|
 |
| Nicholas Gianelos visualizes his next shot on No. 18 (par 4, 380 yards) tee. |
Radley Run’s Gianelos grabs Junior Boys’ medal, breaks record
HADDONFIELD, N.J. — A triple bogey is a tough way to start a tournament. Ten birdies thereafter are an unbelievable way to recover.
| Scorecards |
Photo gallery |
Medalists history |
Junior Team Championship history |
Video recap |
| Championship Flight match play bracket |
First Flight match play bracket |
Radley Run Country Club’s Nicholas Gianelos experienced that wild scenario Wednesday during the 102nd Junior Boys’ Championship Qualifier at Tavistock Country Club (par 72, 6,346 yards). He carded a 7-under-par 65 to top the field of 142. Gianelos broke the event’s scoring record, in relation to par, of 67 — a mark set in 2013 by Talamore Country Club’s Jalen Griffin.
The rising Unionville High School junior will face No. 16 seed Griffin Smith of Jericho National Golf Club in the Championship Flight. Match play begins at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow.
“After starting off with a triple (bogey), I was like, ‘Forget it and see what happens,’” Gianelos, 16, of West Chester, Pa., said. “I got a practice round in here before, so I learned the greens very well. That helped greatly, knowing how to play the slopes.”
After striping a “perfect drive” on No. 1 (par 4, 326 yards), Gianelos thinned a 75-yard wedge shot into a bed of mulch behind the green. A chunk here, a smack there and a 7 on the scorecard.
“My mindset was just to forget. I know that I’m good enough to keep on playing and get strokes back,” he said.
Gianelos proved it.
On the par 5, 533-yard No. 2, he knocked a wedge 97 yards to 15 feet for birdie. He stuffed a pitching wedge to a foot on No. 4 (par 3, 142 yards). A “make the cut” round soon became an unforgettable round. Gianelos, a visual player who models his pre-shot routine after Jason Day, rattled off four consecutive birdies to flip his scorecard. Knowing the behavior of Tavistock’s green complexes, he played a 4-iron off the No. 8 (par 3, 190 yards) slope and watched it drift to two feet. On No. 9 (par 4, 340 yards), he choked down on a pitching wedge from 132 yards and dropped a five-footer. A “mediocre, three-quarter 60-degree wedge” shot from 85 yards on the par 4, 432-yard 10th hole stranded Gianelos 20 feet from a front-center hole location. He promptly returned to birdie shore. Gianelos lifted a pitching wedge from 123 yards to 25 feet and converted a left-to-right bender.
“In between Nos. 9 and 10, I felt like I could pull this round together after a bad start,” he said.
Gianelos pulled together and pushed himself into the GAP history books. A flurry finish awed his groupmates and set the scoring area abuzz. Gianelos stopped a 110-yard wedge at two feet on No. 15 (par 5, 508 yards). He accounted for the slope on No. 16 (par 3, 168 yards), aimed a 6-iron right and sunk a slippery five-footer for birdie. Gianelos nearly holed out for eagle on the next hole (par 5, 487 yards), landing a 60-yard wedge below the hole location and letting it trickle into tap-in territory. On the par 4, 380-yard 18th hole, he safely launched a 9-iron from 125 yards to 25 feet right of the flagstick. Next came a smile and a fist bump.
“The putt broke about seven feet. It felt good to make that one,” Gianelos said.
“That was ridiculous. The way he was putting today, you knew it was going in,” playing partner Ron Robinson said. “We were both making a lot of birdies. It was really fun for the both of us.”
Robinson, a Commonwealth National Golf Club member, carded a 3-under-par 69. He is seeded No. 3.
Gianelos’ 65 marked his best competitive round, in relation to par. He didn’t realize it broke a scoring record.
“That’s pretty cool. It feels great,” he said. “Today was pretty perfect. No complaints.”
Gianelos made his Junior Boys’ Championship debut a year ago. He was a victim in a seven-for-one playoff for the Championship Flight, but went on to capture the First Flight title.
“That whole tournament gave me a lot of confidence because, like this year, it had a lot of good players in it. I know that I can compete with everyone,” Gianelos said.
Without a doubt.
Huntingdon Valley Country Club, represented by Conor McGrath, D.J. Pinciotti, III and Brent Schoeller, took the Junior Team Championship with a score of 229. It tied Whitford Country Club, but the addition of a fourth score served as the method by which the deadlock was broken. The Junior Team Championship runs concurrently with the 18-hole qualifier on the event’s first day. Teams consist of three or four players with the low three scores counting toward the final total. Huntingdon Valley Country Club holds the most titles with 10.
NOTES — Kyle Vance of the GAP Junior Players Club, the tournament’s defending champion, didn’t compete Wednesday … Tavistock’s own Doug Ergood is the lone home-club representative in the Championship flight. He carded a 1-under-par 71 to advance … DuPont Country Club’s Danny Dougherty, Rolling Green Golf Club’s Joseph Dougherty and Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Justin Dougherty played in the same group. Although they share the same last name, no relation.
The Junior Boys’ Championship is the premier Major in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Division. It is open to GAP Member Club golfers aged 14-18 who have not started their college education and who hold a handicap index of 14.4 or lower. Sixteen players qualify for match play; an additional 16 advancing into the event’s First Flight.
The Junior Boys’ Champion is awarded the Peg Burnett Trophy, named in honor of the Association’s Executive Secretary from 1951-76. Ms. Burnett was an ardent Junior golf supporter who emphasized sportsmanship and respect for the game. “I was very strict about checking the rule book. I didn’t make the rules, but since they are there, you have to abide by them.”
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.
|
Qualifiers
|
|
Championship
Flight
|
|
Name,
club
|
Score
|
|
Nicholas
Gianelos, Radley Run Country Club
|
65
|
|
Andrew
Wallace, Green Valley Country Club
|
69
|
|
Ron
Robinson, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
69
|
|
Dawson
Anders, Indian Valley Country Club
|
71
|
|
Doug
Ergood, Tavistock Country
Club
|
71
|
|
Billy
Civitella, Radnor Valley Country Club
|
73
|
|
David
Hurly, White Manor Country Club
|
73
|
|
Andreas
Aivazoglou, Rolling Green Golf Club
|
74
|
|
Andrew
Lombardo, Indian Valley Country Club
|
74
|
|
Billy
Matthews, North Hills Country Club
|
74
|
|
Conor
McGrath, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
74
|
|
Cory
Haldeman, Saucon Valley Country Club
|
74
|
|
David
Colleran, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
|
74
|
|
Griffin
Smith, Jericho National Golf Club
|
74
|
|
Marty
McGuckin, RiverCrest Golf
Club & Preserve
|
74
|
|
Ryan
Conners, Whitford Country Club
|
74
|
|
|
First
Flight
|
|
Akhil Giri, Laurel Creek Country Club
|
75
|
|
Danny
Dougherty, DuPont Country Club
|
75
|
|
Matthew
Davis, Aronimink Golf Club
|
75
|
|
Ryan
Tall, Spring Ford Country Club
|
75
|
|
Samuel
Walker, St. Davids Golf Club
|
75
|
|
Zachary
Barbin, GAP Junior Players Club
|
75
|
|
Andrew
Ring, Meadowlands Country Club
|
76
|
|
Hayden
Rousselle, Lookaway Golf
Club
|
76
|
|
John
Updike, Aronimink Golf Club
|
76
|
|
Ryan
Bree, Fieldstone Golf Club
|
76
|
|
William
Mitchell, Laurel Creek Country Club
|
76
|
|
*Anthony
Barr, Blue Bell Country Club
|
77
|
|
*Caleb
Ryan, GAP Junior Players Club
|
77
|
|
*D.J. Pinciotti, III, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
77
|
|
*Max
Harrington, Moselem Springs Golf Club
|
77
|
|
*Wills
Montgomery, Whitford Country Club
|
77
|
|
|
Failed
to qualify
|
|
Ben
Wiseman, The Bucks Club
|
77
|
|
Davis
Flannery, Overbrook Golf Club
|
77
|
|
Alex
Mulrooney, DuPont Country Club
|
78
|
|
Austin
Barbin, GAP Junior Players Club
|
78
|
|
Brendan
Hansen, Metedeconk National Golf Club
|
78
|
|
Brent
Schoeller, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
78
|
|
Dante
DiStefano, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
78
|
|
David
Kim, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
78
|
|
Greg
DeLuca, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
78
|
|
Jack
Melville, Lu Lu Country Club
|
78
|
|
Jack
Mitchell, V, Waynesborough Country Club
|
78
|
|
Joe
Delfranco, McCall Golf & Country Club
|
78
|
|
Kyle
Quagliero, Medford Lakes Country Club
|
78
|
|
Lukas
Clark, Jericho National Golf Club
|
78
|
|
Matt
Graeff, Cedarbrook Country Club
|
78
|
|
Nicky
Marrollo, Whitford
Country Club
|
78
|
|
Philip
James, Cedarbrook Country Club
|
78
|
|
Brandon
Jensen, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
79
|
|
Brian
Aslanian, Galloway National Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Case
Hummer, Aronimink Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Jake
Sitzler, Burlington Country Club
|
79
|
|
Joseph
Dougherty, Rolling Green Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Kevin
Smith, The Springhaven Club
|
79
|
|
Nick
Maff, Northampton Country Club
|
79
|
|
Noah
Harrington, Cedarbrook Country Club
|
79
|
|
Peter
Bradbeer, Merion Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Stephen
Lorenzo, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
79
|
|
William
Foxman, Gulph Mills Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Andrew
Desjardins, Waynesborough Country Club
|
80
|
|
Greg
Welsh, Talamore Country Club
|
80
|
|
Jacob
Hanzel, Running Deer Golf Club
|
80
|
|
Jon
Nolan Perry, Waynesborough Country Club
|
80
|
|
Joseph
Morganti, Llanerch
Country Club
|
80
|
|
Mathew
Becker, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
80
|
|
Matthew
McGettigan, Sandy Run Country Club
|
80
|
|
Pat
Donaldson, Tavistock Country Club
|
80
|
|
Ronald
Yanoski, III, Glen Oak Country Club
|
80
|
|
Clay
Asplundh, The Ridge at Back Brook
|
81
|
|
Dylan
Audi, LedgeRock Golf Club
|
81
|
|
Eric
Carlidge, North Hills Country Club
|
81
|
|
Evan
Brown, Hartefeld National
|
81
|
|
Evan
McNally, Medford Lakes Country Club
|
81
|
|
Frankie
Gregor, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
81
|
|
Shane
Nocito, Philmont Country Club
|
81
|
|
Andrew
Kotler, Cherry Valley Country Club
|
82
|
|
Bobby
Beck, Lehigh Country Club
|
82
|
|
Brian
Isztwan, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
82
|
|
Cooper
Kronenberger, Penn Oaks Golf Club
|
82
|
|
Gavin
Sims, Overbrook Golf Club
|
82
|
|
Hunter
Eife, Merchantville Country Club
|
82
|
|
Joel
Hark, Woodcrest Country Club
|
82
|
|
Kevin
Scherr, GAP Junior Players Club
|
82
|
|
Matthew
Rizzo, Sea Oaks Golf Club
|
82
|
|
Nick
Kuhn, Blue Bell Country Club
|
82
|
|
Thomas
Dzwonczyk, Country Club of Scranton
|
82
|
|
Buddy
Hansen, IV, Blue Bell Country Club
|
83
|
|
Daniel
Rieger, Sunnybrook Golf Club
|
83
|
|
Finnian
McGarry, Tavistock Country Club
|
83
|
|
Gunnar
Gale, Plymouth Country Club
|
83
|
|
Jacob
Zeng, Applecross Country Club
|
83
|
|
Jake
McCloskey, Radley Run Country Club
|
83
|
|
Kevin
Caverly, Brookside CC of Allentown
|
83
|
|
Noah
Schwartz, Woodcrest Country Club
|
83
|
|
Rahil
Patel, Woodcrest Country Club
|
83
|
|
Vince
Burke, LedgeRock Golf Club
|
83
|
|
Hayden
Moffat, Talamore Country Club
|
84
|
|
Mac
Costin, Merion Golf Club
|
84
|
|
Matthew
Davis, The Bucks Club
|
84
|
|
Matthew
Law, Yardley Country Club
|
84
|
|
Parker
Wine, Radley Run Country Club
|
84
|
|
Shravann Raja, Laurel
Creek Country Club
|
84
|
|
Alex
Cook, Waynesborough Country Club
|
85
|
|
Dylan
Willey, Burlington Country Club
|
85
|
|
Matthew
Acker, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
85
|
|
Michael
Zeng, Applecross Country Club
|
85
|
|
Andrew
Curran, Overbrook Golf Club
|
86
|
|
Archie
Filshill, Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
86
|
|
Blake
Stephano, Aronimink Golf Club
|
86
|
|
Christian
Rossi, Skippack Golf Club at Evansburg
|
86
|
|
J.T. Spina,
Spring Ford Country Club
|
86
|
|
Kyle
Kellenbenz, Whitemarsh
Valley Country Club
|
86
|
|
Matt
Marino, Waynesborough Country Club
|
86
|
|
Alec
Stern, Green Valley Country Club
|
87
|
|
Daniel
Bastian, Rolling Green Golf Club
|
87
|
|
Jack
Martinides, Trenton Country Club
|
87
|
|
John
Cooper, Blue Bell Country Club
|
87
|
|
Joshua
Elder, Riverton Country Club
|
87
|
|
Justin
Dougherty, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
87
|
|
Pat
Muth, West Chester Golf & Country Club
|
87
|
|
Timothy
Jones, Riverton Country Club
|
87
|
|
Christohper Dalessandro, Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club
|
88
|
|
Andrew
Gallagher, Laurel Creek Country Club
|
89
|
|
Daniel
Galbreath, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
89
|
|
Jack
Daley, Blue Bell Country Club
|
89
|
|
Justin
Hershey, Applebrook Golf Club
|
89
|
|
Matt
Barkann, White Manor Country Club
|
89
|
|
Seamus
Gibbons, Sandy Run Country Club
|
89
|
|
Trevor
Paolone, Overbrook Golf Club
|
89
|
|
Zak
Summy, Applebrook Golf
Club
|
89
|
|
Tyler
Roland, Overbrook Golf Club
|
90
|
|
Harrison
Fellheimer, Union League Golf Club at Torresdale
|
91
|
|
Jake
Butler, Green Valley Country Club
|
91
|
|
Nicholas
Wert, Merion Golf Club
|
91
|
|
Charlie
Shallow, Medford Village Country Club
|
94
|
|
Hayden
Greer, Laurel Creek Country Club
|
94
|
|
Jack
Burton, Overbrook Golf Club
|
94
|
|
Joseph
Polidoro, GAP Junior Players Club
|
97
|
|
Forrest
Swisher, Jericho National Golf Club
|
NS
|
|
Sean
O'Sullivan, Riverton Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Thomas
Coakley, GAP Junior Players Club
|
WD
|
|
|
*
- advanced in playoff; NS - no show; WD -
withdrawal
|
|
Junior
Team Championship results
|
|
|
Team
|
Total
|
|
|
%Huntingdon
Valley Country Club
|
229
|
|
|
Brent
Schoeller
|
78*
|
|
|
Conor
McGrath
|
74*
|
|
|
Brian
Isztwan
|
82
|
|
|
D.J. Pinciotti,
III
|
77*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Whitford Country Club
|
229
|
|
|
Ryan
Conners
|
74*
|
|
|
Nicky
Marrollo
|
78*
|
|
|
Wills
Montgomery
|
77*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aronimink Golf Club
|
230
|
|
|
Matthew
Davis
|
75*
|
|
|
Case
Hummer
|
79*
|
|
|
Blake
Stephano
|
86
|
|
|
John
Updike
|
76*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Radley
Run Country Club
|
232
|
|
|
Nicholas
Gianelos
|
65*
|
|
|
Jake
McCloskey
|
83*
|
|
|
Parker
Wine
|
84*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Talamore
Country Club
|
233
|
|
|
Hayden
Moffat
|
84*
|
|
|
Ron
Robinson
|
69*
|
|
|
Greg
Welsh
|
80*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tavistock Country Club
|
234
|
|
|
Pat
Donaldson
|
80*
|
|
|
Doug
Ergood
|
71*
|
|
|
Finnian
McGarry
|
83*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cedarbrook
Country Club
|
235
|
|
|
Matt
Graeff
|
78*
|
|
|
Noah
Harrington
|
79*
|
|
|
Philip
James
|
78*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laurel
Creek Country Club
|
235
|
|
|
Akhil Giri
|
75*
|
|
|
Andrew
Gallagher
|
89
|
|
|
William
Mitchell
|
76*
|
|
|
Shravann Raja
|
84*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commonwealth
National Golf Club
|
236
|
|
|
Mathew
Becker
|
80*
|
|
|
Dante
DiStefano
|
78*
|
|
|
David
Kim
|
78*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overbrook
Golf Club
|
237
|
|
|
David
Colleran, Jr.
|
74*
|
|
|
Andrew
Curran
|
86*
|
|
|
Davis
Flannery
|
77*
|
|
|
Tyler
Roland
|
90
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rolling
Green Golf Club
|
240
|
|
|
Andreas
Aivazoglou
|
74*
|
|
|
Daniel
Bastian
|
87*
|
|
|
Joseph
Dougherty
|
79*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blue
Bell Country Club
|
242
|
|
|
Anthony
Barr
|
77*
|
|
|
Jack
Daley
|
89
|
|
|
Buddy
Hansen, IV
|
83*
|
|
|
Nick
Kuhn
|
82*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Waynesborough
Country Club
|
243
|
|
|
Alex
Cook
|
85*
|
|
|
Matt
Marino
|
86
|
|
|
Jack
Mitchell, V
|
78*
|
|
|
Jon
Nolan Perry
|
80*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Green
Valley Country Club
|
247
|
|
|
Jake
Butler
|
91*
|
|
|
Alec
Stern
|
87*
|
|
|
Andrew
Wallace
|
69*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sandy
Run Country Club
|
248
|
|
|
Seamus
Gibbons
|
89*
|
|
|
Brandon
Jensen
|
79*
|
|
|
Matthew
McGettigan
|
80*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Woodcrest
Country Club
|
248
|
|
|
Joel
Hark
|
82*
|
|
|
Noah
Schwartz
|
83*
|
|
|
Rahil
Patel
|
83*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Huntingdon
Valley Country Club 2
|
252
|
|
|
Frankie
Gregor
|
81*
|
|
|
Daniel
Galbreath
|
89
|
|
|
Archie
Filshill, Jr.
|
86*
|
|
|
Matthew
Acker
|
85*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Merion
Golf Club
|
254
|
|
|
Peter
Bradbeer
|
79*
|
|
|
Mac
Costin
|
84*
|
|
|
Nicholas
Wert
|
91*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overbrook
Golf Club 2
|
265
|
|
|
Jack
Burton
|
94*
|
|
|
Trevor
Paolone
|
89*
|
|
|
Gavin
Sims
|
82*
|
|
|
|
|
*
- counted toward team total
|
|
|
%
- won via the addition of a fourth score
|
|
