the semifinals the last time the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am was contested in 2019 at Forest Highlands Golf Club’s Meadows Course in Flagstaff, Ariz.

   Rogowicz opened the week at Saucon Valley by firing a 3-under 69 at the Grace Course July 12^th to claim medalist honors in qualifying for match play. Perrotta was the runnerup, finishing four shots behind Rogowicz with a 1-over 73.

   Tavistock’s Susan Kirk was another three shots behind Perrotta in third place with a 76. Spotleson and Ellen Miller of Gulph Mills shared fourth place, each posting a 77 and Stasi finished sixth with a 78.

   Megan Grosky McGowan of Blue Bell Country Club captured the First Flight crown as she rolled to a 6 and 4 decision over Callie Jean Burns of Bala Golf Club in the final.

   Grosky McGowan, the First Flight’s top seed, reached the final with a hard-fought decision over Merion Golf Club’s Catherine Elliott in 19 holes. Elliott made her third trip to the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship two years ago at Forest Highlands and earned a spot in the match-play bracket for the first time. Elliott won a match before falling in the second round.

   Burns advanced to the First Flight final with a 1-up verdict over Stephanie Harris of Lookaway Golf Club.

   Lisa Klein of RiverCrest claimed the Second Flight title with a 7 and 6 victory over Betsy Griffith of Brookside Country Club.

   Klein, who was the Second Flight’s sixth seed, reached the final with a 5 and 3 victory over Anne Pedano of Spring Ford Country Club while Griffith advanced to the title match with a 4 and 3 decision over Lisa Dichter of Meadia Heights Golf Club.

   A couple of other local women will join Rogowicz in the field when the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship tees off Monday at Westchester.

   Samantha Yao, a two-time District One Class AAA champion at Conestoga, was at the Sunningdale qualifier along with Rogowicz in June and posted a solid 2-under 69 to earn a spot in the field at Westchester. Yao’s freshman season at Dartmouth was cut short by the pandemic and Dartmouth decided to drop its men’s and women’s programs. I’ve heard Dartmouth is reconsidering that decision, but Yao has clearly been able to work on her game.

   Angelina Tolentino of Mount Laurel, N.J. matched par with a 72 in a qualifier at Knickerbocker Country Club in Tenafly, N.J. July 15^th to punch her ticket to the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Tolentino cut her teeth competitively playing Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour events.

   Tolentino is coming off a solid performance in the Girls Junior PGA Championship, which wrapped up Friday at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. (another in a long to-do list of posts I want to get to). Tolentino closed with a 3-under 70 to finish in the group tied for 31^st place with a 5-over 297 total.

   I can’t do a post on a Women’s Golf Association of Philadelphia championship without noting the passing Wednesday of Charlotte Barnhard, an absolute giant on the women’s golf scene as a player and WGAP’s executive director for forever. There will be a visitation from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday followed by a service at The Donohue Funeral Home on West Chester Pike in Upper Darby that I suspect will be well attended.

   The Donohue Funeral Home is a few miles down West Chester Pike from Llanerch Country Club, where Barnhard, a life-long member, was an eight-time women’s club champion.

   The women’s game is making big strides these days. There are so many more competitive opportunities for the Jackie Rogowiczes, the Samantha Perrottas, the Sam Yaos and the Angelina Tolentinos. Charlotte Barnhard never stopped advocating for women in golf and, in so many ways large and small, laid the foundation that is taking women’s golf to a higher level in 2021 and beyond.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turse matches par at Running Deer to claim a Junior Tour victory

    Luke Turse of Hainesport, N.J. matched par with a 72 at Running Deer Golf Club in Pittsgrove, N.J. to claim a victory in the 16-to-18 division in a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour event Wednesday.

   Turse recorded birdies at the fourth, 11^th and 15^th holes and had 12 pars on his scorecard in a solid showing at Running Deer. Joseph Fargnoli of Mickleton, N.J. made birdies at the ninth and 14^th holes and had 11 pars on his card as he earned runnerup honors with a 3-over 75.

   Charlie Kerprich of Dresher made birdies at the fifth and ninth holes and had eight pars as he finished three shots behind Fargnoli in third place with a 78.

   Nathan Sauder, playing close to his Pittsgrove, N.J. home, took fourth place with an 84, Rex Zdancewcz of Berwyn was fifth with an 89 and Jacob Littleton of Williamstown, N.J. rounded out the 16-to-18 field as he finished sixth with a 102.

   Jackson Fryer of Ambler birdied the first and fourth holes and had 12 pars, including eight straight from the 10^th through the 17^th holes, and Sebastian Botero of Abington birdied the ninth and 14^th holes and had 13 pars and as they shared the top spot in the 13-to-15 division, each signing for a 2-over 74.

   Conestoga junior Sachin Blake made birdies on the ninth, 14^th and 16^th holes and had nine pars, including five straight to open his round, as he finished in third place with a 3-over 75.

   Aidan Farkas of Ardmore took fourth place with a 76, Kasim Narinesingh-Smith of Kennett Square was fifth with a 77, Zachary Antao of Chadds Ford was sixth with a 79 and Jamie Ciesielka of Woolwich Township, N.J. was seventh with an 80.

   Shaun Mazzalupi of Wayne finished alone in eighth place with an 82 and Justin Forman of Sewell, N.J. and Sean Narducci of Haddonfield, N.J. rounded out the top 10 in the 13-to-15 division as they shared ninth place, each carding an 83.

   The best score among the girls came out of the 13-to-15 division as Hannah Puc of Marlton, N.J. finished atop the leaderboard with an 82 that featured birdies at the second, seventh and 13^th holes and eight pars.

   Brynne Mushlin of Berwyn made birdies at the sixth and 18^th holes and had four pars as she earned runnerup honors with a 92. Sophia Blair of Williamstown, N.J. rounded out the 13-to-15 field as she had two pars on her way to a 107 that left her in third place.

   Central Bucks East junior Nina Harris was the lone entry in the 16-to-18 division and registered a solid 85 that included a birdie at the seventh hole and six pars.

   Jackson Lane of Cinnaminson, N.J. made birdies at the fourth, sixth and seventh holes and had two pars as he matched par with a 36 to best the field of nine-holers. Katherine Liu of Moorestown, N.J. birdied the fourth hole and had five pars as she earned runnerup honors with a 2-over 38.

   Thomas Carpenter of Bristol birdied the third and ninth holes and had two pars as he finished alone in third place with a 3-over 39.

   Anthony Primo of Marlton, N.J. took fourth place with a 40, Jake Hollerback of Millsboro, Del. was fifth with a 41 and Onyu Park of Blue Bell was sixth with a 42.

   William Littleton of Fort Washington, Judd Fletcher of Moorestown, N.J., Nicholas Fargnoli, another member of Team Fargnoli from Mickleton, N.J., and Lucas Solano of Vineland, N.J. rounded out the top 10 in the coed 12-and-under division as they finished in a tie for seventh place, each signing for a 47.

 

 

Normand, Horenci, Kerprich share the top spot in Junior Tour stop at Raven's Claw

    Matthew Normand of Lumberton, N.J. continued his recent hot streak as he carded a solid 2-over-par 73 to share a victory with Ryan Horenci of Collegeville and Charlie Kerprich of Dresher in the 16-to-18 division of a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour stop Tuesday at Raven’s Claw Golf Club where Lower Pottsgrove Township meets Limerick Township.

   Last week Normand claimed a victory with a sizzling 63 on his home course at Laurel Creek Country Club and backed up that win by capturing a two-day, 36-hole event at Hershey Country Club’s East Course.

   The left-hander’s midsummer roll continued at the 6,307-yard, par-71 Raven’s Claw layout as he recorded back-to-back birdies on the 14^th and 15^th holes and had 13 pars on his scorecard. Normand brought it home with a 1-under 34 on Raven’s Claw’s incoming nine.

   Horenci made birdies at the seventh, 10^th, and 12^th holes and had 11 pars on his card to get his share of the top spot. Kerprich birdied the 10^th hole and had 14 pars, opening his round by making pars on the first six holes in a row.

   Jason Minter of North Wales and Jack Brennan of Pottstown finished in a tie for fourth place, each signing for a 6-over 76 that left them three shots behind the top three.

   Evam Rosenstein of Plymouth Meeting, Matthew Dietl of Glenmoore and recent Pennridge graduate Blake Stewart shared sixth place, each landing on 6-over 77.

   Rounding out the top 10 in the 16-to-18 division were Bo Meakim of Hatboro and Owen Wisner of Reading as they finished in a tie for ninth place, each registering a 78.

   Josh Baker of West Chester recorded birdies at the first, 10^th and 14^th holes and had 12 pars on his scorecard as he claimed a victory in the 13-to-15 division with a solid 3-over 74. Alec Thiele of Philadelphia birdied the 13^th hole and had 11 pars on his card to earn runnerup honors among the younger guys with a 76, two shots behind Baker.

   It was another shot back to Nolan Corcoran of Lansdale as he finished in third place with a 5-over 76 that featured four birdies at the fifth, 13^th, 15^th and 18^th holes and seven pars.

   Chase Dillman of Gilbertsville took fourth place with an 82 and Owen Reape of Blue Bell, Nicholas Vitale of Kennett Square and Steve Callahan of Schwenksville finished in a tie for fifth place, each landing on 83. Zach Moua of Berwyn finished a shot behind the trio tied for fifth place as he took eighth with an 84.

   Macade Knoblauch of Pottstown finished in ninth place with an 85 and Michael Furey of Warminster rounded out the top 10 among the younger guys as he carded a solid 86 to finish alone in 10^th place.

   The best score among the girls came out of the 13-to-15 division as Rhianna Gooneratne of Plymouth Meeting continued her recent solid play with a 4-over 75 that included birdies at the first, third and 14^th holes and eight pars. Gooneratne was the Philly Junior Tour’s 13-to-15 Player of the Year in the wraparound 2019-2020 season.

   Cierra Griffith of Pottstown and Kiran Bagga of Blue Bell shared runnerup honors as each posted an 83. Griffith made a birdie at the seventh hole and had five pars on her scorecard while Bagga made a birdie at 17 and had nine pars on her card.

   Kayla Benson of Beach Lake took fourth place with an 88, Cloe Wright of Jackson, N.J. was fifth with a 108 and Julia Hashem of Coatesville rounded out the 13-to-15 division field as she finished sixth with a 126.

   Villa Maria Academy senior Elizabeth O’Connell and Downingtown East junior Silvana Gonzalez shared top honors in the 16-to-18 division as each carded a solid 8-over 79. O’Connell birdied the 18^th hole and had nine pars on her scorecard and Gonzalez made birdies at the third, 12^th, 14^th, 16^th and 17^th holes, touring the incoming nine at Raven’s Claw in even-par 35.

   Emma Schotsch, a recent Springside Chestnut Hill Academy graduate, finished in third place with an 84 that featured six pars.

   Mount St. Joseph senior Nora Blatney, a member of the Mount’s 2019 PIAA Class AAA championship team, took fourth place with an 87, Maria Crowe of Downingtown was fifth with a 98 and Keerthana Rajamohan of Limerick rounded out the 16-to-18 division field as she finished sixth with a 106.

   Jason Mack of Delaware Water Gap has been playing solid golf throughout 2021 and he shared a Junior Tour victory among the nine-holers with Wyatt Underwood of Telford, each landing on 3-over 39. Mack opened his round with a birdie at the first hole and had four pars on his scorecard while Underwood finished with six pars.

   Lawson Leeper of York, another frequent contender in the coed 12-and-under division, made a birdie at the third hole and had four pars on his card as he finished alone in third place, a shot behind the co-medalists with a 4-over 40.

   Carson Jakuc of Newtown Square took fourth place with a 42, Sebastian Park of Lansdale was fifth with a 45, Justin Stickel of Churchville was sixth with a 46 and Devin Manning of Downingtown was seventh with a 48.

   Ryan Kelly of Harleysville finished in eighth place with a 49 and the trio of Gavin Schraegle of Phoenixville, Brady Ward of King of Prussia and William Thorkelson of Bryn Mawr finished in a tie for ninth, each signing for a 52. Kieran Shaw of Downingtown rounded out the coed 12-and-under division field, finishing alone in 12^th place with a 58.