The year’s first golf notebook highlights some of the top performances in the season’s early weeks.
By Ben Reese
When Upper Dublin lost Andrew Carber to graduation in the spring, it might have appeared that the Flying Cardinals would be a bit down once the Suburban One League golf season began.
If anything, the Cards seem to be even better. Upper Dublin is 6-0 in league play and sits alone atop the American Conference standings.
Now, realize that the graduation of Carber didn't leave the Cardinals without any talent. They had SOL first-team selection Michael Reed-Price, entering his sophomore season, back along with sophomore Cole Swiger (second team SOL), junior Mark Lunney (third team SOL) and junior Debbie Park (second team SOL girls).
That spells a lot of talent for Upper Dublin and a lot of trouble for the rest of the league. Right from the beginning of the season, the Flying Cardinals have been rolling.
In their very first match on August 19, the team put all five scoring golfers under 40 to beat Upper Merion by more than 100 points. Swiger led the way with a 36 followed by Reed-Price at 37, Lunney at 38, Matt Amey and Andy Dunnam at 39.
Against Upper Merion, at Lulu County Club, the Cardinals again soared. Once again all five golfers were under 40, led by Jack Melville's 36, Reed-Price and Park at 37, Lunney and Swiger at 39 for a 188 total.
They did it again against Springfield with Melville at 37, Lunney at 38, Swiger, Kelly and Amey at 39.
But the peak came a day later in a win over Upper Moreland at Lulu. Reed-Price fired a 33, Swiger and Park shot 38, Amey 49 and Melville 41.
The biggest news of that match came off the 7-iron of Swiger. On the 175-yard sixth hole, he shot the ball over the pin. The ball rolled down the slope in the green and into the hole for a hole in one.
The Cardinals seem to be aiming for the end of September when the Suburban One League Championships will be held at Indian Valley Country Club. They have a good start in that direction.
Still unbeaten: Joining Upper Dublin in the ranks of the undefeated are two teams which will certainly battle for the National Conference title, Pennsbury and Council Rock North.
The Falcons are 5-0 in the league and the Indians are 4-0. The biggest matches of the year for both schools will be Thursday, September 19, at Yardley Country Club and Tuesday, September 24, at Jericho National Golf Club, when the two teams meet.
Kudos: Erica Herr has had a busy summer. The Council Rock senior followed her second consecutive PIAA girls’ golf championship with a trip to the U.S. Women's Open at Sebonak Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.
She battled some tough conditions against the best that women's golf has to offer, missing the cut after shooting 77-85 on the first two days of the tournament won by Inbee Park.
Herr has nothing to be ashamed about, though. She was in good company of those missing the cut including World Golf Hall of Famers Juli Inkster and Se Ri Pak, Yani Tseng, Vicki Hurst, Sophie Gustafson and Suzann Petterson.
Oh, yes, Erica also got a scholarship offer from her first college choice, Wake Forest. Not a bad summer.
Returnees: While graduation took away some excellent golfers from the Suburban One League scene, there are still many more returning to take to the links for another season.
On the girls side, Herr and her sister Madelein, both SOL first teamers, are back for Council Rock North. The only other girls’ first team member returning is Jackie Rogowicz of Pennsbury, who battled Erica tooth and nail in the SOL, District One, Regional and PIAA championships.
For the boys, Wissahickon's Jalen Griffin leads the way of returning first teamers. He is joined by two golfers from Pennsbury, Vinay Ramesh and Hank Kaufmann. Reed-Price of Upper Dublin, Carter Field of Plymouth Whitemarsh, Hatboro-Horsham's Tom Fisher, Tyler Sokilis of Central Bucks West and Souderton's Alejandro Velez round out the first team returnees.
Round and round: Even this early in the season, there have been several low rounds recorded. Wissahickon's Griffin and Pennsbury's Ramesh are leading the way with two sub-par rounds each.
Griffin tops the list with a 4-under 32 on the front nine at Cedarbrook Country Club against Springfield. He followed that up a few days later with a 33 over the same nine against Upper Merion.
Ramesh has been consistent, shooting a pair of 34s. He was 2-under par early in the season against Truman at Yardley Country Club and then matched that, again versus Truman, at Five Ponds Golf Course.
Help: Just a reminder to coaches around the league, it is only with your assistance that this notebook gets written. Please continue to submit your information on a timely basis.
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