CR North’s Erica Herr captured the PIAA girls’ golf championship. On the boys’ side, CR North’s Zach Herr was fourth and Wissahickon’s Jalen Griffin finished fifth.
By Ben Reese
YORK – Erica Herr won the PIAA girls golf championship last year, sprinting past the field to win by five strokes.
The other girls at the 2012 version of the state finals at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort and Conference Center might have wanted to know beforehand that the Council Rock North junior thinks she is much better this year. And her final score showed just that as she shot a final-round 68 to go with her 72 from Monday for a 140 total, seven strokes ahead of Jackie Rogowicz of Pennsbury who was in second place.
”I'm more emotionally steady out there,” Herr said. “I'm not up and down like I used to be.
“And my putting has come a long way the past few years. And my short game (has come along too) but I didn't have to chip today.”
That is very true. She hit every green in regulation. But it was what she did once she reached the green that made the difference.
“My coach (Debbie Doniger) has been giving me drills to work on around the green,” Herr said. “My short game used to be terrible but, as I've been working on it, it has gotten better.”
The round couldn't have gone better for Herr.
“It started off par, par and then I got two birdies in a row which gave me more confidence,” she said. “I just kept making pars, and then I got to the back nine and I went birdie, birdie again.”
Those birdies gave her the chance to repeat as state champion, making her only the fifth girl to win two PIAA titles. She joined Michelle Michanowicz of Fox Chapel (1980-81), Cimmie Shahan of Spring Grove (1995-96 and 1998), Hempfield Area's Katie Miller (1999-2000) and Madeleine Lovette of Westmont-Hilltop (2003-04).
The win also led the Suburban One League entrants into lofty heights. Rogowicz finished second and Madelein Herr (159) tied for seventh.
“This win was more satisfying than last year,” Herr said. “Just knowing I can do it again, that's great.
“I was looking more toward summer (after last year's win) but once matches started I was looking toward states. Now that I'm here, it's just great.
“I'll definitely try (to three-peat). I will try to be a record-setter (by winning three in a row).”
Rogowicz gave Herr a run for her money all day. Playing in the same foursome, the Pennsbury sophomore trailed by two strokes after the front nine but the back nine brought problems.
She bogeyed two of the first three holes and couldn't get back on track.
“I played really good on the front nine,” Rogowicz said. “On the back, I couldn't make anything.
“I had a couple of chances for birdie, but I didn't make them. Then I had a couple of bogeys.”
On the boys’ side, Erica’s brother Zach Herr grabbed fourth (145) with Wissahickon's Jalen Griffin (147) tied for fifth, Council Rock North's James Twomey (163) tied for 25th and Sean Ebert of Central Bucks West (169) at 35th.
Griffin had gone out on the first day of the tournament and shot an even-par 71 to tie for the lead. However, the second day proved to be another story.
“It was brutal out there,” Griffin said. “The first two holes I started out solid and then, on the third hole, I hit into this really thick fescue.
“I almost got it up to the green and then I 3-putted from there. Three-putts were a big thing this week because last year I had 10 3-putts, so I really didn't want to do it this week.
“I think that just set the mood of 'It's going to be a bad day.' I was 3 over through four and I just didn't feel right.
“It just didn't feel like I was ready; I just felt weak. I wasn't focused as much as yesterday. I was just kind of lost out there.”
However, when told that he tied for fifth, he said. “I'm happy with it.”
Zach Herr had wanted to finish off his high school career with a big victory. But it didn't work out that way and he will have to settle for being one of the few four-time medal winners in history.
“I hit 17 greens but I only hit five fairways,” Zach said. “I was getting the ball on the greens from all kinds of places.
“I knew I needed one or two birdies coming in to give myself a chance (at winning) but I don't think I did.”
But he did see a lot of improvement from Monday's 77. There was enough so that he and sister Erica were the only golfers to finish the round in the 60s for the day.
“I played better today,” Zach said. “I changed my grip (on my putter).
“I went from a regular grip to a cross-handed grip. I used my regular grip for my long putts and the cross-handed for the putts inside 15 feet.
“It gives me a better feel. It keeps the back of my left hand going toward the hole and I like it. I'm going to stick with it.”
On the putting side, maybe Erica had an even better day with the flat stick than did her brother. She made a big putt early in her round and then added on a long putt early in the back nine.
“Stepping up to that putt (on the front nine), I just had a ton of confidence,” she said. “Having that go in definitely helped. It gave me confidence for the rest of my round.
“I drained that one (the long putt on No. 12), a good 45-footer. That was a big putt. There was a lot of luck involved there.”
And, as if the three Herrs in the field weren't enough, Zach got to play the final round with his cousin, Jacob Reilly of Hershey.
“It was fun,” Zach said. “It was like good old times because we probably play two or three times a month.
“We were having fun out there. I think it helped a little bit. It kept the situation a little more loose than tense.”
Both Madelein Herr and Ebert were playing in their first PIAA championship tournament. Madelein, as a freshman, will have a lot more chances but Ebert, a senior, sounded more excited.
“I just had fun,” he said. “It was just the fact of getting here that was cool.
“I would have liked to have played better but it was just cool to be able to play here. I might not have won but I got here. That's what I was trying to do.”
Madelein seemed more philosophical.
“It was a lot of fun,” she said. “I wasn't expecting myself to win.
“I wasn't really expecting much for states but I have three years left. Who knows what will happen in those three years. It was a really good experience.”
Craig Hornberger of Mannheim Township won the AAA boys title, shooting a 1-over 143. The boys’ AA crown went to Isiah Logue of Fairfield with a 3-over 145 and the girls AA championship was won by Cara Basso of Villa Maria at 150.
- Log in to post comments
