It was a good summer for several SOL golfers. Check out Ben Reese's first golf notebook of the season.
By BEN REESE
You may think that the Herr family has dominated the Suburban One golf scene in the past.
Well, as the saying goes, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
All the other teams in the SOL National, as well as the rest of the league, had to deal with were Council Rock North's Zach and Erica Herr. Until now.
Add one more Herr to the list, freshman Madeleine, and this is even more like a family affair.
“They all do the same thing (play golf) and all do it pretty well,” said North coach Rich White. “All of them play very well.”
That is, understandably, an understatement.
Erica, who is just beginning her junior year, is the defending PIAA girls’ champion. She is also the two-time District One titlist and finished second in both the SOL championship and the Eastern regional last year.
Zach, entering his senior season, won both the 2011 SOL and district crowns and tied for seventh in the PIAA championship.
They are both ranked quite high in the GolfWeek rankings. Erica is ranked 95th and Zach 108th.
Then there is Madeleine, who is untested in the high school wars, but she is a veteran of AJGA battles.
As are her two siblings.
Zach has had a great summer season, finishing second in both the AJGA Philadelphia Junior (211 including a 66 in the final round) and the Pennsylvania Junior, losing by a shot in a playoff. He also took fourth in the Peninsula Junior with a 222 and tied for seventh at the CorseMax/Philadelphia Runner Junior, also at 222.
Oh, and in the Indians' match against William Tennent at Jericho National, Zach shot a 4-under 32. Not his best round but a great way to start the season.
Erica won the Philadelphia Section Junior PGA with a 148, a five-stroke victory, and finished second in the Philadelphia Junior. She qualified for the USGA Junior Amateur, shooting a 14-over 158 to tie for 51st, which got her into match play where she lost to Jisoo Keel of Canada 4 and 3.
“They played AJGA all summer,” White said. “The others (Zach and Erica) have been through what Madeleine is going through now (the high school season).
“Zach is playing up to his billing, his national ranking. But we have a supporting cast that is pretty good players too.”
The Indians finished last season with a 14-0 record in the SOL National. North has a 39-1 record since Zach began playing as a freshman.
But, even beyond the course, the Herrs are truly a family affair. That includes their parents, Cyndie and Eric.
“They are a very tight family unit,” said White. “They do things together as a family.
“The guidance of mom and dad is strong. There is a lot of respect from the kids to the parents and from the parents to the kids.
“They (Zach, Erica and Madeleine) are very low key. They are always under control both on and off the course. They are very nice young men and women to be around.”
Sounds like the definition of a strong family with or without the golfing background.
Summer vacation
Two Suburban One golfers had busy – and successful – summers. Jalen Griffin of Wissahickon and Pennsbury's Jackie Rogowicz both enjoyed their summer vacations.
Griffin, who finished third in the SOL championship, tied for 13th in the districts and tied for 17th in states, garnered a second in the Killington Junior with a 216, third in the IJGT Battle of Bulle Rock with a 153 and was eighth in the U.S. Open qualifier at Middletown, Del., shooting a 74, which was not enough to get him into the Open at Olympia.
Rogowicz, who is the defending SOL girls and Eastern Regional champ, was second at the PIAA championship and fourth in the District One tourney, second at the CorseMax/Philadelphia Runner Junior (221 with a 69 in the second round), fourth in the AJGA Philadelphia Junior (228) and fifth in the UnderArmour/Steve Marino Championship (227).
Chip shots
Andrew Carber of Upper Dublin got his season off to a great start, shooting a team record 31 for nine holes at Gulph Mills Country Club. Carber recorded five straight birdies on his way to the 4-under round. The team also set what may have been a school record with a combined score of 189 but then broke it one day later with a score of 188 in a win over Upper Merion… North Penn senior Pat Geiger gets a tip of the golf cap for notching the first hole-in-one of his career recently. The Knights also got an outstanding round from sophomore Cole Adams who turned in his first round in the 70s with a 79 at the Pinecrest Invitational. It appears that Adams has found his stroke, shooting a 40 in his first varsity match.
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