Lees, Park help Georgetown end long drought by taking team crown in Lady Bison Invitational

   The last time Georgetown won a tournament team title in the spring of 2019, Kaitlyn Lees was a freshman at Dartmouth.

   A three-time Inter-Ac League champion at Agnes Irwin and a three-time winner of the Pennsylvania Junior Girls’ Championship during a standout junior career, Lees finished in third place in the Ivy League Championship as a freshman that spring at The Ridge at Back Brook.

   The following spring, the coronavirus threw a monkey wrench into the plans of Lees and a whole lot of other athletes. The college golf season came to an abrupt end and Dartmouth actually briefly shut down its program, although it has since been restored.

   Amid the uncertainty, Lees transferred to Georgetown. She is in her fifth year this spring and still a capable player through it all.

   Earlier this week, Lees finished in a tie for eighth place with Georgetown teammate Gabriella Gilrowski, a junior from Westfield, Ind., in the individual standings to help the Hoyas claim their first team title since that spring of 2019 as they rolled to a 10-shot victory over tournament host Howard in the Lady Bison Invitational, which wrapped up at Baltimore Country Club’s East Course at Five Farms, an A.W. Tillinghast gem, Tuesday in Baltimore.

   Georgetown, playing out of the Big East Conference, opened Monday’s double round with an 11-over-par 299 and added a 17-over 305 in the afternoon over the challenging 6,127-yard, par-72 East Course layout to grab a five-shot lead over Howard heading into Tuesday’s final round.

   The Hoyas then closed with the best team round of the tournament, a 3-over 291, that gave them a 31-over 895 total.

   The best score of the day in Tuesday’s final round for Georgetown was the 1-under 71 turned in by senior Esther Park, a Wilmington, Del. native and product of A.I. DuPont. Park’s strong final round enabled her to finish in a tie for fifth place in the individual standings with a 9-over 225 total. Park had opened with a 3-over 75 before struggling a little in Monday afternoon’s second round with a 79.

   It’s been a little more than five years since a 16-year-old Park joined up with fellow Delaware teens Phoebe Brinker, the Duke junior who is defending her Atlantic Coast Conference individual title this week, and Jennifer Cleary, a junior at Virginia who helped the Cavaliers reach the NCAA Championship a year ago, as the First State earned a stunning runnerup finish in the final installment of the USGA’s Women’s State Team Championship at The Club at Las Campanas’ Sunrise Course in Santa Fe, N.M.

   It was the end for the USGA’s Women’s State Team Championship, but just the beginning for the talented trio of players from Wilmington.

   Georgetown’s best player at the East Course at Five Farms was Megan Gormley, a freshman from Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. who sandwiched an even-par 72 in Monday afternoon’s second round with a pair of 2-over 74s to get a share of second place with Merrimack’s Prakruthi Sastry, a sophomore from India, each landing on 4-over 220, four shots behind individual champion Kendall Jackson, a Howard sophomore from Pearland, Texas.

   Howard, one of four Northeast Conference teams among the top six teams in the team standings in the Lady Bison, opened with a 302 and added a 307 in Monday afternoon’s second round before closing with its best round of the tournament, an 8-over 296, to earn runnerup honors with a 41-over 905 total.

   Jackson opened with the best individual round of the tournament, a 2-under 70 and had a share of the lead with Merrimack’s Sastry going into the final round after carding a 3-over 75 in Monday afternoon’s second round.

   But Jackson pulled away from the field with a solid 1-under 71 in the final round for an even-par 216 total that was four shots clear of Gormley and Sastry.

   It was another 16 shots back to Delaware State, another Northeast Conference representative, in third place as the Hornets closed with a 10-over 298 for a 57-over 921 total. Delaware State had struggled to a 316 in the opening round before bouncing back with a 307 in Monday afternoon’s second round.

   Fairleigh Dickinson finished a shot behind its Northeast Conference rival Delaware State in fourth place with a 58-over 922 total as the Knights bounced back from an opening-round 319 with a 302 in Monday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 13-over 301.

   Lehigh, out of the Patriot League, finished 13 shots behind Fairleigh Dickinson in fifth place with a 71-over 935 total. After opening with a 307, the Mountain Hawks struggled to a 320 in Monday afternoon’s second round before bouncing back with a 308 in the final round.

   Merrimack, another Northeast Conference representative, finished a shot behind Lehigh in sixth place in the nine-team field with a 72-over 936 total as the Warriors opened with their best round of the tournament, a 20-over 308, before adding a 311 in Monday afternoon’s second round and closing with a 317.

   Lees and Gilrowski gave Georgetown four finishers inside the top eight as they both landed on 12-over 228 to share eighth place.

   Lees, who plays out of Merion Golf Club, bounced back from an opening-round 79 with a 3-over 75 in Monday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with a solid 2-over 74. Gilrowski opened with a 4-over 76 and added a 79 in Monday afternoon’s second round before closing with her best round of the tournament, a 1-over 73.

   Rounding out the Georgetown lineup was Lauren May, a senior from Austin, Texas who struggled in Monday afternoon’s second round with an 84, but contributed counting scores of 2-over 74 in the opening round and 1-over 73 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Merrimack’s Sastry matched par in Monday afternoon’s second round after opening with a 2-over 74 to get a share of the lead with Jackson going into Tuesday’s final round. Sastry closed with a 3-over 75 to share runnerup honors with Georgetown’s Gormley at 4-over 220.

   Fairleigh Dickinson’s Anete Adul, a junior from Estonia, finished alone in fourth place, three shots behind Gormley and Sastry with a 7-over 223 total. After opening with a 77, Adul added a 2-over 74 in Monday afternoon’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   Joining Georgetown’s Park in the duo tied for fifth place at 9-over was Delaware State’s Ana Ferreyra Heit, a graduate student from Argentina who added a 78 in Monday afternoon’s second round to her opening round of 4-over 76 before finishing strong with a 1-under 71.

   Lehigh’s Madison Pineda, a sophomore from San Carlos, Calif., finished alone in seventh place, two shots behind Park and Ferreyra Heit with an 11-over 227 total. After opening with a 77, Pineda carded back-to-back 3-over 75s in the final two rounds.

   A pair of Howard players, Kyra Cox, a graduate student from South Salem, N.Y., and Marley Franklin, a freshman from Los Angeles, rounded out the top 10 in the individual standings, each landing on 13-over 229, a shot behind Georgetown’s Lees and Gilrowski.

   Cox bounced back from an opening-round 81 with a 4-over 76 in Monday afternoon’s second round before matching par with a 72 in the final round. Franklin registered a pair of 4-over 76s in Monday’s double round before closing with a 77.

   There’s a familiar name in the Lehigh lineup in freshman Evelyn Wong, the runnerup to Lower Merion’s Sydney Yermish in the PIAA Class AAA Championship in 2021 as a senior at Emmaus. Wong finished among the group tied for 27^th place with a 238 total as she struggled in Monday afternoon’s second round with an 84 after opening with a 79 before putting together a solid 3-over 75 in the final round.

   Mount St. Mary’s freshman Makensy Knaub, a three-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Dallastown during a standout scholastic career, finished in a tie for 34^th place for the Mountaineers with a 241 total. Knaub added an 82 in Monday afternoon’s second round after opening with an 81 before finishing up with her best round of the tournament, a 6-over 78.

   The Mount, a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference entry, finished in seventh place in the team standings  with a 952 total.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Behind individual champion Weaver, Villanova claims second straight team crown, taking the Wildcat Spring Invitational

   Victory tasted good to Villanova when it ended a four-year tournament win drought by taking the team title in the Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate in Williamsburg, Va. a couple of weeks ago.

   It tasted so good, Villanova wanted more and it got another taste of victory as the host team of its Wildcat Spring Invitational, which wrapped up Tuesday at LuLu Country Club, the Donald Ross design in Glenside, Montgomery County.

   Behind individual champion Peter Weaver, a junior from Frontenac, Mo., Villanova captured the team crown in the Wildcat Spring Invitational by two shots over City 6 rival La Salle. According to the Villanova website, it is the first back-to-back tournament victories in the program’s history.

   The big 15-team field opened by playing 27 holes Monday before finishing up with nine holes Tuesday. The mornings were chilly, but compared with some of the difficult conditions that have faced the Wildcat Spring Invitational in its history, the weather was glorious.

   Villanova, out of the Big East Conference, had taken a one-shot lead over La Salle, an Atlantic 10 entry, at the end of Monday’s round-and-a-half with a 1-under 427 total.

   Villanova had opened with a 2-under-par 282 over the 6,484-yard, par-71 LuLu layout and its final 18 holes over two days added up to 2-over 286 for an even-par 568 total.

   La Salle opened with the best team round of the tournament, a sparkling 7-under 277. The Explorers ended up with a 9-over 293 in the second round that left them two shots behind Villanova with a 2-over 570 total.

   Weaver had opened with a solid 3-under 68 and shared the individual lead with La Salle’s Anthony Garcia, a freshman from Miami, Fla., at the end of 27 holes Monday, each sitting at 5-under. Garcia had opened with a sizzling 6-under 65.

   But Weaver came out firing for his final nine holes Tuesday as made an eagle on LuLu’s par-5 10^th hole and had back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14. He stumbled briefly with a bogey at the 16^th hole, but got that shot right back with a birdie at 17 to complete a 6-under 65 of his own for a 9-under 133 total that gave him his third career individual victory.

   Garcia cooled off in the second round with a 3-over 74, but his 3-under 139 total was still good enough to give him a share of second place in the individual chase with Lehigh senior David Hurly, a Newtown Square resident and a standout on some seriously talented Haverford School teams. Garcia and Hurly finished six shots behind Weaver.

   Hurly, winner of the individual crown in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) Championship at White Manor Country Club as a junior with the Fords in 2018, has been playing some solid golf all spring. He added a 2-under 69 in the second round to his opening round of 1-under 70 to get a share of runnerup honors with Garcia at 3-under.

   Hurly’s strong showing led Lehigh, a Patriot League representative, to a third-place  finish, three shots behind La Salle with a 5-over 573 total. After opening with a 6-over 290, the Mountain Hawks had the best team round of the field in the second round, a 1-under 283.

   Bucknell, Lehigh’s Patriot League rival, finished six shots behind the Mountain Hawks in fourth place with an 11-over 579 total as the Bison added an 8-over 292 in the second round to their opening round of 3-over 287.

   St. John’s, one of Villanova’s Big East rivals, was another three shots behind Bucknell in fifth place with a 14-over 582 total as the Red Storm added a 5-over 289 in the second round to their opening round of 9-over 293.

   Rhode Island, one of La Salle’s A-10 rivals, finished two shots behind St. John’s in sixth place with a 16-over 584 total as the Rams added a 6-over 290 in the second round to their opening round of 10-over 294.

   Backing up Weaver for Villanova was Ryan Pamer of Hudson, Ohio, who is having an outstanding freshman season. Pamer finished among a trio of players tied for fourth place with a 1-under 141, two shots behind Garcia and Hurly. Pamer opened with a sparkling 4-under 67 before adding a 3-over 74 in a second round spread over two days.

   Luke Alexander, a veteran senior from Rochester, Minn., gave Villanova a third finisher inside the top 20 as he ended up among the group tied for 18^th place with a 3-over 145 total. Alexander added a 1-over 72 in the second round to his opening round of 2-over 73.

   Jason Lohwater, a graduate student from Rochester, N.Y., finished in the group tied for 39^th place with a 7-over 149 total as he added a 4-over 75 in the second round to his opening round of 3-over 74, both crucial counters for the Wildcats.

   Rounding out the Villanova lineup was Josh Lavely, a freshman from Kewadin, Mich. who finished in a tie for 86^th place with a 159 total as he struggled to an 83 in the opening round before bouncing back with a 5-over 76 in the second round.

   Villanova head coach Jim Wilkes took the opportunity as the host team to send out three players to compete as individuals.

   Vimal Alokam, a sophomore from Ypsilanti, Mich., opened with a solid 2-over 73 before closing with a 77 as he finished among the group tied for 46^th place with an 8-over 150 total.

   Kyle Kinnane, a graduate student from Anaheim Hills, Calif., joined his teammate Lavely in the tie for 86^th place at 159 as he added a 6-over 77 in the second round to his opening-round 82.

   Matt Minerva, a senior from Elmsford, N.Y., rounded out the Villanova contingent as he finished alone in 93^rd place with a 164 total, struggling to a 91 in the opening round before bouncing back in the second round with a 2-over 73.

   Villanova has one more tournament on its regular-season schedule, the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate, which tees off April 21 on The Ohio State University’s Scarlet Course, one of the great on-campus golf courses in America, before heading for the Big East Championship, which tees off April 28 at Riverton Pointe Golf & Country Club in Hardeeville, S.C.

   Joining Villanova’s Pamer in the trio tied for fourth place at 1-under were Lehigh sophomore Aiden Oehrle, who helped Fox Chapel capture the PIAA Class AAA team crown in 2019, and Rhode Island’s Bryson Richards, a senior from Plainfield, Vt.

   Oehrle matched par in the second round with a 71 after opening with a 1-under 70. After opening with a 2-over 73, Richards added a solid 3-under 68.

   Heading a foursome of players tied for 10^th place at even-par 142 was La Salle senior Nikita Romanov, who starred scholastically at Delaware’s Mount Pleasant and gave the Explorers a second finisher inside the top 10. Romanov, a product of the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour, opened with a 2-under 69 before carding a 2-over 73 in the second round.

   Joining Romanov at even-par were William & Mary’s Matthew Feinstein, a graduate student from McLean, Va., St. John’s Tyler Gerbavsits, a fifth-year player from Huntingdon, N.Y., and Colgate’s Robbie Herzig, a sophomore from New York City.

   Feinstein and Gerbavsits had the same splits as each added a 1-under 70 in the second round to an opening round of 1-over 72. Herzig opened with a 1-under 70 before adding a 1-over 72 in the second round.

   La Salle had a third finisher inside the top 20 as freshman Kevin Lydon, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier as a senior at Central Bucks West in the fall of 2021, landed in the group tied for 18^th place with a 3-over 145 total. Lydon added a 2-over 73 in the second round to his opening round of 1-over 72.

   Lydon made a run to the quarterfinals in last summer’s BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship at Philadelphia Country Club.

   Sophomore Alex Gekas, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier in 2019 as a junior at Central York, finished in the group tied for 26^th place with a 5-over 147 total as he added a 2-over 73 in the second round to his opening round of 3-over 74.

   Rounding out the La Salle lineup was senior Karsen Rush, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier in 2017 as a junior at Chambersburg, as he finished among the group tied for 52^nd place with a 151 total. Rush matched par in the opening round to help the Explorers get off to a fast start before backing off with an 80 in the second round.

   La Salle is headed for Easton and the Abarta Coca-Cola Collegiate Invitational hosted by Lafayette, which tees off Sunday at Northampton Country Club, the Explorers’ final tuneup before the Atlantic 10 Championship tees off April 28 at the Reunion Resort & Golf Club’s Watson Course in Kissimmee, Fla.

   Drexel head coach Ben Feld sent a couple of his Dragons to LuLu to compete as individuals and got a strong showing from Oscar Maxfield, a graduate student from Salt Lake City, Utah who finished in the group tied for 13^th place with a 2-over 144 total. Maxfield, who transferred to Drexel from Utah, matched par in the opening round with a 71 before adding a 2-over 73 in the second round.

   Senior Ben Pochet, winner of back-to-back District One Class AAA individual titles in 2016 and 2017 in a brilliant scholastic career at Spring-Ford, finished in the group tied for 65^th place with a 153 total. After opening with a 7-over 78, Pochet added a 75 in the second round.

   Junior Nick Hano, a former Central Bucks West standout, was in the Rider lineup and finished in the group tied for 83^rd place with a 158 total as he added a 7-over 78 in the second round to his opening-round 80.

   Also in the Rhode Island lineup was redshirt freshman Chuck Tragresser, the runnerup to Holy Ghost Prep’s Calen Sanderson, a freshman at Notre Dame, in the PIAA Class AAA Championship in the pandemic year of 2020 as a senior at Franklin Regional.

   Tragresser recorded a pair of 4-over 75s to finish among the group tied for 46^th place with an 8-over 150 total.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ma, Harvard stay hot by taking individual and team titles in the Princeton Invitational

   It couldn’t have been a much better week for Harvard heading into the Ivy League Championship, which tees off April 21 at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn.

   Coming off an impressive 16-shot victory over the tournament host in the Columbia Spring Invitational, a one-day shootout last Monday at Rolling Green Golf Club, the William Flynn gem in Springfield, Delaware County, the Crimson capped the Easter weekend by outlasting another field filled with Ivy League contenders to claim the team crown in the Princeton Invitational, which wrapped up Sunday at Springdale Golf Club in Princeton, N.J.

   Once again, Harvard was led by Brian Ma, a junior from Milpitas, Calif. who backed up his four-shot victory at Rolling Green by again cruising to the individual crown in the Princeton Invitational, finishing two shots clear of a pair of Yale teammates.

   It was a chilly start to Saturday’s double round, but Princeton Invitational competitors certainly drew better weather conditions than the best players in the world had for the completion of Round 2 of The Masters in Augusta, Ga.

   Ma, picking right up where he left off at Rolling Green, blitzed the 6,444-yard, par-71 Springdale layout with a 5-under 66 in the opening round and a 4-under 67 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to build a two-shot lead in the individual chase going into Sunday’s final round.

   Ma matched par in the Easter Sunday windup with a 71 for a 9-under 204 total to claim his second straight individual title.

   Ma’s heroics helped the Crimson open with a 2-under 282 and then add the best team round of the weekend, an 11-under 273, in Saturday afternoon’s second round with Jeffrey Fang, a sophomore from Canada, contributing a sizzling 6-under 65 for Harvard.

   The Crimson closed with another 2-under 282 for a 15-under 837 total.

   Reigning Ivy League champion Yale, with Gabriel Ruiz, a junior from Mexico, and Robert You, a sophomore from Pebble Beach, Calif., sharing runnerup honors in the individual standings, finished four shots behind Harvard in second place with an 11-under 841 total.

   The Bulldogs opened with a 2-over 286 and added a 4-under 280 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing strongly with a sparkling 9-under 275.

   Ruiz carded a pair of solid 1-under 70s in Saturday’s double round before closing with a sparkling 5-under 66 to share second place with his teammate, You, with a 7-under 206 total that left them two shots behind Ma’s blistering pace.

   You, coming off a tie for eighth place at Rolling Green, struggled a little in the opening round with a 2-over 73 before coming on strong with a 5-under 66 in Saturday afternoon’s second and a 4-under 67 in Sunday’s final round to join Ruiz at 7-under.

   Host Princeton was Harvard’s closest pursuer going into Sunday’s final round as the Tigers added a solid 5-under 279 to their opening round of 2-under 282 to leave them five shots behind the front-running Crimson. Princeton closed with a 1-over 285 to finish five shots behind Yale in third place with a 6-under 846 total.

   Rider, out of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, was another four shots behind Princeton in fourth place with a 2-under 850 total as the Broncs added a 1-over 285 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to their opening round of 1-under 283 before closing with a 2-under 282.

   Big East representative Seton Hall finished two shots behind Rider in fifth place with an even-par 852 total. After matching par in the opening round with a 284, the Pirates added a 4-under 280 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with a 4-over 288.

   Two more Ivy League entries, Penn, one of three City 6 teams in the field, and Columbia shared sixth place, each landing on 4-over 856, four shots behind Seton Hall.

   The Quakers got it going in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a solid 5-under 279 after opening with a 5-over 289 before finishing up with a 4-over 288. After matching par in the opening round with a 284, the Lions posted a 2-under 282 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing a 6-over 290.

   After struggling in the opening round with a 10-over 294, Temple, out of the American Athletic Conference, added a solid 2-under 282 in Saturday afternoon’s second round. But the Owls couldn’t maintain their momentum, closing with a 296 that left them in 11^th place with a 20-over 872 total.

   Atlantic 10 representative Saint Joseph’s finished in 13^th place in the 14-team field with a 29-over 881 total as the Hawks added a 5-over 289 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to their opening round of 7-over 291 before struggling to a 301 in Sunday’s final round.

   Backing up Ma for Harvard was Diego Saavedra-Davila, a sophomore from Puerto Rico who finished among a trio of players tied for seventh place at 4-under 209. After opening with a 2-under 69, Saavedra-Davila posted back-to-back 1-under 70s in the final two rounds.

   It was a strong showing for senior Brian Isztwan, the former Penn Charter standout who I spotlighted in my post on the Columbia Spring Invitational. Isztwan, winner of the R. Jay Sigel Match Play, a Pennsylvania Golf Association (PAGA) major championship, on his home course at Huntingdon Valley Country Club last summer, finished alone in 14^th place with a 2-under 211 total.

   Isztwan matched par in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a 71 after opening with a 1-over 72 before closing with Harvard’s low round in Sunday’s final round, a 3-under 68. It would be pretty cool to see Isztwan close out his college career at Harvard with an Ivy League championship later this month at The Stanwich Club and a trip to the NCAA regionals.

   Fang had opened with a 4-over 75 before going off with his 6-under 65 in Saturday afternoon’s second round. He closed with a 3-over 74 to finish among the group tied for 25^th place with a 1-over 214 total.

   Rounding out the Harvard lineup was Kevin Sze, a junior from Saratoga, Calif. who finished in the group tied for 55^th place with an 8-over 221 total as he added a pair of 2-over 73s in the final two rounds after opening with a 4-over 75.

   Dartmouth’s Mark Turner, a fifth-year player from Gloucester, Mass., and Columbia’s Nathan Han, a junior from Somers, N.Y., finished in a tie for fourth place, each landing on 6-under 207, a shot behind the Yale pair of Ruiz and You.

   After opening with a 1-over 72, Turner carded solid rounds of 3-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second and 4-under 67 in Sunday’s final round. Han added a 3-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 2-under 69 before closing with a 1-under 70.

   Howard’s Everett Whiten Jr., a senior from Chesapeake, Va., finished alone in sixth place with a 5-under 208 total as he sandwiched a 3-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a pair of 1-under 70s.

   Joining Harvard’s Saavedra-Davila in the trio tied for seventh place at 4-under 209 were host Princeton’s Jackson Fretty, a junior from Cos Cob, Conn., and Han’s Columbia teammate, Wyatt McGovern, a sophomore from Hillsborough, Calif.

   Fretty sandwiched a 2-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a pair of 1-under 70s. McGovern unleashed an opening salvo of 7-under 64, the best individual round of the weekend, before matching par in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a 71 that left him in a tie for second place, two shots behind Ma. McGovern closed with a 3-over 74.

   The Rider pair of Connor Bekefi, a senior from Toms River, N.J., and Louie Giovacchini, a sophomore from Windermere, Fla., headed a group of four players tied for 10^th place at 3-under 210. Bekefi and Giovacchini were steady at Springdale, each recording three straight 1-under 70s.

   Fretty’s Princeton teammate, Riccardo Fantinelli, a freshman from Italy, was also in the group at 3-under as he added a pair of 2-under 69s in the final two rounds to his opening round of 1-over 72.

   Rounding out the quartet at 3-under was Seton Hall’s George Fricker, a sophomore from England who was tied with McGovern for second place after Saturday’s double round as he added a 3-under 68 in the afternoon to his opening round of 4-under 67 before cooling off in Sunday’s final round with a 4-over 75.

   Leading the way for Penn was Jimin Jung, a junior from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. who finished in the group tied for 15^th place at 1-under 212 as he added a 3-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 2-over 73 before matching par in Sunday’s final round with a 71.

   Ben Scott, a sophomore from Manhattan Beach, Calif., backed up Jung for the Quakers as he finished among the group tied for 31^st place with a 3-over 216 total. Scott opened with a solid 1-under 70 and added a 1-over 72 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 3-over 74.

   John Richardson, a sophomore from England, finished another shot behind Scott in the group tied for 34^th place with a 4-over 217 total. After matching par in the opening round with a 71, Richardson posted a 1-under 70 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before struggling a little in the final round with a 5-over 76.

   George Roessler, a sophomore from North Palm Beach, Fla., was a shot behind Richardson in the group tied for 39^th place with a 5-over 218 total as Roessler bounced back from an opening round of 6-over 77 with a solid 2-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 1-over 72.

   Rounding out the Penn lineup was the Quakers’ veteran senior, George Haghani of Wilson, Wyo. as he was a shot behind Roessler in the group tied for 42^nd place with a 6-over 219 total. Haghani added a 2-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 4-over 75 before matching par in Sunday’s final round with a 71.

   Anthony Basilio, a senior from Knoxville, Tenn., competed as an individual for Penn at Springdale and finished among the group tied for 49^th place with a 7-over 220 total. Basilio opened with a solid 2-under 69 and added a 2-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before struggling a little in a 7-over 78 in Sunday’s final round.

   Leading the Temple contingent was Graham Chase, a junior from Charlotte, N.C. who finished in the group tied for 25^th place at 1-over 214. Chase added a solid 2-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 2-over 73 before closing with a 1-over 72.

   Ethan Whitney, a sophomore from Westminster, Mass., backed up Chase by finishing alone in 30^th place with a 2-over 215 total. After opening with a solid 1-under 70, Whitney carded a 1-over 72 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with a 2-over 73.

   Temple’s senior leader Conor McGrath, winner of the 2021 BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship at Cedarbrook Country Club, finished a shot behind Whitney in the group tied for 31^st place with a 3-over 216 total as he sandwiched a solid 3-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a pair of 3-over 74s.

   Junior Andrew Curran, winner of the Bert Linton Inter-Ac League individual championship as a senior at Malvern Prep in 2018, finished in a tie for 73^rd place with a 230 total as he added a 4-over 75 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 6-over 77 before closing with a 78.

   Rounding out the Temple lineup was Andres Aranguren, a redshirt sophomore from Puerto Rico who finished alone in 75^th place with a 237 total. Aranguren struggled in the opening round with an 87, but bounced back with a 2-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with a 77.

   Temple will tee it up at Penn State this weekend in the Rutherford Intercollegiate, the Owls’ final tuneup before The American Championship tees off April 21 at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla.

   Leading the way for Saint Joseph’s was fifth-year player J.T. Spina, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Pope John Paul II who delivered a solid showing at Springdale, finishing in the group tied for 15^th place with a 1-under 212 total.

   Spina was 4-under entering Sunday’s final round as he added a 3-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 1-under 70 before closing with a 3-over 74.

   Two freshmen, Christian Matt, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Wissahickon, and Matt Zerfass, a three-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Emmaus, were next for the Hawks as Matt finished in the group tied for 42^nd place at 6-over 219 and Zerfass ended up in the group tied for 49^th place at 7-over 220.

   Matt registered a pair of 1-over 72s in Saturday’s double round before closing with a 4-over 75. Zerfass, coming off a tie for fifth place in the Columbia Spring Invitational at Rolling Green, added a 2-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 75, before finishing up with his best round of the weekend, a 1-over 72.

   Junior Steve Lorenzo, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier as a junior at Catholic League power La Salle in 2018, finished in a tie for 73^rd place with a 230 total. Lorenzo opened with his best round of the weekend, a 3-over 74, and added a 76 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before struggling to an 80 in the final round.

   Rounding out the St. Joe’s lineup was Coley Hunter, a senior from Rockville, Md. who finished alone in 76^th place with a 241 total as he added a 7-over 78 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 79 before struggling to an 84 in the final round.

   St. Joe’s will close out its regular season in next week’s Abarta Coca-Cola Collegiate Invitational hosted by Lafayette at Northampton Country Club in Easton, the final tuneup for the Hawks before the A-10 Championship tees off April 28 at the Reunion Resort & Golf Club's Watson Course in Kissimmee, Fla.

   There were a couple of familiar names teeing it up for Cornell in the Princeton Invitational.

   Senior Noah Schwartz, a teammate of Isztwan’s at Penn Charter and my bag in qualifying for match play in the 2019 Philly Am at Stonewall, finished among the group tied for 55^th place at 8-over 221 for the Big Red. Schwartz matched par in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a 71 after opening with a 3-over 74 and closed with a 76.

   Sophomore Jackson Debusschere, who helped Strath Haven capture Central League and District One Class AAA team titles as a junior in 2019, competed as an individual for Cornell and had a nice showing, finishing in a tie for 39^th place with a 5-over 218 total. After matching par with a 71 in the opening round, Debusschere added a 2-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 74.

 

 

 

Nemo's early eagle propels him to a Junior Tour victory at Bensalem Township

   Haverford School junior Alex Nemo jump-started his round with an eagle at the par-5 third hole as he carded a 4-over-par 74 to claim a victory in the 16-to-18 division in a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour stop Saturday at the Bensalem Township Country Club.

   Conditions were chilly on this eve of Easter, but it was a major improvement weather-wise over the last few Saturday stops on the Philly Junior Tour.

   Nemo also made birdies at the fifth and 11^th holes and had seven pars on his scorecard on his way to the victory.

   Matthew Morris of Haddonfield, N.J. made a birdie on the 13^th hole and had 11 pars on his card, including four straight to complete his round, as he earned runnerup honors with a 6-over 76.

   Matthew Sanderson of Newtown, Aidan Riley of Pennsauken, N.J. and Devin Carpenter of Philadelphia finished in a tie for third place, each posting an 81.

   Anderson made birdies at the sixth and eighth holes and had six pars on his card. Riley made birdies at the 10^th and 16^th holes and had eight pars on his card, six of them in a 1-under 34 on Bensalem Township’s incoming nine. Carpenter made a birdie at the fourth hole and nine pars on his card.

   Nathan Smith of Crumpton, Md. finished alone in sixth place with an 82 and John Rouse of Villanova, David Florita of Jamison and Brian Cotter of Cherry Hill, N.J. shared seventh place, each landing on 83.

   Rounding out the top 10 in the 16-to-18 division was Radnor sophomore Michael Slinkard as he recorded an 84 to finish alone in 10^th place.

   Justin Marcus of Glenmoore and Chase Gillie of Newtown shared the top spot in the 13-to-15 division, each registering an 8-over 78.

   Marcus made birdies at the fourth and 11^th holes and had seven pars on his scorecard while Gillie had 10 pars on his card, opening his round with five straight pars and finishing his round with four straight pars.

   Ian Larsen, another Glenmoore guy, made a birdie at the 11^th hole and had eight pars on his card, as he finished a shot behind Marcus and Gillie in third place with a 79.

   Jack Luterman of Ardmore took fourth place with an 81, Jackson Lane of Cinnaminson, N.J. was fifth with an 82 and Paul Reilly of West Creek, N.J. and Charles Carney of Levittown finished in a tie for sixth, each carding an 83.

   Brayden Tritsch of Medford, N.J. took eighth place with an 86, Ty Sheftic of Blue Bell was ninth with an 87 and Liam Crowley of Wayne rounded out the top 10 in the 13-to-15 division as he finished alone in 10th place with an 88.

   Sabrina Swope of Levittown made a par on the fourth hole as she earned a victory in the girls 16-to-18 division with a 93.

   Lea Babio of Quakertown also made a par at the fourth hole as she rounded out the field in the 16-to-18 division with a runnerup finish with a 122.

   Kasey O’Brien of Linwood, N.J. made a par at the 11^th hole as she captured top honors in the 13-to-15 division with a 100.

   Mariana Walker of Richboro made a par at the 12^th hole as she rounded out the field in the 13-to-15 division with a runnerup finish with a 108.

   Rayan Shah of Langhorne bested the field of nine-holers with a solid 2-over 37. Shah, who has been a fixture on the coed 12-and-under division leaderboard all spring, made a birdie on the second hole and had five pars on his scorecard.

   Nathan Lobo of Collegeville had four pars on his card as he earned runnerup honors with a 6-over 41, four shots behind Shah.

   Taimoor Naseem of Sinking Spring had two pars on his card as he finished a shot behind Lobo in third place with a 42.

   Jason Leekley of Moorestown, N.J. took fourth place with a 43 and Henry Kessler of Blue Bell and William Thorkelson of Bryn Mawr ended up in a tie for fifth, each landing on 44.

   Lucas Solano of Vineland, N.J. took seventh place with a 45, Jake Julian of Malvern was eighth with a 46 and Joseph Aronson of Souderton was ninth with a 47.

   Rounding out the top 10 in the coed 12-and-under division were Preston Minio of Lansdale and Steven Musacchio of Glenmoore as they finished in a tie for 10^th place, each registering a 48.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fernandes claims a Junior Tour victory with a 71 at windswept Reading

   Ken Fernandes of Chappaqua, N.Y. has been making some road trips to tee it up in some of the early spring stops on the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour schedule.

   He’s a Class of 2027 kid, which makes him, what, an eighth-grader, playing up in the 16-to-18 division. Not a bad idea. Get some competition against some older guys on some of the great golf courses you can find in our region.

   One of those courses is the classic layout at Reading Country Club in Exeter Township. Playing in some chilly temperatures with a stiff wind Sunday, Fernandes tamed the Reading layout with a solid 1-over-par 71, the best score of the day against a deep and talented field of Philly Junior Tour guys, as Fernandes won the 16-to-18 division.

   The Philly Junior Tour listed the stop at Reading along with Saturday’s event at Landis Creek Golf Club in Limerick as a Reading series, which might make players who teed it up both days eligible for some Junior Golf Scoreboard points.

   The Philly Junior Tour website didn’t combine the scores, but of the players who teed it up both days, Fernandes was the best. He was coming off a 3-over 73 Saturday at Landis Creek that left him in a tie for second place.

   Fernandes made birdies at the ninth, 13^th, 14^th and 17^th holes and had nine pars on his scorecard. He toured the incoming nine at Reading in 1-under 36.

   Fernandes ended up three shots ahead of Germantown Academy junior Ajeet Bagga, who finished atop the Inter-Ac League’s individual standings during its six regular-season invitationals last fall.

   Ajeet Bagga, who was also the runnerup in the Bert Linton Inter-Ac individual championship at Llanerch Country Club, ripped off three straight birdies on the 12^th, 13^th and 14^th holes and had nine pars on his card while posting a 4-over 74. The birdie burst on the back nine was part of a 3-under stretch over the last eight holes for Ajeet Bagga.

   Twin Valley junior Shayne O’Doherty and Patrick O’Hara of Ocean City, N.J. finished in a tie for third place, each posting a 9-over 79.

   I’ve caddied for and with O’Doherty at Stonewall and I know what the conditions were like at Reading because I was out on Stonewall’s North Course Sunday afternoon not far from Reading. And one of the players in our group was getting updates on O’Doherty’s progress.

   O’Doherty made an eagle on the par-5 14^th hole and had seven pars on his card. O’Hara made a birdie on the second hole and eight pars on his card.

   Radnor junior Shaun Mazzalupi, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier who has been a regular on the Philly Junior Tour leaderboards in the early going this spring, shared fifth place with a Nicholas Smith Jr. of Rye, N.Y., each registering an 80.

   Rounding out the top 10 in the 16-to-18 division were four players tied for seventh place at 81, including Fleetwood junior Ryan Hromiak, who captured the Berks County Interscholastic Athletic Association (BCIAA) individual crown last fall at Blackwood Golf Club, Malvern Prep sophomore and Royersford resident Brody Bell, Noah Richardson of Malvern and Derek Johnson of Mountain Top.

   Another New York invader, Colin McAskin of New York City, finished atop the leaderboard in the 13-to-15 division with a solid 2-over 72. McAskin made birdies at the fourth, fifth and 18^th holes and had 10 pars on his scorecard, including a run of six straight pars from 10 through 15.

   Lower Merion freshman Saiji Sako, a District One Class AAA qualifier last fall, made a birdie at the eighth hole, an eagle at the par-5 17^th hole and had seven pars on his card as he earned runnerup honors with a 77.

   Sako captured top honors among the younger guys Saturday at Landis Creek with a 5-over 75. So, if they were awarding points for both ends of the weekend series, pretty sure Sako finished first in the 13-to-15 division.

   Charlie Barrickman of West Chester made a birdie at the 14^th hole and had 10 pars, seven of them on the outgoing nine at Reading, as he finished in third place with a 79.

   Lawson Leeper of York took fourth place, a shot behind Barrickman with an 80, and Collin Schreiber of Kunkletown and Liam McFadden of Bryn Mawr finished in a tie for fifth place, each landing on 82.

   Michael Liu of Garnet Valley took seventh place with an 83 and Colby Komancheck of Royersford and Trevor Sieben of Medford, N.J. finished in a tie for eighth place, each landing on 84.

   Rounding out the top 10 in the 13-to-15 division was Callahan Harrell of York as he finished alone in 10^th place with an 85.

   Germantown Academy sophomore Kiran Bagga of Blue Bell’s Team Bagga was the lone competitor in the girls 16-to-18 division and her solid 8-over 78 was the best score among the girls who teed it up at Reading.

   Kiran Bagga, who competes with the boys at GA, finished in a tie for fourth place with her older brother Ajeet in the Bert Linton Inter-Ac individual championship as a freshman at Bluestone and helped the Patriots claim the Inter-Ac crown in the fall of 2021.

   Kiran Bagga made birdies at the second and ninth holes and had eight pars on her scorecard.

   Hannah Webb of Woolwich, N.J. had seven pars as she claimed top honors in the 13-to-15 division with an 84. Webb was the runnerup among the younger girls Saturday at Landis Creek with an 85, so she had the low total among the girls who played in both Philly Junior Tour stops over the weekend.

   Giulia Weisser of Reading made birdies at the eighth and 14^th holes and had five pars on her card as she claimed runnerup honors in the 13-to-15 division, a shot behind Webb with an 85.

   Anna Firko of Wilmington, Del. had four pars on her card, including three straight on the fifth, sixth and seventh holes, as she finished in third place with a 98.

   Megan Choi of Penn Valley took fourth place with a 96, Amelia Nace of Furlong was fifth with a 98 and Emma Gangemi of Downingtown rounded out the field in the 13-to-15 division as she finished sixth with a 117.

   Henry Sokol of Villanova and Taimoor Naseem of Sinking Spring finished in a tie for first place among the nine-holers as each ended up with a 3-over 37.

   Henry Sokol had six pars on his scorecard, including pars on the last four holes in a row, while Naseem made a birdie at the third hole and had five pars on his card, also finishing up his round with four straight pars from the sixth through the ninth holes.

   Henry Sokol finished in a tie for fifth place with a 46 Saturday at Landis Creek and pretty sure he was the medalist for the weekend among players in the coed 12-and-under division who played both days.

   Jack Sokol, another member of Villanova’s Team Sokol, had five pars on his card as he finished a shot behind Henry Sokol and Naseem in third place with a 4-over 38.

   Preston Minio of Lansdale took fourth place with a 39, Nathan Lobo of Collegeville was fifth with a 40, Rayan Shah of Newtown was sixth with a 41 and Drew Gebhard of Lebanon was seventh with a 42.

   John (Jack) Shea of Harleysville took eighth place with a 45, Ethan Clouser of Newtown was ninth with a 48 and Elyse Lackman of Wyndmoor rounded out the top 10 in the coed 12-and-under division as she finished alone in 10^th place with a 52.

 

 

 

 

 

Stetson finishes in red figures with a 68 at Landis Creek to claim a Junior Tour victory

   Episcopal Academy junior Hunter Stetson has been one of the Inter-Ac League’s best players the last two falls.

   As a sophomore, Stetson, a product of the junior program at Aronimink Golf Club, won the Bert Linton Inter-Ac League individual championship at Bluestone Country Club. Last fall, after finishing second in the Inter-Ac’s regular-season individual points standings, Stetson finished in third place in the Bert Linton in a tense three-way battle with eventual winner Davis Conaway of Malvern Prep and Germantown Academy standout Ajeet Bagga.

   Stetson’s obvious talent was on display in a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour stop Saturday at Landis Creek Golf Club in Limerick as he carded a sparkling 2-under-par 68 to cruise to a five-shot victory in the 16-to-18 division.

   The April 1^st weather was something of an April Fool’s joke as cool and rainy conditions prevailed through late morning until a little after noon when the skies suddenly parted and the temperature surged to the low 70s. Play at Landis Creek was long completed when the skies suddenly darkened and severe storms blasted through the region.

   Stetson was unbothered by the changing conditions as he made a birdie at the third hole before adding an eagle at the par-5 seventh. He added two more birdies on the incoming nine at Landis Creek at the 12^th and 15^th holes and had 11 pars on his scorecard in finishing in red figures for the day.

   Central Dauphin junior Joey Sembrot and Ken Fernandes, again invading the Philly Junior Tour from Chappaqua, N.Y., finished in a tie for second place, each landing on 3-over 73, five shots behind Stetson.

   Sembrot ripped off three straight birdies at the fifth, sixth and seventh holes and had 10 pars on his card. Fernandes had birdies on the seventh and 17^th holes and had 12 pars on his card.

   Radnor junior Shaun Mazzalupi, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier, headed a group of three players tied for fourth place at 6-over 76, three shots behind Sembrot and Fernandes. Mazzalupi was joined at 6-over by Joshua Freeman of Middletown, Del. and Luke Tappeiner of Northfield, N.J.

   Liam Shearn of Ardmore registered a 77 to finish alone in seventh place.

   Rounding out the top 10 in the 16-to-18 division was a quartet of four players who finished in a tie for eighth place at 79, including Boyertown sophomore Chase Dillman, Twin Valley junior Shayne O’Doherty, Perkiomen Valley junior Ayush Patel and Souderton junior Shane Callahan.

   Seiji Sako, who capped his freshman season at Lower Merion last fall by earning a spot in the District One Class AAA Championship, finished at the top of the leaderboard in the 13-to-15 division with a 5-over 75.

   Sako made birdies on the fifth, 15^th, 17^th and 18^th holes and had nine pars on his scorecard. The kid took a 9 on the par-4 14^th hole, but bounced right back with those three birdies on his last four holes.

   Trevor Sieben of Medford, N.J. made a birdie at the 17^th hole and had 10 pars on his scorecard, including a run of six straight from the sixth through the 11^th holes, to earn runnerup honors with a 77.

   Jackson Lane of Cinnaminson, N.J. made a birdie on the fifth hole and had eight pars on his card as he finished in third place with a 79.

   Colby Komancheck of Royersford took fourth place with an 80, Benjamin Boyanoski of Scranton was fifth with an 81 and Colin McAskin of New York City and Avery O’Neill of Romansville finished in a tie for sixth, each posting an 83.

   Collin Schreiber of Kunkletown and Jake Luterman of Ardmore finished in a tie for eighth place, each landing on 84, and Chase Gillie of Newtown rounded out the top 10 in the 13-to-15 division as he ended up alone in 10^th with an 85.

   The best score among the girls emerged from the 13-to-15 division as Meredith Finger of Wilmington, Del. made a birdie at the seventh hole and had 10 pars on her scorecard on her way to a solid 8-over 78.

   Finger already has a nice Junior Tour win under her belt this spring as she was the overall girls winner in last month’s two-day event in difficult conditions at Seaview Golf Club at the Jersey Shore.

   Hannah Webb of Woolwich, N.J. earned runnerup honors among the younger girls as she had six pars on her card, five of them on Landis Creek’s outgoing nine, to record an 85. Megan Choi of Penn Valley made a par on the seventh hole as she finished in third place with a 96.

   Zuzu Connolly of Wilmington, Del. took fourth place with a 97, Giulia Weisser of Reading was fifth with a 99 and Saloni Patel, another member of Collegeville’s Team Patel, rounded out the field in the 13-to-15 division as she finished sixth with a 104.

   Myra Glass of Camden Wyoming, Del. made a par on the sixth hole as she captured top honors in the 16-to-18 division with a 97.

   Central Bucks South sophomore Sophia Branca had three pars as she finished just a shot behind Glass in second place with a 98. Annabel Willenbecher of Collegeville rounded out the field in the 16-to-18 division as she finished in third place with a 129.

   Rayan Shah of Newtown bested the field of nine-holers as he had five pars on his scorecard while posting a 5-over 41,

   Preston Mino of Lansdale and Ben Meixell of Wilmington, Del. shared runnerup honors as they finished two shots behind Shah, each carding a 43. Minio made back-to-back pars on the fourth and fifth holes while Meixell made back-to-back birdies at five and six after making a par at four.

   Taimoor Naseem of Sinking Spring finished alone in fourth place with a 45 and Henry Sokol of Villanova and Joseph Aronson of Souderton finished in a tie for fifth, each recording a 46.

   Nathan Levin of Burlington, N.J. took seventh place with a 47, Jason Leekley of Moorestown, N.J. was eighth with a 49 and Nathan Lobo of Collegeville was ninth with a 50.

   Rounding out the top 10 in the coed 12-and-under division field was the trio of Samuel Karas of Blue Bell, Landon Chung of Garnet Valley and Jack Sokol, another member of Villanova’s Team Sokol, all of whom came in with a 52 to finish in a tie for 10^th place.