Robinson edges Spina for 2nd straight title
North Penn grad comes up clutch to grab the win on playoff a hole
BLUE BELL » Clouds gathering and the skies beginning to darken, Ron Robinson beared down and calmly sank a 12-foot putt, ending a long but satisfying day on the greens with a one-hole playoff victory over J.T. Spina.
“I almost let J.T. in at the last minute,” Robinson said, “but I’m glad I got to slam the door.”
Robinson locked up his second straight Montgomery County Amateur Championship, firing a fiveunder-par score of 147 — then a three in sudden death — at Blue Bell Country Club. “I didn’t see a putt go in the whole second round,” said Robinson, a North Penn High School grad who now competes for Monmouth University, “so I felt like I was due. I had that putt the first two rounds so I knew what it did. You just have to hit it on line and get it to go in.”
Earlier in the day, Mark Czerniakowski shot a 70 over 18 holes to capture the Senior Division title while Super-Senior Division honors went to Bruce Gladish, with a score of 74.
Isabella DiLisio, a Mount St. Joe’s grad now at Notre Dame, won the Women’s Divison with a 71.
“I didn’t see a putt go in the whole second round so I felt like I was due. I had that putt the first two rounds so I knew what it did. You just have to hit it on line and get it to go in.”
– Ron Robinson on sinking a 12foot putt on the playoff hole to win the Montgomery County Amateur Championship at Blue Bell Country Club on Thursday.
Robinson and Spina, a Pope John Paul II grad, finished deadlocked at 147 and then were off to the first hole.
“I wasn’t very happy,” Robinson said with a grin. “We both bogeyed the last hole, when I had a chance to putt for the win, so I wanted to at least make sure I buried the first and see what happens with him.”
Spina, with a nice rally over the final 18, did not sink his third shot, and Robinson connected on his to end it.
The former Knight became the fourth player to repeat as Monto Amateur Champ (P. Chet Walsh, 2002-03; Logan Terry, 2005-06; Ben Feld, 2011-12).
“It feels pretty cool. I’m honored that I got to do it,” said Robinson. “They ran a great tournament.” STRONG START » So much for warming up.
“I birdied my first hole, which is a great start,” Robinson said. “I actually didn’t get here until 10 minutes before my tee time, so I didn’t warm up.
“So my first swing out was good, made the putt. And then I bogeyed three of my last five, which kinda hurts, but I did birdie my last hole.”
The defending champ was in command after the first 18 — his 71 edged Spina’s 72 — but then in the afternoon, he found himself two back after nine.
“J.T.’s a really good player but anything can happen, especially with the wind today,” Robinson said. “So I just wanted to keep making pars and see what happens.” UP NEXT » The two-time champ will now get ready for the Patterson Cup, Tuesday and Wednesday at Gulph Mills Golf Club.
He’ll be a rising sophomore with the Hawks this coming fall.
“College golf’s fun. I get to see a lot of my friends from home in different tournaments,” he said. “And I get to travel a lot, which is pretty cool.”