| Golfweek Junior Shootout, Penn National Golf Club |
| Mt. Alto, PA, 17222 |
| April 4-5 2009 |
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| Director: Gelenberg |
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Everyone Knows It’s Windy
How do you play golf in winds gusting to 35 mph? According to 42 players, quite nicely, thank you! Saturday’s wind gave way to a beautiful Sunday – blue skies, sunshine, no wind, warm temperatures – and lots of great golf.
FAQ
Q: With all that wind, did anyone bag an eagle?
A: Tim Gregg (Boys 14-15 division) had one on Saturday, putting him squarely in first place after the first round. Brantley Kushner’s 35 on the front nine (the only sub-par nine of the day) put him in second along with Chris Kapsak. On Sunday, Chris lit up the course with a 71 and took first and weekend medalist. Tim and Brantley went to a playoff and, after two ties, Tim’s chip in during the third round earned second. Scott Davidson and Alex El-Kordi Hubbard’s hours of post-Saturday round chipping practice (with instruction by a Pennsylvania short-game legend) helped them earn fourth and fifth respectively. Michael Chanaud turned in two solid rounds (including a personal PJGT best) and grabbed sixth. Well done!
Q: Rumor has it that the Boys 16-19 division was very close. True?
A: That’s no rumor! Tyler Fewell’s 76 on Saturday gave him a six stroke lead over Tim Ritter and Ryan Rettberg. But Tim’s amazing 73 on Sunday gave him a one stroke victory, with Ryan’s 75 putting him two strokes back and earning third. Congrats!
Q: Did Sunday’s great weather help the Girls 12-14 division?
A: You bet! Every player improved on Sunday. Alex White shot a strong 75 on Sunday to take first place, Jordan McKelvin shaved 10 strokes and earned second, and both Natalie Curran and Stephanie Curran dropped 15 strokes and grabbed third and fourth. Kuriko Tsukiyama had a great round on Saturday and tried to battle through illness on Sunday, but her round was cut short. Way to go, girls!
Q: How many strokes separated the Girls 8-11 division after the first round?
A: None! All three players shot 82 in the wind. On Sunday, all three players put together amazing rounds in the seventies! Amber Liu’s 75 (a personal PJGT best) earned first and weekend medalist, Shannon Brooks’ 78 (tied with her personal PJGT best) took second, and Delaney Shah’s 79 (her personal PJGT best) took third. Great job!
Q: How did the Girls 15-19 division do?
A: Nicole Feaster shaved ten strokes off between Saturday and Sunday and earned second. Wind, no wind, Sophia Montenegro didn’t care – she fired two strong rounds of 82 and 83 and took first. Good job!
Q: The first group out was the Boys 8-9 division. How did they handle the course?
A: Very well! Evan Greenplate and John Kalavritinos teed off 25 minutes behind the last of the public players on Saturday and caught up to them! Along the way, they both played through wind strong enough to carry them both away and shot decent scores in those conditions. After Sunday’s round, Evan earned first and John took second. Well done in these conditions, boys – and great pace of play!
Q: Zack Taylor (Boys 10-11 division) is on a five tournament winning streak. How did he do?
A: Make that six! Using a putter that is older than he is, Zack extended his winning streak at Penn National. On Sunday, Paolo Matti and Trevor Maco both improved their Saturday rounds and earned second and third respectively. Great job!
Q: The Boys 12-13 division always has some great golf. How about this time?
A: This division delivered yet again. Bennett Wisner’s 79 on Saturday (the only Saturday sub-80 round in this division) was followed up by a 78 on Sunday and a victory. Jackson Lizardo and Aaron Staley fired great rounds on Sunday and earned second and third respectively, with Max Bell playing through illness and still taking fourth. Well done!
Thanks to everyone for another wonderful tournament. We’re seeing so many improvements in swings and scores as the season has progressed, which is terrific to witness. But we’re also seeing new friendships being formed between players and parents, which is the best side-benefit of playing on our Tour. Thanks to all our new friends.
See you next time!
Phil, Pené and Ben
philgel@gmail.com
