Weather wreaks havoc at D6 tourney
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By Michael Boytim
mboytim@altoonamirror.com
HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The sun has been missing in action throughout most of Pennsylvania for the last two weeks, and the high school golfers at Wednesday's District 6 boys championships at Scotch Valley Country Club felt the brunt of that.
Playing through a steady rain for most of the day, greens covered in water and rough that had not been mowed recently, State College's Luke McGraw and West Shamokin's Alex Talmadge made the most of their opportunities and won the Class 3A and 2A individual district titles, respectively. Both players also led their teams to district championships.
"On Monday when I spoke with the superintendent here and management, they actually thought Tuesday would be the best day to play," District 6 golf chairman Mike Hudak said. "After more discussion and looking at the radar, we talked and moved it to Wednesday. Thursday and Friday the course was not available. Our only choice was to get it in on Wednesday. Looking at the forecast, we thought it would be better than it was (Tuesday).
"I'm a little disappointed, but it's something we can't control. We roughed it out and made it. We did have some issues with some standing water on the greens, but we fought through that by using squeegees on the greens to get water off to make them puttable for the kids, and we were giving kids relief from standing water on the fairways throughout the course."
Team subregionals for State College and West Shamokin begin on Tuesday, and Hudak said they were not willing to put off playing districts into next week for that reason.
The golfers started their day at 10 a.m., and Hollidaysburg's Isaac Miller and State College's Chris Warner, who played a four-hole playoff to decide the Class 3A runner-up and determine who would advance to the state championship later this month, finished up around 5 p.m., seven hours later after several wetness-related delays.
"It was definitely rough," Miller said. "Even sitting down for 10 minutes gets me tight. It was definitely something I had to try and overcome."
Miller and Warner played in a group with McGraw and State College's Brady Wager. The group, which started on the 10th hole, had to wait 30 minutes after playing their first nine holes due to a four-group backup on No. 1 caused by staff being forced to use squeegees on the first three greens.
"I want to be thankful for everyone that tried their best to make this as playable as it was," Hollidaysburg coach Bryan James said. "I understand scheduling with the PIAA and everything, but no, I have not played on the course when it was this wet. The biggest thing was probably the casual water on the green, which again is no one's fault. Everyone played the same course. I can't emphasize that enough."
While Talmadge was in control throughout in 2A and won by four strokes with an even-par 72, the 3A championship was in doubt with two holes to play in regulation.
Miller chipped in for birdie from under a tree on the par 3 eighth hole while McGraw made bogey. That left McGraw up by one stroke over Miller and Warner with only the par 5 ninth hole to play.
Miller was on the fringe behind the pin with an eagle opportunity, McGraw chipped close for a tap-in birdie and Warner had a 60-foot birdie attempt. Warner drained the putt and pumped his fist just before Miller's eagle putt, which would have tied McGraw for the lead and forced a playoff between those two for the district title, just missed.
"It started on track and then it slowly worked its way off line," Miller said. "I missed it by about an inch."
McGraw, who lost in a playoff with a chance to go to states to Miller last year, won the title with a 74 after hitting his first shot of the day into the water and making a double bogey on his first hole.
"I told myself, you have 17 more holes to go," McGraw said. "I just wanted to get out of there in the fewest amount of strokes as I could and play good golf the way in."
Miller tapped in for birdie and joined Warner at No. 10 for a playoff for the final spot. Warner had a chance to end it on the first hole but missed a short birdie putt. Neither player had much of an advantage on the next two holes, and they returned to No. 10.
Warner's tee shot went into the water, and Miller's landed in the left rough.
Warner took a penalty, dropped and hit in front of the green. He chipped on and made his putt for a bogey. Miller topped his shot out of the rough and then bladed his second shot over the green. He chipped on and two-putted for double bogey, and Warner won the playoff.
"My ball was buried on both of my wedge shots," Miller said. "I couldn't get the face of my club under it and get a solid shot."
As a member of the Golden Tigers, Miller plays at Scotch Valley Country Club regularly.
"This is the worst I have ever seen this course," Miller said. "The rough was 4 to 6 inches high. It was wet. The ball was plugging all over the place. Greens were slow, and there were puddles all over them."
Warner also had his issues with the wet grounds throughout the day.
"Some of the holes, I hit it on the green within 10 feet and had to putt through water," Warner said. "I think if it were nicer conditions, my round would have been a lot lower. On the second hole, I hit it within 12 feet for birdie. I had to hit the putt as if I were hitting a 35-foot putt to get it anywhere near the hole. I had a 5-footer for par after leaving that short and missed it for a bogey."
Miller, a senior who finished with 27 putts in regulation and hit seven fairways, will play in one more high school match when Hollidaysburg participates in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference championships later this month. That tournament was postponed on Sept. 18, around the time the area began to experience extremely wet conditions.
"I went to states my junior year and made two playoffs in districts," Miller said. "I averaged 74 this year. It was a solid year. I look at it as positive with me improving from my freshman year to my senior year."
Miller shot a 76, one stroke worse, last year when he advanced to the state championship as a junior.
"Isaac got a lot better from ninth grade until 12th grade," James said. "I saw tremendous improvement not only from 10th to 11th grade but from last year to this year. He's a much more refined golfer, and I hope someone out there gives him a chance to play in college. He will be a great asset to any team in the future."
Philipsburg-Osceola golfer Jake Lucas, who shot an 83 in regulation, won a four-man playoff to claim the final spot in the Class 2A state championship, which begins on Oct. 21 at Penn State.
CLASS 3A
TEAM RESULTS
1, State College (SC) 306; 2, Hollidaysburg (H) 336.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (TOP TWO ADVANCE)
1, McGraw, SC, 74; 2, Warner, SC, 75 (won four-hole playoff); 3, Miller, H, 75; 4, Sun, SC, 76; 5, L. Larido, SC, 79; T-6, Wager, SC, 81; T-6, C. Larido, SC, 81; 8, Fisher, Central Mountain, 82; 9, Steiner, H, 86; 10, St. Clair, Central Mountain, 89; 11, Flood, Mifflin County, 98.
CLASS 2A
TEAM RESULTS
1, West Shamokin (WS) 315; 2, Westmont Hilltop (WH) 334; 3, River Valley (RV) 345; 4, Central Cambria (CC) 365.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (TOP SEVEN ADVANCE)
1, 1, A. Talmadge, WS, 72; 2, Miller, WH, 76; 3, Pynos, RV, 77; 4, Geist, WS, 78; 5, Reed, RV, 81; 6, Shoop, WS, 82; 7, Lucas, Philipsburg-Osceola, 83 (won four-man playoff); T-8, B. Talmadge, WS, 83; T-8, Webb, WH, 83; T-8, Wolf, Bald Eagle Area, 83; 11, Kargo, Portage, 84; T-15, Okonak, BG, 85; T-15, Irvin, Portage, 85; T-17, Semelsberger, CC, 86; T-17, Doak, RV, 86; T-17, Sheehan, BG, 86; T-17, Habovick, Bald Eagle Area, 86; 21, Orr, Richland, 87; T-22, Clapper, Central, 88; T-22, Turner, Bishop McCort, 88; T-24, Julius, WS, 90; T-24, Nagel, Cambria Heights, 90; 26, Hoffman, WH, 92; 27, Johns, WS, 94; T-28, Zock, Portage, 95; T-28, Dunlap, Richland, 95; 30, Reighard, Forest Hills, 102; T-31, Dietz, Conemaugh Valley, 105; T-31, Swope, CC, 105.