Plymouth CC's Melnick Jr. tops Junior Boys’ Qualifier
NEWARK, Del.– Kevin Melnick, Jr. of Plymouth CC blistered the field to earn medallist honors at the 93rd running of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Boys’ Championship by carding four birdies en route to a bogey-free, 4-under-par 67 at a sweltering Cavaliers CC (par 71, 6,486 yards).
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| Kevin Melnick, Jr. |
Melnick is now the top seed heading to Wednesday’s first round of match play set to begin at 7:30 a.m.
Russell Hartung of Doylestown CC finished four strokes back in second place with an even-par 71 to grab the second seed while Robert Robertson of Philadelphia Cricket Club capped his day off with a 2-over-par 73 to take third.
Sixteen players qualified for the Championship Flight after eight players tied at 76 battled it out in extra holes for five spots. In the First Flight, 11 players were tied at 78 and headed to a playoff for the remaining six spots.
Melnick, who will be attending the International Junior Golf Academy in South Carolina this fall, birdied hole Nos. 2 (par 4, 399 yards), 3 (par 3, 159 yards), 6 (par 4, 412 yards) and 18 (par 4, 379 yards). His first birdie came when he stroked an 8-iron to 10 feet just below the hole. From there Melnick drained the uphill, slight left-to-right breaking putt for birdie.
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| Russell Hartung |
And despite his four birdies, Melnick actually said the key moments of his round came when he made back-to-back pars after seeing his tee shot find trouble on hole No. 14 (par 4, 404 yards) and again on 15 (par 3, 200 yards).
On No. 14 his tee shot took a rather fortuitous bounce off a tree that ended up allowing Melnick to save par. Then on No. 15 his errant tee ball found the greenside bunker. From there he was able to get up-and-down for par.
"Yeah, it’s nice," said Melnick of his medallist honors, "But it’s a whole new thing tomorrow. It’s good [to be seeded high], but it doesn’t really matter that much."
Melnick, who admits to not having much experience in match play, said he feels more comfortable with the match play format.
"With match play you’re never really out of it," he said. "One bad hole doesn’t take you out."
This was Melnick’s first attempt at the Junior Boys’ Championship.
A field of 109 players competed in today’s event.
The Junior Team Championship also runs concurrently with the Junior Boys' Championship Qualifier. Teams consist of three or four players with the low three scores counting toward the final total.
Merion GC's first team and its four entrants – J.D. Hall (76), Erik Fischer (77), Austin List (78) and James Tallent (82) – finished with a team total of 231.
The Junior Team Championship started in 1950.
Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 135 Member Clubs and 60,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The purpose of the Association is simple: To promote, protect and preserve the game of golf in the region.
|
Championship Flight |
|
Name |
Club |
F9 |
B9 |
Total |
|
Kevin Melnick, Jr. |
Plymouth Country Club |
32 |
35 |
67 |
|
Russell Hartung |
Doylestown Country Club |
35 |
36 |
71 |
|
Robert Robertson |
Philadelphia Cricket Club |
35 |
38 |
73 |
|
Eric Spiller |
Woodcrest Country Club |
38 |
36 |
74 |
|
J.R. Fasy |
Wilmington Country Club |
36 |
38 |
74 |
|
Michael Kania |
Overbrook Golf Club |
37 |
37 |
74 |
|
Paul Kovalcheck |
Lu Lu Country Club |
36 |
38 |
74 |
|
Robert Galbreath, Jr. |
Huntingdon Valley Country Club |
36 |
38 |
74 |
|
James Bea |
Spring Mill Country Club |
35 |
40 |
75 |
|
Vinny Alessi |
Penn Oaks Golf Club |
35 |
40 |
75 |
|
Warren Taylor |
Yardley Country Club |
37 |
38 |
75 |
|
*Bobby Arthur |
Tavistock Country Club |
36 |
40 |
76 |
|
*J.D. Hall |
Merion Golf Club |
37 |
39 |
76 |
|
*Jimmy Johnston |
Merion Golf Club |
39 |
37 |
76 |
|
*Joe Bernard |
RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve |
37 |
39 |
76 |
|
*Kevin Genuardi |
Cedarbrook Country Club |
39 |
37 |
76 |
| |
|
First Flight |
|
*Ted Kerschner |
Overbrook Golf Club |
37 |
39 |
76 |
|
*Aaron Burton |
Five Ponds Golf Club |
35 |
41 |
76 |
|
*Sam Lerner |
Woodcrest Country Club |
36 |
40 |
76 |
|
Andrew Lawson |
Hershey's Mill Golf Club |
38 |
39 |
77 |
|
Edward McCrossen, Jr. |
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
37 |
40 |
77 |
|
Erik Fischer |
Merion Golf Club |
38 |
39 |
77 |
|
Kent Dolby, Jr. |
Waynesborough Country Club |
38 |
39 |
77 |
|
Peter Eiler |
Commonwealth National Golf Club |
42 |
35 |
77 |
|
Pierce Dever |
Jericho National Golf Club |
37 |
40 |
77 |
|
Ryan Carroll |
Chester Valley Golf Club |
36 |
41 |
77 |
|
*Andrew Zoeller |
Waynesborough Country Club |
39 |
39 |
78 |
|
*Austin List |
Merion Golf Club |
39 |
39 |
78 |
|
*Daniel Bernard |
RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve |
37 |
41 |
78 |
|
*Joseph Gunerman |
Yardley Country Club |
40 |
38 |
78 |
|
*Mark DiEleuterio |
Cavaliers Country Club |
35 |
43 |
78 |
|
*Zach Emery |
White Manor Country Club |
37 |
41 |
78 |
| |
|
Failed to qualify |
|
*Martin Schlenker |
Penn Oaks Golf Club |
37 |
41 |
78 |
|
*Jeff LeFevre, Jr. |
Linwood Country Club |
39 |
39 |
78 |
|
*Greg Verde |
Spring Ford Country Club |
36 |
42 |
78 |
|
*Greg Jarmas |
Philadelphia Publinks GA |
40 |
38 |
78 |
|
*Chip Culp |
Philadelphia Cricket Club |
38 |
40 |
78 |
|
Eric Chipin |
Philmont Country Club |
39 |
40 |
79 |
|
John Inman |
Cherry Valley Country Club |
39 |
40 |
79 |
|
Kolya Wheeler |
White Clay Creek Country Club |
38 |
41 |
79 |
|
Matt Dudas |
Indian Valley Country Club |
39 |
40 |
79 |
|
Nelson Hargrove |
Merion Golf Club |
35 |
44 |
79 |
|
Robert Pina |
Chester Valley Golf Club |
35 |
44 |
79 |
|
Ted Brennan |
Philadelphia Country Club |
40 |
39 |
79 |
|
Tommy Shin |
Laurel Creek Country Club |
39 |
40 |
79 |
|
Tucker Koch |
RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve |
39 |
40 |
79 |
|
Tyler Yearley |
Jericho National Golf Club |
39 |
40 |
79 |
|
Alexander Penza |
Llanerch Country Club |
36 |
44 |
80 |
|
Beau Guarino |
Burlington Country Club |
37 |
43 |
80 |
|
Connor Coldwater |
Glenmaura National Golf Club |
38 |
42 |
80 |
|
Garrett Conway |
Burlington Country Club |
43 |
37 |
80 |
|
Michael deJuliis |
Cavaliers Country Club |
36 |
44 |
80 |
|
Michael Ignatuk |
Penn Oaks Golf Club |
43 |
37 |
80 |
|
Oliver White |
Manufacturers Golf & Country Club |
38 |
42 |
80 |
|
Hunter Hanson |
Waynesborough Country Club |
40 |
41 |
81 |
|
Ian Byerly |
Coatesville Country Club |
42 |
39 |
81 |
|
James Braunsberg |
Blue Bell Country Club |
42 |
39 |
81 |
|
Richard Marabella |
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
37 |
44 |
81 |
|
Ryan Winchester |
Makefield Highlands Golf Club |
37 |
44 |
81 |
|
William Hoese |
Links Golf Club |
42 |
39 |
81 |
|
Andrew Schmehl |
Moorestown Field Club |
41 |
41 |
82 |
|
Christian Mauriello |
Greate Bay Country Club |
39 |
43 |
82 |
|
Connor McNicholas |
Talamore at Oak Terrace Country Club |
40 |
42 |
82 |
|
James Tallent |
Merion Golf Club |
42 |
40 |
82 |
|
Nicholas Mignogna |
Blue Bell Country Club |
42 |
40 |
82 |
|
Richard Gross |
Glenmaura National Golf Club |
40 |
42 |
82 |
|
Sean Duetsch |
Links Golf Club |
38 |
44 |
82 |
|
Bill Kuchinsky |
Downingtown Golf Club |
42 |
41 |
83 |
|
Cameron Liebert |
Edgmont Country Club |
40 |
43 |
83 |
|
Eric Schaft |
Sandy Run Country Club |
40 |
43 |
83 |
|
Greg Walsh |
Philadelphia Country Club |
43 |
40 |
83 |
|
J. Tommy Tighe |
Philadelphia Country Club |
40 |
43 |
83 |
|
Matthew Teesdale |
Commonwealth National Golf Club |
36 |
47 |
83 |
|
Steven Dougherty |
Woodbury Country Club |
41 |
42 |
83 |
|
Brett Murphy |
Wildwood Golf & Country Club |
43 |
41 |
84 |
|
Jack Russell |
Philadelphia Cricket Club |
42 |
42 |
84 |
|
John Palmer |
Chester Valley Golf Club |
41 |
43 |
84 |
|
Patrick Welsh |
Huntingdon Valley Country Club |
45 |
39 |
84 |
|
Steven Broll |
Aronimink Golf Club |
43 |
41 |
84 |
|
Zachary Falone |
Woodbury Country Club |
40 |
44 |
84 |
|
CJ Van Ostenbridge |
Spring Ford Country Club |
42 |
43 |
85 |
|
Seth Stake |
Gulph Mills Golf Club |
39 |
46 |
85 |
|
Daniel O'Shea |
Llanerch Country Club |
42 |
44 |
86 |
|
Frank Fulginiti |
Trenton Country Club |
42 |
44 |
86 |
|
Dave Long |
Honeybrook Golf Club |
39 |
48 |
87 |
|
Jack Ulan |
Cedarbrook Country Club |
41 |
46 |
87 |
|
Eric Brown |
West Chester Golf & Country Club |
45 |
43 |
88 |
|
Michael Manwaring |
Philadelphia Cricket Club |
44 |
44 |
88 |
|
Nicholas Bellisario |
Rolling Green Golf Club |
43 |
45 |
88 |
|
Bryan Pratt |
Yardley Country Club |
45 |
44 |
89 |
|
Erik Schlenker |
Penn Oaks Golf Club |
42 |
47 |
89 |
|
Mark Hagel |
McCall Golf & Country Club |
41 |
48 |
89 |
|
Martin Hayden |
Overbrook Golf Club |
43 |
46 |
89 |
|
Nick Trautman |
Hartefeld National |
39 |
50 |
89 |
|
Tim Pici |
Chester Valley Golf Club |
41 |
49 |
90 |
|
Jack Loeber, III |
Wedgwood Country Club |
47 |
44 |
91 |
|
Julian Dorey |
Tavistock Country Club |
43 |
48 |
91 |
|
Ryan Curran |
Penn Oaks Golf Club |
42 |
49 |
91 |
|
Joey Fabrizio |
Aronimink Golf Club |
47 |
45 |
92 |
|
Paul Carbone, Jr. |
Old York Road Country Club |
43 |
50 |
93 |
|
Ryan Barba |
Hartefeld National |
48 |
45 |
93 |
|
Zach Weiss |
Meadowlands Country Club |
43 |
50 |
93 |
|
Kyle Dolby |
Waynesborough Country Club |
42 |
52 |
94 |
|
David Fischer |
Merion Golf Club |
48 |
47 |
95 |
|
Blaise Hopkins |
Jericho National Golf Club |
49 |
50 |
99 |
|
Andrew Carroll |
Chester Valley Golf Club |
WD |
WD |
WD |
|
Dylan Chou |
St. Davids Golf Club |
NC |
NC |
NC |
|
Edmond Fenton |
Jericho National Golf Club |
WD |
WD |
WD |
|
Lee Zoeller, Jr. |
Waynesborough Country Club |
WD |
WD |
WD |
| |
|
*-determined in playoff |
|
WD-withdrawal; NC-no card |
|
