Here’s a brief look at some of the activities and tournaments going on at our local golf clubs. Penn State is first up after hosting a pair of big tournaments.
The American Junior Golf Association Tournament at Penn State
Logan Reilly from Lovettsville, Virginia, and Lydia Portlock from San Antonio, Texas, win their divisions in the American Junior Golf Association Tournament, held at the Penn State Blue Course July 4-6.
Reilly shot rounds of 64-69-69 from the tips on the Blue Course to finish at 14-under to take his first AJGA Championship.
Reilly bested second-place finishers Charles Beeson from Roswell, Georgia, and Hunter Stetson from Newtown Square, who both finished at 11-under.
Reilly is ranked No. 75 in the AJGA fankings and previously was tied for ninth place at the Polo Golf Junior Classic. He scored 19 total birdies in the tournament, including nine in the first round.
“After such a big first round, it’s sometimes hard to come out and do that again,” he said. “I just had to come out and stay patient. I knew the birdies would be there.”
In the girls division, Portlock defeated Anna Swan of North East on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. Both players finished the tournament at 11-under.
It was Portlock’s first AJGA win, and she came from six strokes behind on the final day to achieve it.
“I had to play my own game and not focus on what everyone else was doing,” she said. “I was hitting a lot of greens and had a lot of opportunities for birdie. I just had to keep faith that they were going to drop.”
The Centre County Hall of Fame Blue By You Tournament
The Centre County Sports Hall of Fame held its annual golf tournament, The Blue By You, at the Penn State Blue Course on Saturday, July 15.
The Hall honors past athletes, coaches and sports personalities who have brought lasting fame to the county and provides scholarship money each year to 12 high school student athletes.
This year’s tournament had a record 21 foursomes and was played under beautiful blue skies at the Penn State facility.
The winning team this year was Ted Oyler, Bo Sankey, Jeanie Andrews and Jeff Lieb, who shot a 12-under par 60.
Randy Czekaj, Jason Thomas, Ken Landon and Matt Suchan finished second, and Keith Taylor, Wade Michael, Roy Reeve and Jeff Gardner came in third.
There were numerous awards for longest drives, straightest drives, longest putts and closest to the pins. Matt Johnson from Philipsburg Country Club was clearly the standout in these events when he won three of the five closest to the pin awards.
The event raised $14,758 for the Hall of Fame, and board president Keith Bierly said he was thrilled with the event. “Everyone — the players, the sponsors, the volunteers and those donating prizes — stepped up to make this our most successful event,” he said. “We really appreciate the community support and the staff at the Penn State Golf Course.”
Philipsburg Elks Country Club releases results
The Philipsburg Elks Country Club announced the results of three tournaments that took place over the past few weeks at the club.
The 2023 PCC Cup, held on July 8, was a better ball of partners tournament open to former club champions and players who qualified in the top 16 over the past five years. Both partners teed off and finished each hole using alternate shots. The matches paired captain vs. captain, and the other matches were determined by handicap order.
Team Lucas, with Nate Lucas as captain and Payton Guelich, Matt Johnson, Pat Brown, Josh Muir, AJ Czap, Andrew Mann, Hayden Hayward, Mike Horton and Lee Martell, was the eventual winner with 12 total points.
Guelich, Johnson, Mann and Martell won their matches, while Lucas, Brown, Czap, and Horton all tied. Zack Czap and Jon Whitman won matches for Team Mitchell.
This was the first edition of the tournament, which will now become an annual event at the club.
On July 14, the Emily Whitehead Foundation held its annual Tee Off For Tee Cells Tournament at the Elks.
The tournament, which benefits cancer research, was a completely filled scramble format with other prizes such as closest to the pins, longest drives and putts, and straightest drives.
The scramble winners were the team of Dayton Skinner, Jim Moyer, Joel Peterson and Lee Lykens, who fired a 12-under 58. Second place went to the team of Greg Copenhaver, Jamie Adams, Johnny Broome, and Zep Summerson at 10-under, while the team of Dave Mason, Ferdina Allison, Pat Romano and Rand Allison tied with the team of Brandon McCliment, Cory Wood, Doug Sankey and Jason McCloment tied for third at 9-under.
Cory Reed and Dan Nelson won closest to the pin honors, and Jason McCliment had the longest drive.
Finally, the 2023 Senior Openwas held on Sunday, July 16, and included three men’s divisions: the Cubs (50-59), the Grizzlies (60-69) and the Polar Bears (70+). The women played in the Panda Division (50+).
The tournament was played under stroke play rules with gross and net winners.
In the Panda Division, Cathy Greenland won the gross prize with an 85, while the net prize went to Georgiann Way with a net 70.
In the Cub Division, Allan Herr took the gross prize with a 75, and Dave Morelli took the net with a 64.
Doug Goss won the Grizzlie gross with a 79, and Tom Dunsmore won the net with a 68. Max Miller and Andy Reifer tied for net second with an even par 70.
Finally, the Polar Bear gross and net went to Randy Way with an 82 gross and a 64 net. Gary Byron finished second with a net 70.
There were also nine skins winners, including Tim Ronan with an eagle on No. 1, Rob Bressler with an eagle on No. 2, and Dave Morelli with an eagle on No. 6.
Upcoming Events at the Elks:
July 22, Pete Byron Memorial
July 26, The Fish Open
July 29-30, Walter Swope
Nittany Country Club
The Nittany Country Club in Mingoville announced the results of two tournaments, along with a player who recorded a hole-in-one.
The Annual Fourth of July Tournament was held over the holiday weekend and the winners were:
Championship Flight:
1st place, Eric Pettina and Benton
2nd place, Dave Myers and Scott Gray
3rd place, Jeff Burris and Zach Kight
1st Flight:
1st place, Dave Smith and Terry Glunt
2nd place, Steve Grim and Dave Keenan
3rd place, Tom Alterio and Duncan Spence
Senior Flight:
1st place, Ron Horner and George Almashie
2nd place, Dave Mattern and Joe Fulcher
3nd place, Mike Taylor and Jim Hoy
4th place, Dave McKinley and Mike Thal
Women’s Division
Gross:
1st place, Staci Redman
2nd place, MJ Boldin
3rd place, Sally Fletcher
Net:
1st place, Michelle Alterio
2nd place, Betty McKinley
3rd place, Jean Gerber
The results of the Senior Open were also listed in gross and net divisions.
Dave Myers and Ron Benton shot a 65 and won the gross division, while Brad Fritchman and Jeff Burris finished second after shooting a 70.
In the net division, Tom Alterio and Daren Brown finished first with a 66, and Sam Auker and Skip Moerschbacher were second.
