Roberts leads Yermish by one in Class AAA as PIAA Championships tee off at Penn State

    Phoenixville freshman Kayley Roberts recovered from a slow start with five birdies in the middle of her round as she took a one-shot lead over Lower Merion senior Sydney Yermish, the defending champion, following the opening round of the PIAA Class AAA Championship Monday at Penn State’s White Course.

   The PIAA Championships returned to two rounds for the first time in three years as the tournament was shortened to one round due to concerns from the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The PIAA Championships returned to Penn State for the first time in more than 20 years.

   Kayley Roberts started off the 10^th tee in Monday’s opening round and stumbled at the start with a double bogey at the 11^th hole and a bogey at 15. But Kayley Roberts got it going after that with birdies at the 17^th,18^th, third, sixth and seventh holes to get it to 2-under for the round. A bogey at the ninth hole left her with a 1-under 71 over the par-72 White Course layout.

   Yermish, who captured the state title a year ago with a 4-under 68 at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York County, had a roller-coaster round with the unusual split of six birdies, six bogeys and six pars.

   The last of those six birdies, at the par-5 finishing hole, enabled Yermish, coming off a third victory in the District One Class AAA Championship at Turtle Creek Golf Course, to match par at the White Course with a 72 that left her a shot behind Kayley Roberts in second place. Yermish will join the Michigan program next summer.

   One of the main issues the PIAA always faced at Penn State in the middle of October was the potential for frost delays and it looks like there’s a pretty good chance the start of the second round will be delayed by frost Tuesday.

   Elizabeth Forward freshman Mya Morgan was alone in third place, two shots behind Yermish with a 2-over 74.

   A couple of District One representatives, Plymouth-Whitemarsh sophomore Rhianna Gooneratne and Central Bucks West’s Abigail Lynn were part of a trio of players tied for fourth place at 3-over 75, a shot behind Morgan.

   Gooneratne was one of three players who shared second place behind Yermish in last week’s district championship at Turtle Creek.

   Joining Gooneratne and Lynn at 3-over was North Allegheny’s Katie Rose Rankin.

   Kayley Roberts’ older sister Kate, a junior at Phoenixville, headed a group of four players tied for seventh place at 4-over 76. Kate Roberts, who was also in the group tied for second place behind Yermish in last week’s District One Championship, is teeing it up in the PIAA Class AAA Championship for the second straight year.

   The Roberts sisters led the Phantoms to the District One Class AAA team crown at Raven’s Claw Golf Club on Day 1 of the District One Championships last week. Phoenixville will compete for the PIAA Class AAA team crown Wednesday.

   Unionville senior Mary Dunigan, who finished in fifth place in last week’s District One Championship, was also in the group tied for seventh place.

   Kate Roberts and Dunigan were joined at 4-over by a couple of western Pennsylvania entries, South Fayette’s Marissa Malosh and Peters Township’s Ellie Benson.

   Owen J. Roberts senior Stefania Fedun, who joined Gooneratne and Kate Roberts in the tie for second place in last week’s District One Class AAA Championship, was alone in 11^th place after recording a 6-over 78 in Monday’s opening round.

   Warrior Run junior Hannah Rabb, who finished in ninth place a year ago at Heritage Hills, grabbed the lead in the PIAA Class AA Championship with a 2-under 70 on Penn State’s Blue Course.

   Rabb had a steady round as he made the turn at even par after making a bogey at the second hole and a birdie at eight. Birdies at the 16^th and 18^th holes on her way to the clubhouse got her to 2-under for the round.

   Anna Swan, a junior at North East and part of a Swan family that has been a constant presence on the leaderboard in Class AA on both the girls and boys side the last few years, was three shots behind Rabb in second place after posting a 1-over 73.

   Maddie Koshko of Saint Joseph’s Academy was a shot behind Swan in third place with a 2-over 74 and Hickory’s Sasha Petrochko was alone in fourth place with a 4-over 76.

   Cedar Crest freshman Dylan Ramsey grabbed the lead in the PIAA Class AAA Championship on the boys side with a sparkling 5-under 67 on the White Course.

   Ramsey held a three-shot lead over Pittsburgh Central Catholic senior Rocco Salvitti, who finished in the top 10 in each of the last three years in the state tournament at Heritage Hills, and Solanco senior Logan Wagner.

   Salvitti, who had strong showings on the national stage at both the U.S. Junior Amateur at the Bandon Dunes Resort on the Oregon coastline and the Boys Junior PGA Championship at Cog Hill in suburban Chicago in the summer, and Wagner each opened with a solid 2-under 70.

   Starting off the 10^th tee, Ramsey came roaring out of the gate with birdies at the 10^th, 11^th, 13^th, 15^th and 18^th holes for as blazing 5-under 31 on the incoming nine of the White Course.

   Ramsey got it to 6-under with a birdie at the third hole before making a bogey at five. After a birdie at the sixth hole, Ramsey made bogeys at seven and eight before finishing up with a birdie at nine to get it in at 5-under.

   Liberty’s talented senior, Matt Vital was a shot behind Salvitti and Wagner in fourth place after signing for a 1-under 71. Vital, who finished in a tie for 12^th place in the state tournament a year ago at Heritage Hills, was a winner in the Boys 12-13 division in the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club in 2019.

   The top contenders out of District One were Springfield Montco’s Adam Fluehr and Central Bucks South’s Adam Moelter, who headed a group of six players tied for fifth place at even-par 72. Fuehr and Moelter were joined at that figure by Kevin Lafond, a senior for Catholic League power La Salle.

   Rounding out the group at even-par were Penn-Trafford junior Nick Turowski, who finished in a tie for fourth place a year ago at Heritage Hills, Manheim Township junior Andrew Bilson and Stroudsburg’s Hunter Probst.

   Heading a group of seven players tied for 11^th place at 1-over 73 was Downingtown West junior Nick Gross, a U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J. in August who was coming off a dominating performance in last week’s District One Class AAA Championship at Turtle Creek.

   Gross, who fired a breathtaking 8-under 64 in the final round last week at the Turtle to complete a 14-under 130 performance, never really got it going on the White Course Monday as he opened defense of the PIAA Class AAA crown he won a year ago at Heritage Hills.

   Gross got it to 2-under with birdies at the sixth and 10^th holes, but struggled on his way to the clubhouse with bogeys at 11, 12 and 18.

   Strath Haven senior Tyler Debusschere, coming of a third-place finish in last week’s District One Championship at Turtle Creek, was also in the group at 1-over as was senior Tyler Leyden, another member of La Salle’s Catholic League powerhouse.

   Union City senior Josh James opened defense of his PIAA Class AA crown by grabbing the lead with a sparkling 3-under 69 at the Blue Course.

   Lurking just a shot behind James was Devon Prep junior Nick Ciocca, who posted a solid 2-under 70.

   James was patient in the early going, opening his round with 10 straight pars before making an eagle 2 on the par-4 11^th hole. James added a birdie at the 14^th hole and stumbled briefly with a bogey at 16 before finishing up with a birdie at the 18^th hole to get it to 3-under.

   Playing in the same group with James, Ciocca, who plans to join the program at Notre Dame in the summer of 2024, made birdies at the fifth and ninth holes to make the turn at the Blue Course at 2-under. A bogey at the 11^th hole was the only blemish on his scorecard and he matched James’ birdie at the finishing hole to get it in at 2-under.

   There are plenty of solid contenders lined up behind James and Ciocca.

   Lake Lehman teammates Michael Lugiano and Cael Ropietski were part of a trio of players tied for third place at 1-under 71. Lugiano and Ropietski were joined at that figure by Wyoming Seminary sophomore Nick Werner.

   Moravian Academy senior Evan Eichenlaub, Slippery Rock’s Jacob Wolak and Uniontown’s Logan Voytish each matched par with a 72 that left them in a tie for sixth place.

   Ciocca, Werner and Eichenlaub were part of a group that finished in a tie for sixth place in the PIAA Class AA Championship a year ago at Heritage Hills.