Kleinschmidt in the clubhouse with a shot at medalist honors in the GAP Junior Boys' Championship for a second straight year

 

   Luca Kleinschmidt, a recent Strath Haven graduate playing out of The Springhaven Club, was taking aim on earning medalist honors in qualifying for match play for the second year in a row in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 112^th Junior Boys’ Championship as he carded a solid 1-over-par 71 Monday at the challenging Chester Valley Golf Club in East Whiteland, Chester County.

   Colby Komancheck, a senior at Malvern Prep, not far from Chester Valley, was tied at the top of the leaderboard with Kleinschmidt at 1-over, but Komancheck, playing out of the RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve, still had three holes to play when play was suspended for a second time at 7:25 p.m.

   Chester Valley is a classic layout that once hosted a popular stop in the early days of the Senior Tour, now known as the PGA Tour Champions. Got to cover the swinging seniors at Chester Valley quite a few times in my previous life in the newspaper biz.

   Even though the top senior players never made a ton of birdies at Chester Valley, like they did at a lot of the venues they played, they generally enjoyed the challenging green complexes and the typically classic layout the first generation of golf course architects dropped all over the Philadelphia area. Chester Valley turned 100 in 2023.

   Looks like Chester Valley was in the crosshairs of a particularly vigorous weather system that blew through Chester County in the 5 o’clock hour. The guys got back on the course briefly before the threat of more storms halted play for the day at 7:25 p.m.

   Kleinschmidt, who qualified for the District One Class AAA Championship in each of his last two seasons at Strath Haven, got an early birdie on the fourth hole at Chester Valley before giving that shot back with a bogey at five.

   Kleinschmidt got it in red figures again with a birdie at the 11^th hole before bogeys at 13 and 18 left him at 1-over.

   Komancheck, the son of the husband-wife team of PGA professionals Jamie and Kelly who run the pro shop at RiverCrest, has been one of the top players in the Inter-Ac League in his first three seasons at Malvern Prep.

   Komancheck finished in a tie for third place in the Bert Linton Invitational for the Inter-Ac’s individual championship at The 1912 Club and capturing the individual title in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) Championship at Radley Run Country Club.

   Komancheck was at even-par at the run Monday as he made a birdie at the fifth hole and a bogey at seven.

   After making a double bogey at the 13^th hole, Komancheck made a birdie at 14 that left him at 1-over when play was halted Monday evening.

   Luke McGraw, who capped his junior season at State College by finishing in a tie for ninth place in the PIAA Class AAA Championship at Penn State, was 2-over through 15 holes when play was suspended and headed a group of four players tied at that figure.

   McGraw, playing out of Mountain View Golf Club, knocked off Kleinschmidt in the quarterfinals of the GAP Junior Boys a year ago at Merion Golf Club’s West Course before falling in the semifinals.

   Jackson Lane of Riverton Country Club was the only one of the four players tied at 2-over to complete his round as he posted a solid 72 at Chester Valley.

   Also at 2-over were McCall Golf Club’s Quinn Gallagher, a senior on the golf team at The Haverford School who still had eight holes left to play on the front nine at Chester Valley after starting off No. 10, and the Country Club of Scranton’s Bobby Stott, a freshman on Scranton Prep’s PIAA Class AA championship team last fall who also had eight holes to play on Chester Valley’s front nine after starting off the 10^th tee.

   Merion Golf Club’s Nicky Nemo, who wrapped up his scholastic career at The Haverford School last fall, reached the final of the GAP Junior Boys a year ago at Merion’s West Course before falling to Haverford School teammate and Merion clubmate Sean Curran. Nemo defeated McGraw in the semifinals a year ago.

   Nemo was one of nine players tied for seventh place at 3-over, seven of whom, like Nemo, completed their rounds.

   Also among the group who got into the clubhouse with a 3-over 73 was Aronimink Golf Club’s Liam Crowley, the Inter-Ac’s individual champion after capturing the title in the Bert Linton at The 1912 Club who helped Episcopal Academy capture the Inter-Ac team crown.

   Philadelphia Country Club’s Harry Neilly, a junior on The Haverford School team along with Gallagher and Nemo last fall, also signed for a 3-over 73.

   Rounding out the group who completed rounds of 3-over 73 were Sunnybrook Golf Club’s Liam Littleton, a senior on the golf team at Catholic League power La Salle, Galloway National Golf Club’s Paul Reilly, Blue Bell Country Club’s Ty Sheftic, a senior on the Wissahickon golf team, and Fox Hill Country Club’s Liam Gill, a sophomore on the golf team at Holy Redeemer in Wilkes-Barre.

   Overbrook Golf Club’s Cole Berry, the winner of the District One Class AAA title at Turtle Creek Golf Course as a senior at West Chester Rustin as a senior last fall, was 3-over through 12 holes.

   Atlantic City Country Club’s Keller Tannehill will also return to the golf course Tuesday morning to try to earn a spot among the top 16 players who qualify for the Championship Flight match-play bracket at 3-over with five holes to play.

   There are six more players tied for 16^th place at 4-over, so there is a likelihood of a playoff for the final spots in the Championship Flight bracket.

   A couple of Central League standouts, McCall’s Seiji Sako, who wrapped up his scholastic career at Lower Merion with a third straight trip to the PIAA Class AAA Championship last fall, and Merion’s Brad McDermott, who wrapped up his scholastic career at Radnor by earning a spot in the Class AAA state tournament for a second time last fall, each completed a 4-over 74 and are still in with a shot at making the Championship Bracket.

   Sako earned a spot in the match-play bracket in last week’s BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship with a solid showing in qualifying at Sunnybrook Golf Club and The 1912 Club.

   Pretty sure, once the Championship Bracket is established, the plan is for two rounds of match play that will get the field down to four players.

   The semifinals and the final are scheduled to be played Wednesday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spaulding the latest Loyola of Maryland Greyhound to claim BMW Philadelphia Amateur title with victory over Haberstumpf

 

   The Loyola of Maryland connection continues in the BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship.

   It started when former Greyhound Jeremy Wall, playing out of Manasquan River Golf Club, went back-to-back, claiming the title in 2018 at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club and again in 2019 at the Old Course at Stonewall.

   Three years ago, Mike Crowley got himself a membership at Briarwood Golf Club in York and defeated Patrick Isztwan on his home course at Huntingdon Valley Country Club to make it three Loyola of Maryland winners of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s most coveted title in six years.

   Apparently, Eli Spaulding, a junior with the Greyhounds out of Freeport, Maine, got wind of the Crowley path to GAP eligibility through Briarwood.

   Saturday, at Sunnybrook Golf Club, Spaulding became the third Loyola of Maryland player to put his name on the J. Wood Platt Trophy, capturing the title in the 126^th edition of one of America’s oldest golf championships with a decisive 9 and 8 victory over Saucon Valley Country Club’s Jake Haberstumpf, who will join the program at Liberty for his final year of college eligibility this summer.

   A closing burst at the end of the morning round in the scheduled 36-hole final gave Spaulding a 3-up lead when the players broke for lunch.

   Spaulding then jumped all over Haberstumpf, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Bethlehem’s Freedom High in the pandemic fall of 2020, by winning the first four holes of the afternoon round to take a commanding 7-up lead.

   Spaulding’s 9 and 8 decision tied for second-biggest margin of victory in the Philly Am, matching the 9 and 8 win by Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Gregor Orlando over LedgeRock Golf Club’s Grant Skylass in 2017 at Orlando’s home course, the Wissahickon Course, A.W. Tillinghast’s magnificent design at Cricket.

   The largest margin of victory was the 10 and 9 win for Jeff Osberg over Merion Golf Club’s Nelson Hargrove in 2014 at White Manor Country Club.

   The final at Sunnybrook was even through 13 holes when Spaulding, a two-time winner of Maine’s Amateur Championship, made his move.

   Spaulding put a nose in front when he reached the green at the 585-yard, par-5 14^th hole in two and two-putted for a birdie.

   Spaulding used a gap wedge from 135 yards away at the 419-yard, par-4 15^th hole and finished four feet from the hole. He converted the birdie putt to take a 2-up lead.

   With a 45-foot birdie bomb at the 220-yard, par-3 17^th hole, Spaulding suddenly had a 3-up lead.

   At the 19^th hole, Sunnybrook’s 394-yard, par-4 opener, Spaulding hit a 58-degree wedge to eight feet and dropped his birdie putt.

   A two-putt par by Spaulding at the 20^th hole, Sunnybrook’s 460-yard, par-4 second, was good enough to put another win in the bank and increase his lead to 5-up.

   At the 21^st hole, Sunnybrook’s 575-yard, par-5 third, Spaulding’s flop shot finished two feet from the hole and resulted in another birdie and another win.

   A little more magic with the putter at the 22^nd hole, Sunnybrook’s 459-yard, par-4 fourth, gave Spaulding a 7-up lead as he knocked a 54-degree wedge from 115 yards away to 15 feet and drained the birdie putt.

   “Obviously, 3-up through 18 holes is not a bad place to be,” Spaulding told the GAP website. “I didn’t feel the best about my game, though. I think that kind of helped me. I said ‘Go and attack the next 18 holes.’ I wanted to be free, aggressive and let the golf come.

   “I wasn’t quite as focused and didn’t go through my whole process on the first 18. I was like ‘All right, stick to my process and don’t be afraid to make birdies.’”

   Wins at the 25^th and 26^th holes, Sunnybrook’s seventh and eighth, increased Spaulding’s advantage to 9-up. Haberstumpf got one back by taking the 27^th hole, the ninth at Sunnybrook, but Spaulding closed out the match with a two-putt par at the 28^th hole, the 366-yard, par-4 10^th at Sunnybrook.

   Just another Loyola of Maryland guy turning out to be the class of a field filled with the best amateur golfers in the Philadelphia region.

 

 

 

 

Salesianum's Kelly, LaScala share first place in a Philly Junior Tour stop at Plantation Lakes

 

   Joseph Kelly and Luke LaScala, fresh off helping Salesianum cruise to the team crown in the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) Championship last month, each carded a 2-over-par 74 at Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club in Millsboro, Del. to share the top spot in the 16-to-18 division in a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour stop June 8^th.

   Kelly had led the Sallies to the team crown by claiming the individual title at Baywood Greens Golf Course, not far from Plantation Lakes, with an even-par 144 total.

   Kelly continued his run of strong play at Plantation Lakes as he made birdies at the sixth, 13^th and 18^th holes and had 11 pars on his scorecard, including a string of six straight pars from seven through 12.

   LaScala, who finished in a tie for seventh place with a 9-over 153 total in the DIAA Championship, made birdies at the seventh, 10^th and 13^th holes at Plantation Lakes and had 11 pars on his card to get a share of a Philly Junior Tour victory with his Salesianum teammate.

   Kelly and LaScala wrapped up their junior seasons while helping the Sallies roll to the Delaware scholastic team crown. 

   Max Silvestri of Haddon Heights, N.J. made birdies on the 10^th and 13^th holes and had 11 pars on his card, including a run of six straight pars from three through eight, as he finished three shots behind the co-medalists in third place with a 5-over 77.

   Jack Tunnell, who wrapped up his sophomore season at Cape Henlopen this spring and Billy Nikolaidis, a junior on the Muhlenberg golf team, shared fourth place, each posting a 78, John Hoffman of Marlton, N.J. was sixth with a 79, Shane Cornell, a District One Class AAA qualifier as a junior at Avon Grove last fall, was seventh with an 80 and Johnny LaViola of Berlin, Md. was eighth with an 81.

   Colby Moran of Wilmington, Del. took ninth place with an 82 and the trio of Landon Shoczolek of North Cape May, N.J., Cole Henning, a senior on the Souderton golf team, and Quinn Marshall, who capped his junior season at Wilmington Friends School by finishing in third place in the DIAA Championship at Baywood Greens, rounded out the top 10 in the 16-to-18 division as each tallied an 83.

   Cole Martin, taking a road trip from McLean, Va., made birdies at the seventh and 18^th holes and had nine pars on his scorecard as he claimed a Philly Junior Tour victory in the 13-to-15 division with a 7-over 79.

   Owen Ciesielka, a West Chester resident and a sophomore on the Malvern Prep golf team, and Jonathan Thomas of Landenberg shared second place, each signing for an 80.

   Ciesielka finished up his round with back-to-back birdies at the 17^th and 18^th holes and had eight pars on his card. Thomas had 10 pars on his card, including a string of five straight pars from the 12^th through the 16^th holes.

   Ruben Yoon of Wilmington, Del. took fourth place with an 84, Preston Minio of Lansdale was fifth with an 86, Luke Peyton of Frankford, Del. was sixth with a 90, Ben Meixell, another Wilmington, Del. guy, was seventh with a 91 and Liam Ren of Garnet Valley was eighth with a 99.

   David Padgett of Barnegat, N.J. took ninth place with a 102, Jack Bishay of West Chester was 10^th with a 103 and Connor Masulis of Pottstown rounded out the field in the 13-to-15 division as he finished 11^th with a 104.

   Ellie Walls, playing close to her Millsboro, Del. home, was the lone entry in the girls 16-to-18 division and she made a birdie on the seventh hole and had five pars on her scorecard while posting a solid 87.

   Walls capped her sophomore season at Indian River by finishing in third place among the girls in the DIAA Championship at Baywood Greens.

   Hannah LeGrow, who wrapped her freshman season on the Ursuline Academy golf team this spring, was the lone entry in the 13-to-15 division and she had five pars on her scorecard, with four of them on the outgoing nine at Plantation Lakes, on her way to a 96.

   Brody Rollins of Milton, Del. made a birdie on the sixth hole and had five pars on his scorecard, closing out his round with three straight pars at seven, eight and nine, as he bested the field of boys 12-and-under nine-holers with a 3-over 39.

   Ben Adkins of Lewes, Del. sandwiched a birdie at the seventh hole with pars at six and eight as he earned runnerup honors with a 45.

   Ben Cho of Chesterbrook took third place with a 53 and James Hall of Hebron, Md. rounded out the field in the boys 12-and-under division as he finished fourth with a 55.