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| Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Cole Berman attempts to escape trouble on No. 10. |
*Scorecards
*Junior Medalists History
*Junior Team History
*History
*Championship Flight bracket
*First Flight bracket
*Photo Gallery
Philadelphia Cricket’s Berman nabs Junior Boys' No. 1 seed
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Schedule conflicts and other competitive commitments prevented Cole Berman from playing in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Boys’ Championship in previous years. With his calendar clear and goals shifted this year, though, the Haverford, Pa. resident booked a spot in the tournament’s 98th edition. He validated that decision Monday, carding an even-par 70 at a challenging Torresdale-Frankford Country Club (par 70, 6,087 yards).
Berman earned medalist honors and will be the No. 1 seed when match play begins at 8 a.m. tomorrow. He will face Zachary Melnick of Plymouth Country Club, who emerged from a three-for-one playoff to grab the final spot in the Championship Flight. The cut line fell to 78 at the end of the day.
“I’ve wanted to play in this for awhile. I just haven’t been able to,” Berman, who won the Association’s Junior-Junior Boys’ Championship in 2009, said. “I kind of just wanted to play a good round and get into match play. I stayed steady today. I made a couple of bad bogeys, but I had a good amount of birdies, too.”
For an example of the aforementioned “bad bogeys,” look no farther than Berman’s first hole (par 4, 331 yards) Monday. He flew the green with a 110-yard pitching wedge shot that crossed into a “no-par” zone.
“You can’t do anything if you’re long there,” Berman, 16, an incoming junior at The Haverford School, said.
Berman reclaimed the lost stroke with a birdie on No. 2 (par 4, 370 yards). He drilled an 8-iron 140 yards to two feet. But those “bad bogeys” didn’t stay away for long as Berman encountered trouble on No. 3 (par 4, 377 yards). He drive landed in a divot and Berman failed to get up-and-down.
With past success tucked in his arsenal, Berman leveled his played until No. 10 (par 5, 471 yards), where he blocked a 3-wood into the right tree-line. Berman’s low-liner pitching wedge landed on the green but released into the back rough. Berman nudged his ensuing downhill chip 10 feet past the jar and missed the comebacker for par. Another miss right led to a bogey on No. 12 (par 4, 323 yards). Berman steered his drive underneath towering trees, obstructed from the green. He exhausted his second stroke on a sideways punch-out and couldn’t save par.
But the resilient yet reserved Berman kept his composure and fired consecutive birdies to return to 1 over. He knocked a lob wedge 70 yards to eight feet on No. 13 (par 5, 545 yards). Berman put a hybrid 20 feet below the No. 14 (par 3, 180 yards) flagstick and drained a downhill, right-to-left breaker for birdie. He added a fourth red figure to the scorecard on the par 5, 548-yard 16th hole, sticking a lob wedge 60 yards to two feet.
Berman’s grown, both physically and mentally, since his 2009 victory.
“I think my game’s been a little more mature this year,” he said. “I’m getting some distance and making more birdies than I use to. I’m limiting the mistakes, or trying to.”
Also working in Berman’s favor this year is his affiliation with Philadelphia Cricket Club, which finished second in the GAP Team Matches, qualified for the Team Championship and fielded the GAP Middle-Amateur Champion in John Brennan.
“We’re all very competitive with each other,” Berman said. “That’s helped me and it’s helped all of us.”
NOTES — Play was delayed an hour due to lightning in the area … Yardley Country Club’s Reilly Erhardt, the reigning Junior Player of the Year and Harry Hammond Award winner, carded a 5-over-par 75 to qualify as the No. 8 seed. He will oppose Mariano Medico of Fox Hill Country Club tomorrow.
Berkshire Country Club’s Sam Gallen, Brock Kovach and Evan Thornton won the Junior Team Championship. The trio carded a collective 236 — four strokes clear of nearest rival Yardley Country Club.
|
Championship
Flight
|
|
Name,
club
|
Score
|
|
Cole
Berman, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
70
|
|
Mac
Ryan, Overbrook Golf Club
|
72
|
|
Cody
Dazen, Little Mill Country Club
|
74
|
|
Ethan
Heller, Green Valley Country Club
|
74
|
|
Benjamin
Kotler, Bala Golf Club
|
74
|
|
Reilly
Erhardt, Yardley Country Club
|
75
|
|
Mariano
Medico, Fox Hill Country Club
|
75
|
|
Kevin
Conners, Jr., Whitford Country
Club
|
75
|
|
Kevin
Kramarski, Riverton Country Club
|
75
|
|
Brendan
Young, Chester Valley Golf Club
|
76
|
|
Evan
Thornton, Berkshire Country Club
|
76
|
|
Austin
Dunlap, St. Davids Golf Club
|
76
|
|
Drew
Guarino, Burlington Country Club
|
77
|
|
Brock
Kovach, Berkshire Country Club
|
77
|
|
Paul
Yun, Applecross Country
Club
|
77
|
|
*Zachary
Melnick, Plymouth Country Club
|
78
|
| |
|
First
Flight
|
|
R.J.
Wren, Honeybrook Golf Club
|
78
|
|
Luke
McKeogh, The Bucks Club
|
78
|
|
Jack
Gregor, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
79
|
|
Joseph
Rueter, Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
79
|
|
Thomas
Fisher, North Hills Country Club
|
79
|
|
Steven
Altieri, Hopewell Valley Golf Club
|
79
|
|
David
Pontari, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
|
79
|
|
Sean
Fahey, Overbrook Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Robert
Firth, Jr., Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Brendan
Papariello, White Manor Country Club
|
79
|
|
Michael
Barychewsky, Spring Mill Country Club
|
80
|
|
Jake
Van Arkel, Merion Golf Club
|
80
|
|
Ryan
Foll, Yardley Country Club
|
80
|
|
Justin
Elwell, Running Deer Golf Club
|
80
|
|
J.T.
Twomey, Jericho National Golf Club
|
81
|
|
Shamus
Gartley, Fox Hill Country Club
|
81
|
| |
|
Failed
to qualify
|
|
Regan
Erhardt, Yardley Country Club
|
82
|
|
Gregory
Szrom, Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour
|
82
|
|
Matthew
Bastian, Jr., Rolling Green Golf Club
|
82
|
|
Michael
Reed-Price, Sunnybrook Golf Club
|
82
|
|
Rich
Antonio, Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour
|
83
|
|
Daniel
Altieri, Hopewell Valley Golf Club
|
83
|
|
Sam
Gallen, Berkshire Country Club
|
83
|
|
Connor
Sharp, Torresdale-Frankford Country Club
|
83
|
|
Will
Flood, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
83
|
|
Nick
Cappetti, Burlington Country Club
|
83
|
|
Hank
Kaufmann, Yardley Country Club
|
83
|
|
Mac
Walsh, Aronimink Golf Club
|
83
|
|
John
Concannon, Concord Country Club
|
84
|
|
Kyle
Allan, Phoenixville Country Club
|
84
|
|
Sean
Ebert, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
84
|
|
Jacob
Klaus, Tavistock Country Club
|
85
|
|
Kyle
Putnam, Talamore Country Club
|
85
|
|
Ben
Litt, Riverton Country Club
|
85
|
|
Alex
Dupre, Rolling Green Golf Club
|
85
|
|
Jesse
Hunsicker, Talamore
Country Club
|
85
|
|
Jonathan
Liu, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
86
|
|
Quinn
Dolan, Rolling Green Golf Club
|
86
|
|
Joey
Russo, Running Deer Golf Club
|
86
|
|
Lane
Udis, Meadowlands Country Club
|
86
|
|
Chris
Binet, Whitemarsh Valley
Country Club
|
87
|
|
Paul
Mauer, Jr., Stonewall
|
87
|
|
Brian
Fischer, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
87
|
|
Brad
Ebersole, The Ridge at Back Brook
|
88
|
|
Jake
Fazio, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
88
|
|
Jack
Quirk, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
88
|
|
Liam
Dougherty, Wildwood Golf & Country Club
|
88
|
|
Jake
Sotiros, Burlington Country Club
|
88
|
|
Kyle
Kost, Lookaway Golf Club
|
89
|
|
Peter
Dissinger, Merion Golf Club
|
89
|
|
Jack
Hirsh, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
89
|
|
Michael
Winter, Seaview Resort & Spa
|
90
|
|
Matt
Amey, Old York Road Country Club
|
90
|
|
Cole
Swiger, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
90
|
|
Harrison
Moon, St. Davids Golf Club
|
90
|
|
Todd
Smith, Trenton Country Club
|
90
|
|
Jack
McAleese, Aronimink Golf
Club
|
90
|
|
Colin
Connor, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
91
|
|
Jack
Lewis, Spring Ford Country Club
|
92
|
|
Evan
Beaty, Plymouth Country Club
|
92
|
|
Eric
Studer, Makefield
Highlands Golf Club
|
92
|
|
Jack
Grasso, Sunnybrook Golf Club
|
93
|
|
Dylan
Delvecchio, Yardley Country Club
|
94
|
|
Michael
Hammar, Yardley Country Club
|
95
|
|
Ryan
Brennan, Rolling Green Golf Club
|
97
|
|
Ryan
Bowman, Aronimink Golf Club
|
98
|
|
Patrick
Clearkin, Old York Road Country Club
|
100
|
|
Drew
Petri, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
100
|
|
Hugh
Farris, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
102
|
|
Matt
Grubb, Overbrook Golf Club
|
WD
|
|
John
Mastronardo, Cedarbrook
Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Ryan
Conner, Yardley Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Ken
Taras, Laurel Creek Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Patrick
McGrath, Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour
|
WD
|
|
Jay
Losty, Merion Golf Club
|
WD
|
| |
|
*-advanced
in playoff; WD-withdrawal
|
|
Team
|
Total
|
|
Berkshire CC
|
236
|
|
Brock Kovach
|
77*
|
|
Evan Thornton
|
76*
|
|
Sam Gallen
|
83*
|
|
|
Yardley CC
|
240
|
|
Hank Kaufmann
|
83*
|
|
Reilly Erhardt
|
75*
|
|
Regan Erhardt
|
82*
|
|
Dylan Delvecchio
|
94
|
|
|
Huntingdon Valley CC
|
246
|
|
Jack Quirk
|
88*
|
|
Joseph Rueter, Jr.
|
79*
|
|
Jack Gregor
|
79*
|
|
Cole Swiger
|
90
|
|
|
Burlington CC
|
248
|
|
Nick Cappetti
|
83*
|
|
Drew Guarino
|
77*
|
|
Jake Sotiros
|
88*
|
|
|
Commonwealth National GC
|
249
|
|
Brian Fischer
|
87
|
|
Jonathan Liu
|
86*
|
|
Robert Firth, Jr.
|
79*
|
|
Sean Ebert
|
84*
|
|
|
Rolling Green GC
|
253
|
|
Matthew Bastian, Jr.
|
82*
|
|
Alex Dupre
|
85*
|
|
Quinn Dolan
|
86*
|
|
Ryan Brennan
|
97
|
|
|
Aronimink GC
|
271
|
|
Ryan Bowman
|
98*
|
|
Jack McAleese
|
90*
|
|
Mac Walsh
|
83*
|
|
|
Makefield Highlands GC
|
283
|
|
Colin Connor
|
91*
|
|
Drew Petri
|
100*
|
|
Eric Studer
|
92*
|
|
|
* - score counted toward team total
|
|
