Isztwan helps Harvard roll to team crown in Columbia Spring Invitational at Rolling Green

   It was six falls ago when Brian Isztwan, as a senior at Penn Charter, finished atop the Inter-Ac League’s individual points chase during the six invitationals that make up the league’s regular season for the second straight year.

   Nobody in Pennsylvania’s best scholastic golf league has been able to match Isztwan’s feat of winning the regular-season points race twice.

   It’s been quite a journey since then. Isztwan capped a solid freshman season at Harvard by finishing in a tie for 26^th place in the Ivy League Championship in the spring of 2019 at Hidden Creek Golf Club at the Jersey Shore.

   In the fall of 2019 Isztwan and his Harvard teammate Rij Patel punched their ticket to the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, which was scheduled to be staged at Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course, an A.W. Tillinghast masterpiece, in the spring of 2020.

   Ahh, that spring of 2020. With the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic, the college golf season was shut down. The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball was cancelled. The Ivy League kept its athletes from competing throughout the 2020-2021 school year as well.

   Isztwan took a gap year in there somewhere and has kept his game sharp through it all.

   Monday, Isztwan, a senior, helped the Crimson capture the team crown in the Columbia Spring Invitational, a 36-hole, one-day shootout held at Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Delaware County.

   I’m sure the tricky green complexes at the William Flynn design at Rolling Green felt just right for Isztwan. He grew up playing another Flynn gem in the Philadelphia area at Huntingdon Valley Country Club.

   It was at Huntingdon Valley last summer where Isztwan defeated another Huntingdon Valley guy, Ben Cooley, a player Isztwan considers a golf mentor, in the final to claim the title in the R. Jay Sigel Match Play, a major championship on the Pennsylvania Golf Association (PAGA) schedule.

   Isztwan carded a pair of 3-over 73s at the 6,789-yard, par-70 Rolling Green layout, which played host to the 2016 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, to finish in the group tied for 20^th place with a 6-over 146 total.

   Isztwan’s performance helped the Crimson capture the team crown with a 6-over 706 total.

   The Columbia Spring Invitational afforded teams the opportunity to play a six-man lineup with the top five scores counting. It’s the time in the college season when coaches have to make some tough decisions on which five players will comprise their lineup for conference championships later this month.

   Behind individual champion Brian Ma, a junior from Milpitas, Calif., Harvard opened with a 5-over 355 before adding a 1-over 351, the best team round of the day, in the afternoon to finish 16 shots clear of runnerup Columbia, the tournament host and the Crimson’s Ivy League rival.

   The field drew some decent weather, although Monday dawned with a winter-like chill in these parts. But it was dry and it warmed up and the wind calmed down a little later in the day.

   After opening with a solid 2-under in the morning, Ma really got it going in the middle of his afternoon round, rattling off six birdies over a seven-hole stretch. He made three straight birdies at the sixth, seventh and eighth holes and then three more in a row at 10, 11 and 12.

   Ma cooled off a little with a double bogey at the 13^th hole and a bogey at 16, but a birdie at the par-5 17^th gave him a sizzling 4-under 66 on the underrated Rolling Green layout for a 6-under 134 total that gave him a four-shot victory.

   Columbia, behind individual runnerup Alvin Kwak, a junior from Mukilteo, Wash., finished in second place in the team standings. The Lions added a 9-over 359 in the afternoon to their opening-round 363 for a 22-over 722 total.

   Kwak matched par with a 70 in the opening round before closing with a solid 2-under 68, but he couldn’t keep up with Ma’s blistering pace.

   Another Ivy League entry, Yale, finished three shots behind Columbia in third place with a 30-over 730 total as the Bulldogs recorded back-to-back 15-over 365s.

   Columbia was the runnerup to Yale in last spring’s Ivy League Championship at Century Country Club in Purchase, N.Y.

   Bryant, in its final tuneup before the Southland Conference Championship later this month, was another two shots behind Yale in fourth place with a 32-over 732 total. The Southland Bulldogs opened with a 15-over 365 before adding a 367 in the afternoon.

   Patriot League rivals Lehigh and Lafayette accounted for the next two spots in the team standings as the Mountain Hawks finished in fifth place with a 35-over 735 total that left them three shots behind Bryant and the Leopards took sixth with a 38-over 738 total.

   Lehigh bounced back from an opening-round 377 with a solid 8-over 358 in the afternoon. Lafayette shaved 14 shots off its opening-round 376 with a 12-over 362 in the afternoon.

   There were three City 6 teams, Penn, La Salle and Saint Joseph’s, in the field and Temple coach Brian Quinn sent six of his younger players to compete as individuals, knowing that Rolling Green was the perfect test for players trying earn a spot among the first five for the Owls.

   Penn, out of the Ivy League, shared eighth place with another Patriot League representative in Navy as each landed on 41-over 741. The Quakers opened with a 374 before adding a 367 in the afternoon. The Midshipmen added a 364 in the afternoon to their opening-round 377.

   La Salle, out of the Atlantic 10, finished alone in 10^th place with a 45-over 745 total as the Explorers added a 370 in the afternoon to their opening-round 375.

   Saint Joseph’s, another A-10 entry, shared 11^th place in the 13-team field with Wagner, out of the Northeast Conference, each landing on 50-over 750.

   The Hawks, behind freshman Matt Zerfass, a three-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier from Emmaus who finished in a tie for fifth place in the individual standings, added a 371 in the afternoon to their opening-round 379. The Seahawks added a 373 in the afternoon to their opening-round 377.

   Harvard also got strong showings from Kevin Sze, a junior from Saratoga, Calif., and Jeff Fang, a sophomore from Canada, as they finished in a tie for third place, each ending up a shot behind Columbia’s Kwak at 1-under 139.

   Sze matched par with a 70 in the morning before adding a 1-under 69 in the afternoon. Fang had the opposite splits, registering a 1-under 69 before matching par in the afternoon with a 70.

   In addition to Isztwan’s solid top-20 finish for Harvard, Diego Saavedra-Davila, a sophomore from Puerto Rico finished in the group tied for 41^st place with a 10-over 150 total. After opening with a 77, Saavedra-Davila added a solid 3-over 73 in the afternoon.

   Rounding out the Harvard lineup was Adam Xiao, a junior from Manhasset, N.Y. who contributed a counting 5-over 75 in the morning, but was sidelined in the afternoon with an injury.

   With a lineup of underclassmen, I’m fairly certain that Isztwan, a senior, is playing something of a leadership role for the Crimson.

   The victory at Rolling Green over the top two finishers in last year’s Ivy League Championship should give Harvard a boost as it prepares for this spring’s conference championship, which tees off April 21^st at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn.

   Kwak matched par in the morning with a 70 and added a 2-under 68 in the afternoon to earn runnerup honors in the individual chase with a 2-under 138 total that left him four shots behind Ma.

   Saint Joseph’s Zerfass headed a group of three players tied for fifth place at 2-over 142, three shots behind the Harvard pair of Sze and Fang. Zerfass, who is having a nice freshman season with the Hawks, matched par in the opening round with a 70 before adding a 2-over 72 in the afternoon.

   Also at 2-over was one of Isztwan’s old Inter-Ac League rivals, Lehigh senior David Hurly, who was a member of the 2018 Haverford School team that made a perfect 30-0 run through the Inter-Ac’s six invitationals that comprise the regular season.

   Hurly a product of the junior program at Aronimink Golf Club carded a solid 1-under 69 in the afternoon after opening with a 3-over 73.

   Rounding out the trio at 2-over was Rider’s Louie Giovaachini, a sophomore from Windermere, Fla. who matched par in the afternoon with a 70 after opening with a 2-over 72.

   The Lafayette pair of Ray Dennehy, a sophomore from Princeton, Mass., and Harry Dessel, a freshman from Barrington, R.I., headed a trio of players tied for eighth place at 3-over 143. Dennehy came on strong in the afternoon with a 1-under 69 after opening with a 4-over 74. Dessel matched par in the afternoon with a 70 after opening with a 3-over 73.

   Rounding out the trio at 3-over was Yale’s Robert You, a sophomore from Pebble Beach, Calif. who opened with a 1-over 71 before adding a 2-over 72.

   Penn was led by Ben Scott, a sophomore from Manhattan Beach, Calif. who finished among the group tied for 11^th place with a 4-over 144 total. Scott added a solid 1-over 71 in the afternoon to his opening round of 3-over 73.

   Mark Haghani, the Quakers’ senior leader from Wilson, Wyo., finished in the group tied for 20^th place with a 6-over 146 total.

   Jimin Jang, a junior from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., finished among the group tied for 29^th place with a 7-over 147 total as he matched par with a solid 70 in the opening round before adding a 7-over 77 in the afternoon.

   John Richardson, a sophomore from England, finished in the group tied for 36^th place with a 9-over 149 total as he added a 4-over 74 in the afternoon to his opening-round 75.

   George Roessler, a sophomore from North Palm Beach, Fla., finished among the group tied for 73^rd place with a 155 total as he bounced back from an opening-round 80 with a 5-over 75 in the afternoon.

   Rounding out the Penn lineup was Andy Fan, a senior from Scarsdale, N.Y. who finished alone in 86^th place with a 160 total after carding a pair of 80s at Rolling Green.

   Leading the way for LaSalle was Anthony Garcia, a freshman from Miami, Fla. who finished among the group tied for 11^th place with a 4-over 144 total. Garcia matched par in the afternoon with a 70 after opening with a 4-over 74.

   Backing up Garcia was sophomore Alex Gekas, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier as a junior at Central York in 2019 who finished in the group tied for 32^nd place with a 147 total. Gekas bounced back from an opening round of 7-over 77 by matching par with a 70 in the afternoon.

   Senior Nikita Romanov, who was a scholastic standout at Delaware’s Mount Pleasant, and senior Karsen Rush, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier as a junior at Chambersburg in 2017, both landed among the group tied for 56^th place at 12-over 152 total for the Explorers.

   Romanov, who developed his game on the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour circuit, added a 5-over 75 in the afternoon to his opening-round 77 while Rush had the opposite splits, opening with a 5-over 75 before adding a 77 in the afternoon.

   Freshman Kevin Lydon, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier as a senior at Central Bucks West in 2021, opened with a solid 2-over 72, but cooled off in the afternoon with an 81 to finish in the group tied for 61^st place with a 153 total.

   Rounding out the La Salle lineup was Kristian Fortis, a senior from Key Largo, Fla. who finished in the group tied for 73^rd place with a 155 total as he opened with a 7-over 77 before adding a 78 in the afternoon.

   Backing up Zerfass for Saint Joseph’s was freshman Christian Matt, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Wissahickon who finished in the group tied for 41^st place with a 10-over 150 total. After opening with a 77, Matt posted a solid 3-over 73 in the afternoon.

   Graduate student J.T. Spina, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Pope John Paul II, finished a shot behind Matt in the group tied for 49^th place with a 151 total as added a solid 3-over 73 in the afternoon to his opening-round 78.

   Junior Kevin Smith, who led Strath Haven to Central League and District One Class AAA team titles as a senior in 2019, finished among the group tied for 61^st place with a 153 total. A product of the junior program at The Springhaven Club, Smith added a 5-over 75 in the afternoon to his opening-round 78.

   Another Delco guy, sophomore Thomas Larkin, playing around the corner from Cardinal O’Hara, where he was a scholastic standout, finished in 85^th place for the Hawks with a 159 total, adding an 8-over 78 in the afternoon to his opening-round 81.

   Rounding out the St. Joe’s lineup was Ryan Gorman, a junior from Greenville, S.C. who finished in 87^th place with a 161 total as he struggled to an 85 in the afternoon after opening with a 6-over 76.

   Heading up the Temple contingent was Andres Aranguren, a redshirt sophomore from Puerto Rico who finished among the group tied for 29^th place with a 7-over 147 total. Aranguren opened with a solid 2-over 72 before adding a 75 in the afternoon.

   Junior Andrew Curran, the winner of the Bert Linton Inter-Ac League individual championship at Sunnybrook Golf Club as a senior at Malvern Prep in 2018, and sophomore Greg Hanna, who starred scholastically at Bishop Shanahan, landed in the group tied for 41^st place at 10-over 150.

   Curran recorded a pair of 5-over 75s while Hanna carded a solid 3-over 73 in the afternoon after opening with a 77.

   Sophomore Joey Morganti, a product of the Llanerch Country Club junior program who was a scholastic standout at St. Joseph’s Prep, finished among the group tied for 49^th place with a 151 total. Morganti posted a solid 2-over 72 in the afternoon after opening with a 79.

   Rounding out the Temple contingent were freshman Darren Nolan, a standout with perennial Catholic League power La Salle, and Danny Nguyen, a junior from Vietnam, both of whom ended up in the group tied for 79^th place at 157.

   Nolan opened with a 7-over 77 before adding an 80 in the afternoon while Nguyen had the opposite splits, opening with an 80 before posting a 77 in the afternoon.

   Also in the Lehigh lineup was sophomore Aiden Oehrle, a member of Fox Chapel’s dominant PIAA Class AAA championship team in 2019. Oehrle opened with a 2-over 72 before adding a 73 in the afternoon to finish among the group tied for 16^th place with a 5-over 145 total.

   Navy got a strong showing from freshman Jack Tarzy, a Medford, N.J. resident who starred scholastically at The Hun School of Princeton. Tarzy, another guy who showed up on Philly Junior Tour leaderboards a lot, opened with a solid 2-over 72 before adding a 74 in the afternoon to finish in the group tied for 20^th place with a 6-over 146 total.