*Scorecards Talamore’s Griffin grabs Junior Boys’ medal, sets scoring recordRINGOES, N.J. — If a Golf Association of Philadelphia scoring record needs to remain intact, then it shouldn’t be placed within Jalen Griffin’s crosshairs. The Talamore Country Club youngster is likely to shatter it, as evident by his performance Tuesday in the qualifying round of the 99th Junior Boys’ Championship at a serene The Ridge at Back Brook (par 72, 6,358 yards). Less than a year removed from a record-setting victory in The Christman Cup (a 7-under-par 133), Griffin set another scoring benchmark, carding a 5-under-par 67 to earn medalist honors. His score, in relation to par, breaks Kevin Melnick, Jr. of Plymouth Country Club’s mark of 67, set at Cavaliers Country Club, a par 71, in 2007. “That’s absolutely amazing,” a jubilant Griffin, 17, of Ambler, Pa., said. “I’m definitely getting my game back. Hopefully someone can beat me in the next few years. Not to sound cocky, but I guess I’m giving someone a number to go after.” Griffin will occupy the No. 2 seed when match play begins tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. Fox Hill Country Club’s Mariano Medico is seeded No. 1 because he is returning as the tournament’s defending champion. Medico, 17, of Shavertown, Pa., filed a 5-over-par 77 Tuesday. Griffin’s effort came as a slight surprise, given his wobbly golf game as of late. In last week’s Amateur Championship Qualifier, Griffin posted a resonate 163-total and failed to advance into match play. The incoming Wissahickon High School senior completed his final exams three days ago (“That was a big stress reliever I guess,” he said), purchased a new putter and, with the academic year in the books, dedicated more time to the practice range. The new flatstick is clearly working wonders; Griffin tallied 25 putts on receptive surfaces en route to the Junior Boys’ medal. “The greens are unbelievably perfect. Everything runs so true,” he said. “I really hit my lines today.” Short in stature yet tall in talent, Griffin, who represented GAP in the 2012 Williamson Cup, played The Ridge at Back Brook’s par 5s in 4 under. He executed a 20-yard pitch shot that caught the downslope and stopped two feet from the No. 5 (515 yards) cup. With 80 yards to the No. 7 (550 yards) flagstick, he left a lob wedge 25 feet above the hole and canned the 12-inch breaker. Griffin faced an identical yardage on No. 14 (517 yards), used the same club for his approach and swept in a five-footer. After nearly reaching the 512-yard 11th hole with a 3-wood from 243 yards, Griffin utilized the unbridled terrain by hitting a flop shot that settled five feet from the jar. “My short game was unbelievable today. I hit everything exactly where I wanted,” he said. “I put myself in 80 yards a lot today. I was hitting lob wedge dead perfect.” Griffin didn’t leave the par 4s and 3s unscathed, either. He hit a pitching wedge 140 yards to 15 feet for birdie on the No. 4 (par 4, 380 yards). And on the par 3, 163-yard 17th hole, Griffin stopped a 9-iron nine feet left of the flagstick and sunk a downhill left-to-right slider that dropped in the heart. His lone blemish occurred on the challenging No. 9 (par 4, 370 yards). After knocking a wedge from 55 yards to 35 feet above the hole, Griffin proceeded to three-putt. “I’m not a big scoreboard watcher, but I was trying to see who was on it,” he said. “I guess I wasn’t focused on putting much there.” All are now bound to watch Griffin’s name on the scoreboard. To secure the medalist’s scoring record, Griffin needed to rely on the power he felt in the aforementioned 80-yard hot zone. He launched a downhill 6-iron from 203 yards into an environmentally sensitive area, took a drop and stopped, you guessed it, a lob wedge three feet from the hole location. Griffin’s company Tuesday also factored into his 5 under score. He played alongside Makefield Highlands Golf Club’s Reilly Erhardt, Merchantville Country Club’s Connor Goodrich and Riverton Country Club’s Kevin Kramarski. The foursome posted a combined 3 under. Schedule conflicts prevented Griffin from previously competing in the Junior Boys’ Championship. Now, he looks forward to his match play debut. “Hopefully, I won’t put too much pressure on myself,” Griffin said. “Instead of looking at scoreboards, I’ll know where I am in the match.” Griffin will face Phoenixville Country Club’s Kyle Allan, who emerged from a seven-for-three sudden-death playoff to advance. The cut line for the Championship flight stopped at 76 by day’s end. NOTES—Play was suspended for an hour and five minutes due to lightning in the area … Erhardt, the 2011 Junior Player of the Year, and Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Cole Berman, the reigning Junior POY and Harry Hammond Award winner, both finished at 1 under to advance into match play … Riverton’s Matthew Ade, David Gall, Ben Litt and Kramarski won the Junior Team Championship. Counting three of four scores, the group carded a collective 222 to lead their home course to its first Junior Team title. 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 143 Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. As Philadelphia’s Most Trusted Source of Golf Information, the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
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A Walk Through Time
GAP is the oldest state or regional golf association in the country. It started courtesy of a friendly competition – the Team Matches – and has grown into the preeminent golf association in the country. Along the way, golf history has been made.
