Colman Mitchell earned the No. 1 seed by posting a 2-over-par 37 in the stroke play qualifier.

Wilmington’s Mitchell grabs Jr.-Jr. Boys’ medal, gains quarterfinals

  WEST CHESTER, Pa. — Since winning the Junior-Junior Boys’ Championship in 2013, Colman Mitchell raised his personal expectations for subsequent appearances in the tournament. He emphatically answered one of those at West Chester Golf & Country Club (par 35, 2,613 yards) Monday.

  Mitchell, 13, of Winston-Salem, N.C., carded a 2-over-par 37 to earn the medalist honors in the Junior-Junior Boys’ stroke play qualifier. He then ousted Kennett Square Golf & Country Club’s Jack Cooley, 5&4, to gain the quarterfinals. There he will face Ryan McCabe of The Springhaven Club at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow.

  The semifinals will immediately follow. The 18-hole Championship Match is set for 8 a.m. Wednesday. All matches, other than the final, as well as qualifying are nine holes.

  “I wanted to win medalist today,” Mitchell, a Wilmington Country Club member, said. “I played pretty solid. I didn’t really mess up a lot. I hit it down the fairway, knocked it on the green and two-putted. I haven’t really been hitting it that well this summer. I’m consistent with getting it on the green and two-putting.”

  Mitchell revealed his medalist intentions immediately with a birdie on No. 1 (par 5, 429 yards). He ripped a 5-wood 200 yards to 15 feet and two-putted. He also inked red on another par 5 (No. 8, 420 yards), lifting a lob wedge 40 yards to 10 feet.

  Mitchell, a soon-to-be eighth grader at Forsyth Country Day School, continued to satisfy personal promises with a decisive victory in the Round of 16 against Cooley. The first hole foretold his fortunes. Mitchell powered a 5-wood 215 yards out of the right rough to seven feet and two-putted for birdie. He won every hole thereafter before closing Cooley out on the par 4, 309-yard No. 5. Mitchell hit another lob wedge 40 yards to 10 feet for a 3.

  “I’m just trying to get to the Final again,” Mitchell said. “It always feels good to win a match. It gives you confidence heading into the next one.”

  Mitchell and his family relocated to North Carolina last year but are spending the summer in Wilmington, Del.

  Brothers Kevin and Matthew Lafond advanced into match play in the Championship Flight Monday. Although both lost in the Round of 16, the Blue Bell Country Club members found joy in their bracket spots.

  “It’s awesome. I didn’t expect it,” Kevin, 10, of Blue Bell, Pa., said. “I’m one of the youngest kids here and I usually don’t play well in tournaments. I thought I did very well with my short game today.”

  “It was great [to see us in the Championship Flight],” Matthew, 13, also of Blue Bell, Pa., added.

  Kevin qualified as the No. 10 seed, Matthew the No. 14. Monday marked seven straight days of golf together for the Lafonds. Both attend Saint Helena School; Kevin is a rising fifth grader, Matthew an eighth grader.

  Aronimink Golf Club’s Case Hummer, the tournament’s defending champion, didn’t compete Monday.

  Now in its 67th year, the Junior-Junior Boys’ Championship is open to players from Member Clubs who are 10 to 13 years of age.

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 151 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
Round of 16
1. Colman Mitchell, Wilmington CC d. 16. Jack Cooley, Kennett Square G&CC, 5&4
9. Ryan McCabe, The Springhaven Club d. 8. Luke Watson, Spring Ford CC, 1-up
4. Jacob Zeng, Applecross CC d. 13. Brett McGrath, Huntingdon Valley CC, 1-up
12. Louis John Giovi, Mercer Oaks GC d. 5. Joseph Morganti, Llanerch CC, 3&1
2. Milo Jezzeny, The Bucks Club d. 15. Heyward George, Aronimink GC, 3&2
7. Patrick Isztwan, Huntingdon Valley CC d. 10. Kevin Lafond, Blue Bell CC, 4&3
3. Kevin Smith, The Springhaven Club d. 14. Matthew Lafond, Blue Bell CC, 4&3
11. Dolan Cox, White Manor CC d. 6. Jake Maddaloni, Aronimink GC, 3&2

First Flight
Round of 16
1. Ben Stewart, Philadelphia Cricket Club d. 16. Matthew Buckley, Rolling Green GC, 5&3
8. Darren Nolan, Talamore CC d. 9. Anthony Ciconte, Wilmington CC, 4&3
4. Matthew Berkenstock, Bent Creek CC d. 13. Charlie Hurchalla, The Springhaven Club, 5&3
12. Bobby Nicholson, CC of York d. 5. David Fitzgerald, Jr., Greate Bay CC, 2-up
2. Leo Brunk, Trenton CC d. 15. Jake Ladden, Whitford CC, 1-up
10. Chase Stephano, St. Davids GC d. 7. Conor Kennedy, Trenton CC, 2&1
3. Kevin Civitella, Radnor Valley CC d. 14. Liam Buckley, Rolling Green GC, 2&1
6. Luke Opielski, Skippack GC at Evansburg State Park d. 11. Tyler Kidwell, Sandy Run CC, 5&4