Forty SOL golfers advanced to districts. CB South’s Jake Fitts won the individual title. To view photos of the SOL championships, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Ben Reese
FRANCONIA -- The area is desperate for water. Grass is dying, and many place now have dust where there used to be green.
Everywhere, that is, except Indian Valley Country Club, the site of the Suburban One League boys’ golf championship. The fairways were lush and green and the greens were smooth and slick.
And everything was soft. That resulted in higher scores and some unusual challenges for the golfers -- like should they try for the green from the fairway despite the large clump of mud that rested on top of their golf balls.
"You didn't really get a lot of roll out there," Central Bucks South's Jake Fitts said. "It was hitting and maybe going a yard or two backward or forward.
"It was playing longer today. It got harder as the day went on. Most of the mudballs and softness were in the morning."
Actually, the lack of firmness in the fairways and greens didn’t seem to bother Fitts at all. He turned in a 73, 1-over-par, to take the medalist honors and also the Continental Conference individual title.
Because of the conditions, scores were higher than usually seen at the SOL Championships. The majority of the scores were 80 and above, which caused the cut for those eligible for the District One tournament to be set at 85.
Another golfer who overcame the conditions was Jack Melville of Upper Dublin. Melville shot a 75 as did Souderton's Quinn Guzman and Dawson Anders.
"It was soft," Melville, the American Conference champion, said. "You were getting two yards of roll in the fairway.
"The greens were soft, too. You had to throw it a little past the hole and spin it back."
Guzman had a thinking-man's reaction to the softness.
"It took some strategy because (there were) a lot of mudballs," Guzman said. "There were some pretty bad situations where there were big clumps of mud on the golf ball, and it makes you choose different types of shots.
"It was one of those 'Keep it around the green; hit the green, make two putts and get pars.' "
Council Rock South's Lukas Clark, who shot a 78 to become the National Conference champ, was aware of the conditions.
"It definitely made a difference," Clark said. "There were a lot of mudballs out there."
However, the conditions were the same for every player. And, while some managed to conquer it, not everyone did.
There were seven players at 85 - the cut for districts - with only two spots available to complete the SOL’s 40-player limit.
A playoff was held beginning on the first hole. Robert Scott of Council Rock North parred the hole and Wissahickon's David Kovacs bogeyed it, but that was enough for the pair to advance.
As for the play, Fitts obviously had the better of it.
"I hit a lot of greens in regulation," he said. "I had a lot of putts for birdie and that helped.
"I really haven't putted well here, but today my speed was better. I wasn't scrambling."
But he was playing well. Playing in a foursome with Melville, Abington's Matt Shur and Andrew Lombardo of North Penn, Fitts eagled the eighth hole, sinking a 10-foot putt to take two strokes off par.
On the same hole, Lombardo also recorded an eagle. The other two members of the foursome added a birdie and a par.
Melville wanted to go lower but wasn't upset with his score.
"I was hitting a lot of great drives," he said. "I made a couple of long putts that kept the streak going, and that really helped me.
"I wanted to be around even (par). Plus 3, 75, I'll take it. It's a good score. (But) it could have been better."
Guzman had to tone his game down a bit because of the conditions.
"I wasn't able to get too aggressive," he said. "I didn't make a single birdie and had 15 pars and three bogeys.
"Today was more about compounding mistakes. There's no reason to take crazy risks because the cut's going to be a pretty high number. Really, just do what you need to do and don't get crazy."
Guzman also had something else to celebrate. He and his Souderton teammates captured the wild card spot in the team competition for the districts.
"We kind of had a disappointing season with more losses than we're used to from the past few years," he said. "Just winning this kind of brings back confidence in the team. We really feel like we can play well at Turtle (Creek, site of the district tourney)."
Joining Guzman and Anders, who both contributed 75s, were Nick Scott and Anthony Barr, who both shot 79. The team's 308 total was low enough to earn them a spot at districts.
One thing everyone agreed on was that, while competing in the SOL Championship is essential, it is still only a step toward states.
"You've just got to get past (the SOLs) even if you shoot 82 instead of what I shot today," said Fitts. "Districts is usually around 6 over for two days so you really have to be on your game.
"I made the cut (at districts) sophomore year; I didn't make it past the first day last year. You've just got to have it at the right time, I guess.
"I just want to get past the first day. I'm glad I played well here but I'm going to have to bring it (at districts)."
Clark was of a like mind.
"I'm still thinking 'Just make it to the next round,' " he said. "It would be nice to win but it doesn't matter if you finish first or 31st, you still make it to the next round (the district tournament).
"I'm just trying to qualify each step and, once I get to states, that's where you try to win the whole thing."
The girls get into the SOL action on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at LuLu Country Club. That will complete the Suburban One League's entries for the District One Tournament on Oct. 12 and Oct. 13 to be held at Turtle Creek Golf Course and Gilbertsville Golf Club.
SOL Top Finishers
(Check back for complete official list Tuesday)73 - Jake Fitts, CBS
75 - Jack Melville, UD
Quinn Guzman, Ston
Dawson Anders
77 - Noah Harrington, Wiss
Tommy Lewis, CBE
David Kim, UD
Greg Welsh, Wiss
78 – Phil James, Wiss
Lukas Clark, CRS
79 – Anthony Barr, Ston
Nick Scott, Ston
Andrew Simpson, Pridge
80 – Patrick Sheehan, CBE
Andrew Lombardo, NP
Griffin Smith, CRS
Luca Jezzeny, CBW
Colin Johnston, CBS
81 – Ryan Kim, Pbury
Ron Robinson, NP
John Hansel, PW
82 – Matt Shur, Aton
Connor Welles, CRN
Jacob Laudenbach, PW
Joe Kim, UD
83 – Reid Moncada, CBW
Jake Butler, PW
Matt Aprile, PW
Stephen DeFrancis, Chelt
Nash Nickerson, CBS
Matt Graeff, Wiss
Brandon Jenson, UD
84 – Thomas Clements, Wiss
Max Griffith, HH
Matt Pickford, NP
Jack McCormick, HH
Greg DeLuca, Nesh
Colin Walsh, WT
85 – David Kovacs, Wiss*
Robert Scott, CRN*
TJ Anthony, CBS
Matt Davis, CBE
Hayden Moffett, HH
Jacob Molnar, HH
Miles Williams, CBW
*District qualifier after playoff.
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