Saint Joseph's Matt earns runnerup finish in Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate; Princeton takes team title

 

   Saint Joseph’s sophomore Christian Matt, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Wissahickon, had the best performance of his career at Hawk Hill as he earned a runnerup finish in the individual chase in the Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate, which wrapped up Tuesday at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Course in Williamsburg, Va.

   Matt opened with a sparkling 3-under 68 over the 6,817-yard, par-71 Golden Horseshoe layout as a Monday double round teed off with windy conditions contributing to some high scores. Matt added a 1-under 70 in Monday afternoon’s second round in calmer conditions and closed with a 1-over 72 in Tuesday’s final round for a 3-under 210 total.

   There was no catching Longwood’s Justin LaRue, a junior from South Chesterfield, Va. who cruised to the individual crown with a 10-under 203 total. LaRue matched Matt’s opening round of 3-under 68, was even better with a 4-under 67 in Monday afternoon’s second round and finished up with another solid 68.

   Reigning Ivy League champion Princeton, behind William Huang, a junior from Exeter, N.H. who finished in a tie for fourth place in the individual standings, captured the team crown with a 5-over 857 total.

   The Tigers trailed George Mason by 14 shots following an opening-round 301, but surged to the top of the leaderboard with an 8-under 276, easily the best team round of the tournament, in Monday afternoon’s second round. Princeton finished up with a solid 4-under 280.

   Huang contributed a sparkling 3-under 68 in Princeton’s second-round surge after he had opened with a 1-over 72. Huang closed with a 2-over 73 to get a share of fourth place with a George Mason’s Vijay Powell, a freshman from Midlothian, Va., each landing on even-par 213.

   George Mason, an Atlantic 10 representative, finished five shots behind Princeton in second place in the team standings with a 10-over 862 total.

   After opening with a solid 3-over 287 in Monday morning’s tough conditions, the Patriots added an 8-over 292 in Monday afternoon’s second round that left them two shots behind Princeton going into the final round. George Mason finished up with a solid 1-under 283, but couldn’t quite catch the Tigers.

   George Mason was led by Nikita Gubenko, a senior from Great Falls, Va. who finished a shot behind St. Joe’s Matt in third place with a 2-under 211 total and Powell, who shared fourth with Princeton’s Huang.

   Gubenko opened with a 3-under 68 and added a 1-over 72 in Monday afternoon’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 71. Powell finished strong with a 3-under 68 to get his piece of fourth place. He had opened with a 2-over 73 before adding a 1-over 72 in Monday afternoon’s second round.

   Longwood, behind individual champion LaRue, finished eight shots behind George Mason in third place with an 18-over 870 total. The Lancers, out of the Big South, opened with a 9-over 293 and added a 3-over 287 in Monday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 6-over 290.

   Navy, a Patriot League entry, was another 10 shots behind Longwood in fourth place with a 29-over 880 total as the Midshipmen opened with a solid 4-over 288 in the opening round’s windy conditions and added back-to-back 296s in the final two rounds.

   Saint Joseph’s shared fifth place with Atlantic 10 rival St. Bonaventure and William & Mary, out of the Coastal Athletic Conference, each landing on 31-over 883.

   The Hawks, behind Matt, opened with a 6-over 290 and added a 297 in Monday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 296. After opening with a 297, the Bonnies added a 294 in Monday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with an 8-over 292. The Tribe bounced back from an opening-round 304 with a 294 in Monday afternoon’s second before matching par in a solid finish with a 284 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Villanova had staged a remarkable rally in the final round a year ago to capture the team crown in the Golden Horseshoe, the Wildcats’ first tournament win in four years.

   Villanova bounced back from an opening-round 305 with a solid 8-over 292 in Monday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 302 to finish in a tie for ninth place in the 12-team field with Farleigh Dickinson, a Northeast Conference representative, with a 47-over 899 total.

   Backing up Huang for Princeton was Jackson Fretty, a senior from Cos Cob, Conn. who fin;ished in a tie for seventh place with a 2-over 215 total. After opening with a 4-over 75, Fretty contributed an even-par 71 to the Tigers’ surge in Monday afternoon’s second round and closed with a 2-under 69.

   A couple of freshmen, Charlie Palmer of Paradise Valley, Ariz. and Tommy Frist of Nashville, Tenn., finished inside the top 14 for Princeton.

   After struggling to a 6-over 77 in the opening round, Palmer was the low Tiger in Monday afternoon’s second round with a sparkling 4-under 67 before closing with a 2-over 73 to finish in a tie for 12^th place with a 4-over 217 total. Frist also struggled a little in the opening round with a 6-over 77, but bounced back with a 1-under 70 in Monday afternoon’s second before matching par in the final round with a 71 to finish among a trio of players tied for 14^th place with a 5-over 218 total.

   Rounding out the Princeton lineup was reigning Ivy League individual champion Riccardo Fantinelli, a sophomore from Italy who finished among the group tied for 30^th place with a 10-over 223 total. Fantinelli struggled in Monday’s double round, adding a 79 in the afternoon to his opening round of 6-over 77, but he delivered a critical 4-under 67 in the final round with the Tigers trying to hold George Mason.

   Fantinelli went 5-under at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn. to capture the individual crown in the Ivy League Championship last spring with Fretty finishing in third place and Huang landing in a tie for fourth.

   Leading the way for Villanova was Ryan Pamer, a sophomore from Hudson, Ohio who had a second straight strong performance at the Golden Horseshoe as he finished alone in sixth place, a shot behind Princeton’s Huang and George Mason’s Powell, with a 1-over 214 total.

   Pamer, who finished in fourth place in leading the Wildcats to the team crown a year ago, opened with a 3-over 74 and added a solid 3-under 68 in Monday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 1-over 72.

   Joining Princeton’s Fretty in a tie for seventh place at 2-over was William & Mary’s Logan Hunter, a junior from Tampa, Fla. Hunter bounced back from an opening round of 5-over 76 with a 3-under 68 in Monday afternoon’s second round before matching par in final round with a 71.

   Longwood’s Zane Moore, a junior from Mineral, Va. competing as an individual, had the best individual round of the tournament, a 5-under 66 in the final round to finish in a tie for ninth place with Navy’s Ben Valdez, a junior from Stevenson Ranch, Calif., and St. Bonaventure’s Lance Sininger, a graduate student from Georgetown, Ohio, at 3-over 216.

   Moore had opened with a 5-over 76 before adding a 3-over 74 in Monday afternoon’s second round.

   Valdez opened with a solid 2-under 69 and added a 4-over 75 in Monday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 1-over 72. Sininger matched par in Monday afternoon’s second round with a 71 after opening with a 1-over 72 before finishing up with a 73.

   Backing up Matt for Saint Joseph’s was junior Thomas Larkin, a former Cardinal O’Hara standout who finished among the group tied for 26^th place with a 9-over 222 total. Larkin opened with a solid 1-over 72, but struggled a little in Monday afternoon’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 71.

   Sophomore Matt Zerfass, a three-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Emmaus, finished in a tie for 36^th place with a 225 total as he got off to a good start with a 2-under 69, struggled to an 82 in Monday afternoon’s second round and closed with a 3-over 74.

   Freshman Noah Moelter, who capped his scholastic career at Central Bucks South by finishing in a tie for sixth place in the PIAA Class AAA Championship, bounced back from an opening-round 81 with the best individual round of the tournament for a Hawk, a sparkling 4-under 67, before closing with an 8-over 79 to finish in a tie for 42^nd place with a 227 total.

   Rounding out St. Joe’s lineup was senior Kevin Smith, the senior leader on Strath Haven’s 2019 Central League and District One Class AAA championship team, as he finished alone in 76^th place with a 253 total. Smith struggled to a 93 in the opening round, but bounced back with an 81 in Monday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with a 79.

   I suspect Smith has assumed the same leadership role with the Hawks that he did with Strath Haven in the fall of 2019.

   Ryan Gorman, a senior from Greenville, S.C., competed as an individual for St. Joe’s and finished among the group tied for 64^th place with a 238 total. Gorman added a solid 2-over 73 in Monday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 81 before closing with a 82.

   Backing up Pamer for Villanova was Jackson Lehner, a junior from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. who finished in the group tied for 33^rd place with a 224 total as he sandwiched a 3-over 74 in Monday afternoon’s second round with a pair of 75s.

   P.J. O’Rourke, a graduate student from Paramus, N.J., finished among the group tied for 38^th place with a 226 total as he added back-to-back 4-over 75s in the final two rounds to his opening-round 76.

   Peter Weaver, Villanova’s senior standout from Frontenac, Mo., finished in the group tied for 58^th place with a 235 total as he sandwiched a 4-over 75 in Monday afternoon’s second round with a pair of 80s.

   Rounding out the Villanova lineup was Josh Lavely, a sophomore from Kewadin, Mich. who finished in a tie for 72^nd place with a 244 total. Lavely struggled at Golden Horseshoe, posting back-to-back 80s in the final two rounds after opening with an 84.

   Peter Barros, a freshman from Bethesda, Md., competed as an individual and finished alone in 67^th place with a 239 total. Barros opened with a 3-over 74, but struggled after that, adding an 83 in Monday afternoon’s second round before closing with an 82.

   Navy got a strong showing from sophomore Jack Tarzy, a Medford, N.J. resident who frequently showed up on Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour leaderboards during his career as a junior. Tarzy, who played scholastically at The Hun School of Princeton, added a solid 1-under 70 in Monday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 2-over 73 before closing with a 75 to finish in the group tied for 14^th place with a 5-over 218 total.

   Another Philly Junior Tour alum, Winston Kelenc-Blank, is a freshman on the Lafayette roster and he finished among the group tied for 53^rd place with a 233 total. Kelenc-Blank, who played scholastically at Peddie School and Choate Rosemary Hall, opened with a 1-over 72, but struggled a little after that, adding an 80 in Monday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with an 81.

   The Leopards, a Patriot League entry, finished last of the 12 teams with a 906 total.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bacha helps Auburn stay hot as Tigers take team title in UNCW Seahawk Intercollegiate at windswept Country Club of Landfall

 

   Auburn was a top-10 team in the country by the end of the 2022-2023 season.

   The Tigers, out of the powerful Southeastern Conference, claimed the team title in the NCAA’s Auburn Regional played at their home course, the Auburn University Club. They finished in 10^th place after four rounds of qualifying for match play in the NCAA Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., just six shots behind the two teams that finished in a tie for the eighth and final spot in the match-play bracket.

   With the addition of one of the top freshmen in the country, Jackson Koivun of Chapel Hill, N.C. and No. 7 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), to the lineup, Auburn is setting its sights on a return to the NCAA Championship, which this year will be played at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa’s Champions Course in Carlsbad, Calif.

   Auburn took on the elements and emerged with its third straight tournament title in the UNCW Seahawk Intercollegiate, which wrapped up Monday at the Country Club of Landfall’s Nicklaus Course in Wilmington, N.C.

   It was the 50^th team crown at Auburn for head coach Nick Clinard, who is in his 15^th season at the helm for the Tigers.

   The weather was cold and windy throughout, but it was must have been blowing particularly hard in the opening round of Sunday’s double round as Auburn grabbed a share of the lead with a 12-over-par 300 over the 7,030-yard, par-72 Nicklaus Course layout. The Tigers backed that up with a 1-under 287, one of just three team rounds under par for the tournament, in Sunday afternoon’s second round.

   Auburn matched par in Monday’s final round with a 288 for an 11-over 875 total that was seven shots better than Stetson, out of the ASUN.

   And it was Koivun leading the way as he matched par in the beastly conditions of the opening round with a 72 and added a 2-under 70 in Sunday afternoon’s second round before closing with a solid 4-under 68 that left him in second place with a 6-under 210 total, two shots behind individual champion Erik Johansson, a freshman at Campbell from Sweden.

   Johansson was the only player in the field to get it in red figures in the opening round as he carded a 1-under 71. He added another 71 in Sunday afternoon’s second round that left him in a tie for the top spot with Koivun and Stetson’s Dominic Clemons, a sophomore from England, going into the final round

   Johansson finished strong, ripping off a six-birdie, no-bogey masterpiece of a 66 to capture the individual crown with an 8-under 208 total.

   Stetson, behind Clemons, was Auburn’s closest pursuer as the Hatters struggled to a 304 in the difficult conditions of the opening round, but then matched the best team round of the tournament in Sunday afternoon’s second round, a 2-under 286, that drew them within three shots of Auburn.

   Stetson closed with a 4-over 292 to finish with an 18-over 882 total.

   Clemons had struggled to a 3-over 75 in the opening round, but contributed a sparkling 5-under 67 to Stetson’s solid effort in Sunday afternoon’s second round that gave him a share of the individual lead with Johansson and Koivun. Clemons closed with a solid 2-under 70 to finish alone in third place, two shots behind Koivun with a 4-under 212 total.

   Davidson, the three-time reigning Atlantic Ten champion, was another five shots behind Stetson in third place with a 23-over 887 total. It’s been a strong month for the Wildcats, who posted victories in The Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate at Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, S.C. and in The Peoples Championship at the Sea Palms Resort in St. Simons Island, Ga.

   Davidson finished strong, matching the low team round of the tournament with its 2-under 286 in Monday’s final round. The Wildcats had added a 301 in Sunday afternoon’s second round to their opening-round 300.

   Virginia Commonwealth, Davidson’s A-10 rival, was three shots behind the Wildcats in fourth place with a 26-over 890 total. The Rams bounced back from an opening-round 306 with a solid 1-over 289 before finishing up with a 5-over 293.

   Looks like Campbell joined the Coastal Athletic Association this year and the Fighting Camels could be a factor when the CAA Championship tees off April 21 at Dataw Island’s Cotton Dike Course on Saint Helena Island, S.C.

   Campbell finished a shot behind VCU with a 27-over 891 total as the Camels added a 10-over 298 in Sunday afternoon’s second round to their opening-round 302 before closing with a solid 3-over 291.

   Reigning CAA champion and tournament host North Carolina Wilmington finished four shots behind its new conference rival in sixth place with a 31-over 895 total. After struggling to a 314 in the difficult conditions of the opening round, the Seahawks bounced back with a 2-over 290 in Sunday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 3-over 291.

   Penn State, a Big Ten representative, closed with a solid 4-over 292 in the final round to get a share of seventh place with Virginia Tech, out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, in the 16-team field with a 36-over 900 total. The Nittany Lions were coming off The Johnnie-O at Sea Island’s Plantation Course on St. Simons Island, Ga., where they finished in 13^th place in the 14-team field.

   Penn State had opened with a 309 before adding an 11-over 299 in Sunday afternoon’s second round.

   Virgina Tech also finished strong as the Hokies recorded a 3-over 291 in the final round to join Penn State at 36-over, five shots behind UNCW. Virginia Tech had opened with a 308 before adding a 301 in Sunday afternoon’s second round.

   Auburn put its talent and its depth on display at the Country Club of Landfall.

   SEC teams rarely venture to Pennsylvania in search of talent, but Auburn plucked a good one when the Tigers lured Carson Bacha, the 2019 PIAA Class AAA champion as a senior at Central York, to join their program.

   A redshirt junior and No. 46 in the WAGR, Bacha finished among a trio of players tied for sixth place with a 1-over 217 total as he bounced back from a 4-over 76 in the brutal opening-round conditions with a 1-under 71 in Sunday afternoon’s second round and a 2-under 70 in Monday’s final round.

   Bacha will be joined in the SEC this summer by another PIAA Class AAA champion when Downingtown West’s Nick Gross, who captured the state title in 2021 as a sophomore, joins the program at Alabama, Auburn’s ancient cross-state rival.

   Brendan Valdes, a junior from Orlando, Fla. and No. 28 in the WAGR, finished in a tie for 15^th place with a 4-over 220 total for Auburn as he matched par in Sunday afternoon’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 1-over 73 before closing with a 75.

   Rounding out the Auburn lineup were J.M. Butler, a junior from Louisville, Ky., and Ryan Eshleman, a redshirt junior from Birmingham, Ala., as they both landed in the group tied for 51^st place at 230.

   Butler struggled to an 80 in the opening round’s difficult conditions before adding a pair of 3-over 75s in the final two rounds. Eshleman added a 2-over 74 in Sunday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 79 before finishing up with a 77.

   Clinard brought along Josiah Gilbert, a talented freshman from Australia, to compete as an individual and Gilbert made a strong bid for consideration to ascend to Auburn’s first five as he finished alone in ninth place in the individual standings with a 2-over 218 total.

   Gilbert dealt with the opening round’s winds as well as can be expected with a 1-over 73 and added a 75 in Sunday afternoon’s second round before closing with a solid 2-under 70.

   Another Auburn player competing as an individual, Reed Lotter, a sophomore from Savannah, Ga., also checked in with a top-10 finish as he ended up in a group of five players tied for 10^th place with a 3-over 219 total. After struggling to a 77 in the tough going in the opening round, Lotter bounced back with a pair of 1-under 71s in the final two rounds.

   Yet another Tiger competing as an individual, fifth-year player Alex Vogelsong from Palm City, Fla., also played well, finishing in the tie for 15^th place with his teammate Valdes at 4-over 220 total. Vogelsong added a 2-over 74 in Sunday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 75 before finishing up with a solid 1-under 71.

   Bacha, Lotter, Valdes, Butler and Vogelsong comprised the lineup for Auburn when the Tigers claimed the regional team crown on their home course last spring.

   ACC power Duke didn’t compete as a team, but sent some of its second string to The Country Club of Landfall to compete as individuals and Jimmy Zheng, a senior from New Zealand, finished in fourth place, two shots behind Stetson’s Clemons with a 2-under 214 total. After opening with a 3-over 75, Zheng registered a solid 3-under 69 in Sunday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 2-under 70.

   Florida Atlantic’s Max Sturdza, a graduate student from Switzerland, was another shot behind Zheng in fifth place in the individual standings as he, like Zheng, added a 3-under 69 in Sunday afternoon’s second round to an opening-round 75. Sturdza finished up with a 1-under 71.

   Joining Auburn’s Bacha in the tie for sixth place at 1-over 217, two shots behind Sturdza, were Davidson’s Alex Heffner, a senior from Harrisburg, N.C., and Walker Isley, a senior at host UNCW from Oak Island, N.C.

   Heffner finished strong, closing with a 4-under 68 after adding a 4-over 76 in Sunday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 73. Isley also closed with a rush, signing for a 3-under 69 in the final round after matching par in Sunday afternoon’s second round with a 72 and opening with a 4-over 76.

   Among the foursome of players that joined Auburn’s Lotter in the tie for 10^th place at 3-over 219 was Penn State graduate student Jimmy Meyers, the runnerup to Notre Dame senior Palmer Jackson in the 2018 PIAA Class AAA Championship who then led Pittsburgh Central Catholic to the team crown as a senior.

   After opening with a 4-over 76 at the Nicklaus Course, Meyers added a 1-over 73 in Sunday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 2-under 70.

   Rounding out the quintet at 3-over were VCU’s Grayson Wood, a freshman from Fredericksburg, Va., Heffner’s Davidson teammate Joshua Stewart, a junior from Winter Springs, Fla., and another Dookie, Ian Siebers, a senior from Bellevue, Wash.

   Wood added a 2-over 74 in Sunday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 75 before closing with a solid 2-under 70. Stewart matched par in Sunday afternoon’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 1-over 73 and finished up with a 74. Siebers sandwiched a 1-under 71 in Sunday afternoon’s second round with a pair of 2-over 74s.

   First-year Penn State head coach Mark Leon got a nice showing from Zach Smith, a freshman from Canada, as Smith backed up Meyers for the Nittany Lions by finishing among the group tied for 39^th place with a 227 total. Smith struggled to an 81 in the windswept opening round, but recovered with back-to-back 1-over 73s in the last two rounds.

   Graduate student Pat Sheehan, who finished in a tie for third place, right behind Meyers, in that 2018 PIAA Class AAA Championship as a senior at Central Bucks East, finished in a tie for 45^th place with a 228 total. Sheehan added a 4-over 76 in Sunday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 77 before closing with a 75.

   Jake Griffin, a junior from Kensington, Md., finished in the group tied for 51^st place at 230 as he added a 5-over 77 in Sunday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 79 before closing with a 74.

   Griffin has been playing some solid golf this spring and he was the low Lion, finishing in a tie for 26^th place at 1-under 215, in The Johnnie-O earlier this month at Sea Island on Saint Simons Island, Ga.

   Rounding out the Penn State lineup was sophomore Billy Pabst Jr., who lost to Downingtown West’s Gross in a playoff for the PIAA Class AAA Championship in 2021 as a senior at North Pocono. Pabst finished among a trio of players tied for 68^th place with a 233 total as he sandwiched a 79 in Sunday afternoon’s second round with a pair of 5-over 77s.

   Duke also sent junior John Peters, who holed out from 193 yards away on the 18^th hole at Merion Golf Club’s historic East Course for an eagle to win the Pennsylvania Amateur crown in 2021, to the Country Club of Landfall and Peters finished in the group tied for 64^th place. Peters added a 4-over 76 in Sunday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 77 before closing with a 79.

   Peters was in the mix in that 2019 PIAA Class AAA Championship that Bacha won at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York County, Peters finishing in a tie for third place as a junior at Carlisle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O'Hara is par for the course as he tops field in HJGT New Jersey Kickoff at Seaview

 

   Patrick O’Hara, playing not far from his Ocean City, N.J. home, matched par with a 70 to claim the top spot in the Boys 16-to-18 division in the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) New Jersey Kickoff at Seaview Sunday.

   It was supposed to be a two-day event, but Saturday’s all-day rain wiped out the opening round. There were some stiff winds to contend with in the aftermath of the storm and the images on the HJGT website indicated that the junior golfers were prepared with their cold-weather gear.

   Pretty sure the event utilized Seaview Golf Club’s Bay Course, the classic collaboration of renowned architects Hugh Wilson and Donald Ross that is home to the Shop-Rite LPGA Classic each summer in Galloway Township, across the bay from Atlantic City.

   O’Hara made birdies on the third, seventh and 17^th holes and had 13 pars on his scorecard in the difficult conditions. Eight of those pars, along with the birdie at the 17^th hole, came on the incoming nine as O’Hara finished strong with a 1-under 32.

   Ethan Legarda of Voorhees, N.J. was right on O’Hara’s heels with a steady 1-over 71 that included a birdie at the ninth hole and 15 pars.

   Jeffrey Fumarola of Ballston Spa, N.Y. was another two shots behind Legarda in third place with a 3-over 73 as he made birdies on the third and ninth holes and had 11 pars on his card.

   Nathaniel Yoo of Canada finished two shots behind Fumarola in fourth place with a 75.

   Michael Henry, a junior at Malvern Prep who was the runnerup in the Bert Linton Invitational for the Inter-Ac League’s individual championship at Aronimink Golf Club last fall, was a shot behind Yoo in fifth place with a 76.

   P.J. Foley of Northfield, N.J. took sixth place with a 77 and La Salle senior Sebastian Botero, who helped the Explorers finish second in the PIAA Class AAA team competition at Penn State last fall, ended up alone in seventh with an 80.

   Dominic Polistina of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., Ethan Gallagher of Basking Ridge, N.J. and Quakertown senior Brady Gallagher, a co-medalist in last fall’s Suburban One League Championship at Five Ponds Golf Club, rounded out the top 10 in the Boys 16-to-18 division as each carded an 81 to finish in a tie for eighth place.

   Ryan Quigley of Holmdel, N.J. finished atop the leaderboard in the Boys 14-15 division as he had 11 pars on his scorecard, including a run of six in a row from the eighth through the 13^th holes, on his way to a 7-over 77.

   Declan Conner, a District One Class AAA qualifier as a freshman at Ridley last fall, finished three shots behind Quigley in second place as he had eight pars on his card on his way to an 80.

   Conner was coming off a dominant 10-shot victory in the HJGT Philadelphia Spring Kickoff at Talamore, a week earlier at Talamore Country Club in Ambler.

   Ryan Mascali of Rye, N.Y., Jack Dennis of Colchester, Conn. and Axel Brandes of Bernardsville, N.J. finished in a tie for third place as each landed on 84, four shots behind Conner.

   Mascali made a birdie at the eighth hole and had eight pars on his card, Dennis had eight pars on his card and Brandes had six pars on his card.

   Benjamin Oh of Ridgefield, N.J. took, sixth place with an 85, Matthew Salvadore of Schaghticoke, N.Y. was seventh with an 86, Dexter James Jr. of Hudson Ohio was eighth with an 87and Brady Cassidy of Gladstone, N.J. was ninth with an 88.

   Rounding out the top 10 in the Boys 14-15 division were Freddie Munter of West Sayville, N.Y. and Drake Brogan of Ocean View, N.J. as they finished in a tie for 10^th place, each signing for an 89.

   Logan Turner of Berwyn made a birdie on the 16^th hole and had eight pars on his scorecard as he put together a solid 8-over 78 to capture the top spot in the Boys 11-to-13 age group.

   Kian Murphy of Yorktown, N.Y. made a birdie on the 13^th hole and had 10 pars on his card as he earned runnerup honors with an 81 that left him three shots behind Turner.

   Liam Rotatori of Stamford, Conn. made a par on the 17^th hole as he finished in third place with a 96.

   Julian Ossorio of Basking Ridge, N.J. took fourth place with a 101 and Bradan Boal of Woodbine, N.J. rounded out the field in the Boys 11-to-13 division as he finished fifth with a 107.

   Taryn Brandt of Dutton, Md. had four pars on her scorecard as she claimed top honors in the Girls 14-to-18 division with an 80.

   Sophia DeSantis, a West Chester Rustin senior, and Gabrielle Hamstead of Milton, Del. finished in a tie for second place, each landing on 91, 11 shots behind Brandt.

   DeSantis, who will join the program at Fairfield this summer, had six pars on her card. Hamstead made birdies on the fifth and seventh holes and added a par at four.

   Sahasra Datla of Chester, N.J. finished a shot behind DeSantis and Hamstead in fourth place with a 92.

   Agnes Irwin sophomore Makayla Stone and Downingtown West junior Emma Lewis, who helped the Whippets capture the Ches-Mont League girls crown last fall, shared fifth place, each finishing a shot behind Datla with a 93. Stone’s spring season in the Inter-Ac League is just getting under way.

   Emma Otterburn of New York City took seventh place with a 94, Arya Parikh of Livingston, N.J. was eighth with a 97, Grace Rotatori, another member of Team Rotatori out of Stamford, Conn., was ninth with a 98 and Avon Grove junior Emma Rabeno rounded out the field in the Girls 14-to-18 division as she finished 10^th with a 99.

   Juliana Costello of Ocean City, N.J. was the lone competitor in the Girls 13-and-under division and she made pars at the third and 18^th holes on her way to a 108.