STATE COLLEGE — Nick Werner of Wyoming Seminary had a rough start. Abington Heights’ Cade Kelleher endured a tough finish.
The two District 2 champions had bookend outcomes to their first rounds at the PIAA Individual Golf Championships at the Penn State Golf Courses on Monday.
Werner, the defending state champion in Class 2A, bogeyed three of his first four holes on the Blue Course. Yet he had five birdies and nine pars the rest of the way shoot a 2-under 70 that has him sitting in fourth place, two shots behind co-leaders Alan Evans of Schuylkill Haven and Ethan Dai from Quaker Valley.
Lake-Lehman’s Charlie Weidner is also in the hunt in Class 2A, tied for fifth with a 1-under 71.
Ben Boyanoski from Scranton Prep is tied for 13th after shooting 2-over 74.
Kelleher, meanwhile, was within two shots of the Class 3A lead after 14 holes. But he bogeyed his final four holes on the Blue Course to finish at even-par 72 and tied for 24th after one round. Dylan Ramsey from Cedar Crest leads at 6-under 66.
Hallie Brown from Tunkhannock shot 3-over 75 and is tied for third place in Class 2A girls, two strokes in back of leader Madison Koshko from St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy. Arden Brunn of Holy Redeemer is also in the mix, tied for seven with a 6-over 78.
The second and final round tees off Tuesday at 9 a.m.
Kelleher had birdies on Nos. 3, 6 and 9 and a bogey on No. 7 to hit the turn at 2-under. He then birdied Nos. 11 and 13 and was sitting in third place after 14 holes.
“I was just playing by the book, down the middle of the fairway,” Kelleher said. “I was sticking wedges close. When I missed the green, I’d get up-and-down. It was just pretty stress-free golf.”
However, he bogeyed Nos. 15, 16, 17 and 18 to slide down the leaderboard.
“Just a gut-wrenching feeling,” Kelleher said. “A few faulty shots that didn’t set me up well. A few putts that were close, but not in. It’s just how the game goes. Tomorrow’s another day to show up.”
Teammate Robert Munley, battling a 103-degree fever, finished with a 4-over 76 and is tied for 40th in Class 3A. Also from Abington Heights, Phillip Matthews is tied for 48th at 6-over 78 and Robert Bingham is tied for 64th at 10-over 82.
North Pocono’s Jason Walsh shot 5-over 77 and is tied for 45th.
In Class 2A, teeing off on the first hole in the first group, Werner bogeyed Nos. 1,3 and 4. But a birdie on the par-5 fourth hole got him going.
“My first four holes weren’t too strong. I had two three-putts on those holes, couldn’t get the speed down,” Werner said. “But after that I really turned it around. I gave myself a 12-foot eagle putt on 5 that I barely missed, but that birdie putt kick-started my round. I finished up the front nine with a birdie on 9 and then my back nine I played really well.
“I’m proud I kept my composure and came back.”
Besides No. 9, Werner also had birdies on Nos. 11, 12 and 15 to put himself in contention to repeat as state champion.
Weidner started his round on the back nine. After a bogey on No. 10, he birdied Nos. 11, 13 and 18 to sit at 2-under 34 after nine holes. On the front side, he bogeyed No. 3 and 6, but birdied No. 8 to wind up at 1-under.
“I started slow with a three-putt on my first hole, but I bounced back pretty quick and ended up shooting 2-under on the back nine,” Weidner said. “Then I hit a dead spot, but I was really able to keep my composure and grind out pars.”
Boyanoski also began his round on the back nine. He finished even through nine holes, bogeying No. 12 and birdieing No. 18.
“I played solid, hit the ball great, was putting pretty well, made a lot of pars,” Boyanoski said. “I hit the first 13 greens of the day, so my iron game and wedge game felt really nice.”
But after pars on the next four holes, Boyanoski went bogey-birdie-bogey-bogey in his next four before ending with a par on No. 9.
“I had one mishap. I hooked the ball into the water on hole 5, which was my 14th hole,” Boyanoski said. “I ended up making bogey, but I battled back and hit a ball to four feet and made a birdie on the next. Honestly, I’m happy with how today went.”
As for his Scranton Prep teammates, Ben Walsh is tied for 23rd at 4-over 76; Brendan Bell is tied for 28th at 5-over 77; and Jack Pavuk is tied for 59th at 13-over 85.
Girls
Lyla Jones from North Pocono finished at 9-over 81 and is tied for 26th in Class 3A. Playing the White Course, she had birdies on Nos. 4 and 6 along with six bogeys, one double-bogey and one triple bogey.
“I’m pleased because I feel like I scrambled all day and made a lot of pars,” Jones said. “I played really good on the front and then on the back, I had a really bad hole on 14. I hit my tee shot out of bounds, my next shot in the bunker and made a triple bogey. So that one kind of hurt, but I managed to keep my head up.”
Crestwood’s Sienna Smith also shot 9-over-81 and is tied for 26th along with Jones.
Brown had birdies on Nos. 6 and 13 and bogeys on Nos. 1, 3, 10, 12 and 17 during her round on the Blue Course.
“It was rough starting with two bogeys on the first three holes,” Brown said. “But I came back with the birdie (on 6) and I knew I was hitting the ball good enough. Then I started putting good as well. So I got it together and made a lot of par saves throughout the round.
“I’m excited to have myself in position where I came have a chance at it and definitely medal this year.”
Brunn had one birdie (No. 12) and seven bogeys and credited her putting with saving her round.
“That helped me from taking some big numbers,” Brunn said. “My putting really kept me in it today.
“I’m extremely happy with tied for seventh. That’s like a 20-spot jump from the last two years.
Anna Zapletalova from Wyoming Seminary, who was a state medalist last year, finished with a 12-over 84 and is tied for 19th in Class 2A girls. Jackie Martin from Tunkhannock is 26th with a 17-over 89.
