Pennsbury senior Jackie Rogowicz captured the title of the SOL Girls’ Championship on Wednesday. To view photos of all the action, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Ben Reese
GLENSIDE — It's funny how one or two swings of the golf club can change a lot of things.
Jackie Rogowicz was playing even par golf through the first nine holes at LuLu Country Club on Wednesday. The Pennsbury senior was slightly ahead of the rest of the field in the Suburban One League girls’ golf championship.
Then she birdied the 10th hole, a 421-yard par-4. That put her at 1-under par.
Two more pars didn't change her score. That was coming up.
On the 13th hole, a 411-yard up-hill par-5, everything changed. A drive, a second shot and a putt brought an eagle and a 3-under par score through 13 holes.
Rogowicz would ride that for the next five holes to win the Suburban One League medalist honor and the National Conference championship. Debbie Park of Upper Dublin took the American Conference and Central Bucks West's Michayla Siemion, the Continental.
"I actually hit a bad drive (on 13), and it hit a tree and kind of came out (into the fairway)," Rogowicz said. "I actually had about 210 (yards) in so I hit a hybrid just trying to hit it on the green and 2-putt.
"That putt was kind of lucky but it went in. The pin was all the way on the left and I was on the right."
How far was that putt?
"Pretty far," she said, "maybe like 30 feet."
She gave back one shot on the next hole with a bogey 5 and another two holes later with another bogey but regained one stroke on par with a birdie on the par-5 17th. She finished with a par on the final hole for a 2-under 71.
"Obviously, I wanted to win," Rogowicz explained. "I still want to shoot the best score I can.
"I want to have the lowest score out of everyone else. That's why you play, the competition."
Her coach, Glenn Goldsborough, has every confidence in his talented player.
"She just has a lot of confidence in the way she's playing," Goldsborough said. "Winning the Philly Junior PGA and then competing down in Texas at the (Junior) PGA Championship, that coming with two runner-up positions at AJGA tournaments and then winning an AJGA event and also making it into the U.S. Women's Amateur, that's got to give your game a lot of confidence to be able to compete."
It also should give Rogowicz a lot of confidence moving on into the District One tournament next week as well as the Eastern Regionals and the PIAA Championships.
Can she run the table, win the next three tournaments?
"I'll try to, yes," she said. "That would be cool. That would be nice (to win states)."
The PIAA title would be the ultimate win for Rogowicz. It is the one crown she hasn't gotten to wear.
"She definitely has the ability," Goldsborough said. "She finished second three years in a row (at states) and she's won the district tournament and she's won the Eastern Regionals tournament before. Finish it out, finish strong."
What has improved in Rogowicz's game?
"I'm more consistent," she said. "My putting is probably a little better."
That doesn't bode well for her competitors in the next three tournaments.
Park, who played in the foursome right behind Rogowicz, turned in the second-best round of the day, a 3-over 76. It earned her the American title.
"I had a lot of birdies," she said. "My drives were always in the fairway so I guess that helped."
She had a bit of an advantage on the field, however. Upper Dublin plays its home matches at LuLu.
"This is my home course so I wanted to play well," she said. "I guess I played pretty well."
Siemion wasn't pleased with her round of 85 that brought with it the Continental championship.
"I had a lot of trouble actually," she said. "I've got to keep practicing.
"I just went through a swing change, so I had no confidence over the ball and that kind of got in my head for putting and everything else. I had some trouble but I held it together a little bit."
Was it wise to change your swing just as the championships are beginning?
"No," Siemion said with a laugh. "It was over the weekend and the last couple of days I've been just hitting it around, not doing what I should be doing.
"I've been doing lessons and I think I just exaggerated this one a little too much, what I learned in this lesson."
Also shooting a 76 was Madelein Herr of Council Rock North. It was her first competition against other girls in the SOL. Since the SOL girls tourney is an open event, she was allowed to participate.
"It wasn't how I wanted to play because I was fading everything,” she said. "I 3-putted a lot today but other than that it was pretty good."
Thirteen girls advanced to the District One tournament on Monday, Oct. 6, and Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Gilbertsville and Turtle Creek. The cut was at 101.
One girl just hit the number on the nose. That was Central Bucks East's Sophia Mancuso, who parred the final hole to qualify.
The others qualifying for districts were Rebecca Chiger of Abington (85), Lauren Muhlbauer of Council Rock North (85), Samantha Thompson of North Penn (89), Julia Genaurdi of North Penn (90), Upper Dublin's Julianne Lee (91), Sharon Nam of Norristown (92), Abington's Danielle Carr (93) and Wissahickon's Andrea Mazurek (99).
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