Case Hummer of Aronimink Golf Club is pumped after sinking this birdie putt on No. 7 (par 4, 280 yards) during his Junior-Junior Boys' Championship semifinal match at Flourtown Country Club.

*Day One results
*Match play bracket
*History

HVCC’s Frankie Gregor, AGC’s Case Hummer in 66th Jr.-Jr. final

  FLOURTOWN, Pa.–Frankie Gregor of Huntingdon Valley Country Club and Case Hummer of Aronimink Golf Club utilized some timely putting on Tuesday to advance to the 66th Junior-Junior Boys’ Championship title match. The Final, to be contested over 18 holes (all prior matches were nine holes), starts at 8 a.m. Wednesday at Flourtown Country Club.

  Gregor stopped defending champion Colman Mitchell of Wilmington Country Club, 2-up, in one semifinal. Earlier he got past Daniel Bastian of Rolling Green Golf Club, the No. 2 seed, 2&1, in the quarters.

  Hummer upended No. 8 Alec Ryden of Laurel Creek Country Club, 2&1, in his semifinal match after defeating fifth-seeded Daniel Kovacevich of Trenton Country Club, 10 holes, in the quarters.

  “I knew if I played well I might have a chance this week,” said Gregor, 13, of North Wales, Pa. “I just wanted to play well this week and make it as far as I could.”

  Said Hummer, “I didn’t think I’d get this far. Going into today I told my mom if I win my match this morning and didn’t win the one in the afternoon, I still would have been happy because I would have gotten as far as I wanted.”

  In the Gregor-Mitchell match, the turning point was a hole the two halved.

  All Square thru five, on No. 6 (par 4, 357 yards), Mitchell came up a few yards shy of the green with a straight and true 3-wood from the fairway. He chipped up tight and was conceded a par. Gregor took the circuitous route. Gregor's tee ball found the right treeline, punched out to 75 yards and lifted a 60-degree wedge to 15 feet above the hole. After a conversation with caddie and older cousin Jack, an incoming freshman at Bucknell University, Gregor rolled in the bender for a fantastic 4.

  “I knew I had to make it,” said Gregor, 13, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. “I knew I had to get it up-and-down after he was in good shape.”

  And Mitchell?

  “That shook me a little bit,” said Mitchell, 12, of Wilmington, Del. “He hit a lot of big putts the whole match.”

  Gregor, a rising eighth grader at Ancillae Assumpta Academy, carried that momentum to the right-hand bending No. 7 (par 4, 280 yards).

  His wedge from 118 yards found the left greenside fringe and he converted a two-putt for par, the last a delicate five-footer. Mitchell's 120-yard, 8-iron approach landed in the treacherous front left bunker in a fried-egg lie. His 15-foot par try rolled past the hole.

  The duo halved No. 8 (par 3, 126 yards) after both tee balls stopped just short left of the green.

  On No. 9 (par 4, 330 yards), Gregor found the fairway before knocking an 8-iron from 135 yards to the greenside fringe, about 35 feet below the cup. He holed a clutch, and pressure-filled, five-footer for par. Mitchell, who never seemed comfortable after No. 6, reached the green in three.

  Similar to the Gregor-Mitchell match, Ryden-Hummer were All Square thru six holes.

  Hummer, 12, of Glen Mills, Pa., then turned up the heat.

  On No. 7, he lifted a gap wedge from 90 yards to five feet and made the birdie try. Ryden’s approach went long into the back bunker. His sand shot skidded across the green forcing him to chip again.

  “I knew I needed to two putt to win the hole, but making the birdie gave me a lot confidence heading to the next hole,” said Hummer, a rising seventh grader at Episcopal Academy. “I wanted to hit [the tee shot] on eight close.”

  Hummer, with honors, did that. His pitching wedge landed and stopped 10 feet below the hole.

  Ryden, rattled, missed the green left. The 13 year old from Moorestown, N.J., flopped a fabulous recovery chip to six feet, but Hummer’s putter remained potent. He converted a second straight birdie chance for the win.

  Flourtown Country Club is in Hummer’s comfort zone. This June he won a Philadelphia Section of the PGA Junior Tour event at Flourtown with a score of 34.

  “The course sets up well for me,” said Hummer. “I like how some holes you can hit a wedge in and some holes you have to hit a long iron.”

  Earlier in the day, Ryden defeated Matthew Civitella of Waynesborough Country Club, the medalist, 2&1, to reach the semis. That match included Ryden’s first eagle. He chipped in on No. 2 (par 5, 410 yards) after going over the green.

  Matthew Lafond of Blue Bell Country Club and Jacob Zeng of Applecross Country Club will contest the First Flight Final.

  Zeng was the No. 2 seed after qualifying and Lafond the fourth.

Golf Association of Philadelphia
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 150 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.

Championship Flight
Semifinals
13. Case Hummer, Aronimink GC, d. 8. Alec Ryden, Laurel Creek CC, 2&1.
7. Frankie Gregor, Huntingdon Valley CC, d. 6. Colman Mitchell, Wilmington CC, 2-up.

Quarterfinals
8. Ryden d. 1. Matt Civitella, Waynesborough CC, 2&1.
13. Hummer d. 5. Daniel Kovacevich, Trenton CC, 10 holes.
7. Gregor d. 2. Daniel Bastian, Rolling Green GC, 2&1.
6. Mitchell d. 14. Nicholas Hano, III, Aronimink GC, 3&2.

First Flight
Semifinals
4. Matthew Lafond, Blue Bell CC, d. 1. Matthew Berkenstock, Bent Creek CC, 2-up.
2. Jacob Zeng, Applecross CC, d. 6. Jack Murray, Stonewall, 3&2.

Quarterfinals
1. Berkenstock d. 8. Heyward George, Aronimink GC, 4&2.
4. Lafond d. 5. Finn McGarry, Tavistock CC, 3&2.
2. Zeng d. 7. John McClatchy, Whitford CC, 1-up.
6. Murray d. 3. Darren Nolan, Huntingdon Valley CC, 3&2.