Sterbinsky youngest ever to take medalist honors
– Age is only a number for Kyle Sterbinsky, of Yardley Country Club.
The 1S-year-old became the youngest medalist in the 113-year history of the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) Amateur Championship on Wednesday, gune 19 when stroke play qualifying was completed at Aronimink Golf Club (par 70, S,842 yards) and St. Davids Golf Club (par 70, S,597 yards). Two lengthy weather deODyV IRUFHG WKH fiQLVK LQWR Wednesday.
“It means a lot. To be at WKH WRS RI WKLV NLQG RI fiHOG is great,” said the junior at the Peddie School. “I feel pretty comfortable playing with the older guys. I play with them all the time at the club.”
Sterbinsky carded a S8 at St. Davids Tuesday, gune 18 before completing the fiQDO 10 KROHV RI KLV VHFRQG round the next day at Aronimink and posting a 71. He matched three birdies and three bogeys in that span to fiQLVK 1-RYHU-SDU. HLV 1-uQder 139 total was one better than Conrad son Borsig of White Manor Country Club.
Sterbinsky primarily competes in the national AgGA junior events. Last gune, he won the AgGA nuad Cities gunior at Shore Hills Country Club in bast Moline, Ill. 7KLV yHDU, KLV WRS fiQLVK ZDV a tie for 12th in the HP Boys Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas.
This is Sterbinsky’s second Amateur ChampionVKLS. HH TuDOLfiHG IRU PDWFK play in 2010 as a 14-yearold at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club but fell in WKH TuDUWHUfiQDOV.
6WHUELQVNy FDQ’W RIficially be contacted by college coaches until Sept. 1 of this year. However, he has already taken a number of visits. He said his next batch will include Duke University, the University of Florida, the University of Texas and Wake Forest University.
The cutline for the low 32 players landed at 147. There ZDV D SODyRII ZLWK fiYH SODy- ers competing for two spots. Ben Cooley of Huntingdon salley Country Club and Newtown’s Glenn Smeraglio of Mercer laks Golf Course parred No. 1 (par 4, 412 yards) to advance. 6PHUDJOLR fiQLVKHG WKH KROH fiUVW DQG ZDV VHHGHG 1R. 31.
*** UPDATE: Michael McDermott added a second Amateur Championship title to his proliferate portfolio on Saturday, gune 22 at Aronimink Golf Club. McDermott, 38, of Merion Golf Club, defeated 20-year-old collegiate Alexander Hicks of Wildwood Golf & Country Club, 5&4, for the prestigious g. Wood Platt Trophy. Meanwhile, Sterbinsky was ousted in WKH fiUVW URuQG RI PDWFK SODy gune 19 in the Round of 32 by Ben Cooley, who registered a 1-up victory.
*** Courtesy Golf Association of Philadelphia and gapgolf.org.
♦♦♦