Check out the SOL golfers who advanced to the second day of the District One competition.
By Ben Reese
LIMERICK — The wind was howling around Limerick and environs.
It wasn't the kind of day to be on the golf course. But it was the day that District One held the first day of its championships.
And, while the strong wind did bother some golfers, there were others who must have figured it was just a stiff breeze instead of a gale.
Upper Dublin's Jack Melville turned in the best score at Turtle Creek for the boys, shooting a 1-under 70. Isabella DiLisio of Mount St. Joseph led two other girls under par, shooting a 66 at Gilbertsville.
Both the boys and the girls return Tuesday at Turtle Creek for the second round of districts. The top 16 boys and the top eight girls will advance to the Eastern Regionals at Golden Oaks in Fleetwood on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
Was the wind a problem on the course?
"I just fought through it and hit some low shots," Melville said after taking a one-shot lead over Mike Scargle of Unionville. "It fits my game better.
"If I can just play my game, I should (be able) to do this again. It would make things easier (if there was no wind), but it's not as fun."
But then it wasn't just the fact that Melville didn't mind the wind. He has something else going for him.
"My ball-striking was the best it's been in the last couple of months," he said. "It was good timing (to have it happen at districts)."
Melville's teammate, Michael Reed-Price shot a 73, one over par. He is in fifth place after the first day.
For Reed-Price, the wind was troublesome.
"It was a grind," he said. "I saw the whole course today.
"I was pretty lucky a few times, but I guess I'd rather be lucky than good. I made some putts.
"Driving was pretty bad. It didn't take me out of play because, even if it would be three fairways over, it would still be in play. I guess I took advantage of the openness (of the course)."
Reed-Price said that the wind did affect his putting.
"It made it tough," he explained. "I thought the putting was the hardest part because usually you don't have to worry about the wind on your putts."
Souderton's Quinn Guzman was another one who had some problems with the wind.
"There were shots when I was hitting to the green where it affected it up to 20 yards," Guzman said. "You've just got to grab more club and keep it a little lower."
How about on your putting, Quinn?
"Not a lot, not as much as you would think," he said. "When it really started to howl, it did move some putts."
One player who was unhappy with just about everything was Pennsbury's Vinay Ramesh, the SOL champion, shot a 78.
"It was pretty bad," he said of the wind. "It was just bad shots all day.
"Not one facet of my game was remotely good today. Hopefully, I'll play better tomorrow."
The boys cut came at 78. Ramesh was joined at that number by Souderton's Dawson Anders, Lukas Clark of Council Rock South and North Penn's Andrew Lombardo.
In addition to Melville and Reed-Price near the top of the leaderboard, Tommy Lewis of Central Bucks East shot a 74, Council Rock North's Logan Fuglestad at 75, Griffin Smith of Council Rock South, Guzman and Cole Swiger of Upper Dublin shot 76s and Andrew Simpson of Pennridge turned in a 77.
For the girls behind DiLisio, Pennsbury's Jackie Rogowicz is third after a 2-under 69. Other SOL golfers making the cut at 79 were Cassidy Gavaghan of Hatboro-Horsham and Madelein Herr of Council Rock North at 74, Upper Dublin's Debbie Park at 75, Michayla Siemion of CB West at 76 and Abington's Rebecca Chiger at 77.
In all, 30 boys and ties advanced into Tuesday’s second round. Sixteen girls and ties moved into the second round.
Also being contested Tuesday will be the team title. The Suburban One League teams involved will be Pennsbury, Souderton, Upper Dublin and Pennridge.
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