Springfield Township’s Adam Flueh and Quakertown’s Brady Gallagher finished tied for first at Tuesday’s SOL Championships. Photos provided courtesy of Larry Small & Tracy Valko. Check back for a gallery of Tuesday’s action: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f267618329
By Ben Reese
WARMINSTER: Adam Fluehr and Brady Gallagher are going to go head-to-head.
The two golfers, Fluehr from Springfield and Gallagher from Quakertown, tied for first in the Suburban One League boys golf championship on Tuesday at Five Ponds Golf Club. They both finished at 1-over-par 72.
Both golfers, along with 37 of their fellow players, now advance to the District One Championship on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 9 and 10, at Turtle Creek Golf Course.
They also both came into the SOL tournament with the same idea — to win.
“In the past, it was to qualify but this year I came in as the 1-seed,” said Fluehr. “I wanted to win.”
Gallagher echoed the sentiment.
“I had the mindset (to win),” he said. “I played in the Lehigh Valley Amateur this weekend and I was playing well.”
And they both did win. However, even though they tied as medalist, they were also first in their divisions, Fluehr in the Freedom and Gallagher in the Liberty.
Two other golfers finished in first in their divisions. AJ Molnar of Central Bucks East took the Colonial and Council Rock South’s Emery Epstein the Patriot.
Fluehr started out slowly. After pars on the first two holes, he bogeyed holes three and four and birdied five to finish the front nine at 2-over 37.
The back nine didn’t hurt him. He turned in eight pars and a birdie on No. 16.
“The first 14 holes nothing was falling,” he said, “and then I started hitting good shots. I started driving the ball straight.
“On 16, I made like a 25-foot birdie putt which was huge. And I made a lot of pars on the back nine.”
Gallagher’s start wasn’t any better. He bogeyed Nos. 2 and 3, finishing the front nine at 2-over.
But he turned things around on the back. He birdied the two tough par-5s, No. 12 and No.15, before a bogey on No. 16.
“I bogeyed holes 2 and 3,” he said. “And I just kept my head in. Mentally, I just kept at it.
“I birdied 12, which is usually, going into it, the hardest hole with the tee shot. Then I birdied the other par 5.
“I knew my game was there, and if I just had an opportunity to make a birdie, I could do it.”
Oh, about the head-to-head. Both are going to the districts with one thought in mind — to win.
“It’s always your goal,” said Fluehr. “You’re always going into a tournament to win.
“Going to districts, you always want to qualify and make states, to go and play stroke play and qualify. It’s a goal to win.”
Gallagher was very sure in his conviction.
“I’m looking to win,” he declared.
There was some difficulty with the scoring on the day. At the end of the tournament, it appeared that there would have to be a playoff for the final eight spots for districts.
But a check of the math proved that there would be no playoff. Thirty-nine players qualified.
There was also a bit of a problem at the top of the leaderboard. A look at the posted scores showed that Fluehr finished at 1-over and Gallagher was 3-over.
However, another check of the scoring showed that Gallagher had parred the first hole, but his score had been recorded as a double bogey. The correction brought everything back to the proper score.
“They have my scoring wrong right now,” Gallagher said as things were wrapping up. “I’m tied for first with that other kid (Fluehr). The coach wrote it in wrong on the first hole.”
Now Fluehr and Gallagher will lead the Suburban One League contingent into district play next week.
Upper Dublin led the way with six qualifiers followed by Springfield and Souderton with five and Central Bucks West with four. Hatboro-Horsham and Wissahickon had three each, Quakertown, Council Rock South and Abington had two each. Central Bucks East, Central Bucks South, William Tennent, Harry S Truman, Pennsbury, Council Rock North and North Penn had one apiece.
SOL District Qualifiers
Adam Fluehr Springfield 72
Brady Gallagher Quakertown 72
AJ Molnar CB East 76
Al Eby Upper Dublin 76
Ryan Brnich Springfield 76
Ryan Park Hatboro-Horsham 76
DJ Fiorita CB West 77
Emery Epstein CR South 77
Zach Holmlund Upper Dublin 78
Matt Capoferri Springfield 78
Brendan Burke CR South 78
Jacob Reibstein Abington 79
Michael Fuery CB South 79
David Nissen Wissahickon 79
Max May Springfield 79
Cole Coffey Upper Dublin 79
Brett Smith Springfield 79
Ian Yoo Wissahickon 80
Chase Gillie CR North 80
Chase Kerksey CB West 80
Issac Mattern Quakertown 81
Brent Glah Hatboro-Horsham 81
Conor Servis William Tennent 81
Charlie Carney HS Truman 81
Kenny Lutz Hatboro-Horsham 81
Ty Sheftic Wissahickon 81
Stevie Grosscup Pennsbury 81
Jem Coffey Upper Dublin 81
Cole Henning Souderton 81
Brayden Schnabel Souderton 81
Nick Waskey CB West 82
Andrew Elliot Souderton 82
Austin Kreyenhagen Souderton 82
Kellen Toussaint North Penn 82
Matt Casey Upper Dublin 82
Maxwell Hayes Abington 82
Ezra Holmlund Upper Dublin 82
Gavin Shiffler CB West 82
Nick Smith Souderton 82
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