Emmaus’ Cox loses in a playoff for 2nd time
YORK — Michelle Cox was playing stellar golf coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Emmaus senior had not lost her fire, but she had lost a little polish.
“The summer was a little shaky,” she said Tuesday after the PIAA Class 3A golf championships. “I came out strong in May, then haven’t had a tournament round under 70 since.
“For a while today, it looked like it was going to be one of those rounds.”
Cox birdied the fourth, fifth and seventh holes to grab the early lead at
Heritage Hills Golf Resort, but she had an up-and-down rest of the round that included a four-putt double bogey from 8 feet on No. 9 and finished with an even-par 72.
West Chester East’s Victoria Kim birdied her final hole to force a playoff, then birdied the extra hole to beat Cox for the girls title.
Emmaus junior Evelyn Wong was in contention until she double-bogeyed No. 17. She shot a plus-3 75 to finish fourth.
Cox’s approach to the par-5 18th in the playoff cleared the tree in front of her
but landed on the bank in front of the green and rolled back into the water.
“The tree wasn’t a problem with a wedge in my hand,” she said. “But I was in between wedges. Mygapwedge, I thought it might come up short but my wedge I knew was too much.
“I’m disappointed with the result, but I’m not disappointed with how I played.”
Cox bogeyed No. 8, then threeputted Nos. 15 and 17 before getting a birdie on 18 to finish her even-par round.
“I got a little sloppy on the greens,” she said. “No. 9 was one of those holes.”
The Green Hornet lost to Wong in a playoff for the District 11 title, but she ends her career with three EPC titles (there was no EPC tournament this year), two district crowns among four top-three finishes and three top-13 finishes at states, including fourth place last season.
Boys
Freedom’s Jake Haberstumpf was all smiles after his 2-overpar 73 earned his an eighth-place medal.
Who could blame him? He finished his freshman season with a scoring average of 110. That’s right, 110.
“To work all the way up to here,” the senior said, “it was a grind. It was stressful, but after all the hard work I put in, you just have to try to enjoy it.”
Haberstumpf had a scoring average of 71 during his final season for the Patriots, or 39 shots better than three years earlier.
“Alot of hard work, a lot of late nights,” he added. “A lot of time working instead of doing fun things. If you want to be good, that’s what you have to do.”
Haberstumpf bogeyed the first hole (No. 10) Tuesday but bounced back with a birdie on . No. 11. He then bogeyed Nos. 16, 3, 5 and 6 before his highlight moment. He eagled the par-5 seventh hole after a perfect drive and 4-iron approach to the green.
He drained a 20-footer to put an exclamation point on his career.
After averaging 78 as a junior, Haberstumpf (and family) invested in a GCQuad simulator. He hunkered down during the winter, putting in four- and fivehour sessions to take his game to the next level.
Tuesday was proof that the time, money and effort paid off.
“When you are not playing well, especially at a young age,” he said, “it’s very easy to quit. But you start putting in the work and see it coming together. It’s a great feeling. It’s that feeling that keeps you going.”
Liberty senior Jordan Barker kept it going Tuesday after early setbacks of varying proportions. He bogeyed his first hole, but birdied Nos. 4 and 7 to take the lead.
Then came the par-4 ninth, where the Hurricanes senior was looking at 12 feet uphill for birdie. Instead, he five-putted with three lip-outs for a triple bogey.
He parred the next eight holes before being unable to convert an up-and-down from the greenside bunker on his final hole. That missed 4-foot slider cost him a medal and a tie for eighth with a 74.
“I played a lot of break on the first putt,” Barker said of No. 9. “The first putt didn’t break. The second putt didn’t break. The third didn’t break, then [I] had a 1-footer that I missed.
“But I didn’t carry it with me.” The District 11 champion will use his experiences Tuesday as he and his Liberty teammates prepare for the PIAA Class 3A team golf championships, which are Monday at Heritage Hills.
Emmaus’ Matt Zerfass shot 78. Nazareth’s Chase Skrapits 81 and Liberty’s Jase Barker 86.
Morning Call reporter Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-820-6651 or at thousenick@ mcall.com
PIAA CLASS 3A GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tuesday at Heritage Hills Golf Resort, York BOYS
1. Calen Sanderson, Holy Ghost Prep 67; 2. Chuck Tragresser, Franklin Regional 68; 3. Nick Gross, Downingtown West 69; T-4. Devin Smith, Waynesboro 70; T-4. Karl Frisk, Spring Grove 70; T-6. Adam Lauer, Shady Side Academy 71; T-6. Bill Pabst, North Pocono
71; T-8. Jake Haberstumpf, Freedom; 73; T-8. Milo Jezzeny, Central Bucks West 73; T-8. Brady Davidson, Cumberland Valley 73; T-8. Rocco Salvitti, Pittsburgh Central Catholic
73; T-8. Eric Miller, West Chester Rustin 73; T-8. Scott Jordan, Upper St. Clair 73; T-14. Jordan Barker, Liberty 74; T-28. Matt Zerfass, Emmaus 78; T-35. Chase Skrapits, Nazareth 81; T-46. Jase Barker, Liberty 86.
GIRLS
1. Victoria Kim, West Chester East 72*; 2. Michelle Cox, Emmaus 72; 3. Ava O’Sullivan Downingtown West 74; 4. Evelyn Wong, Emmaus 75; T-5. Charlotte Scully, Unionville 76; T-5. Gwen Powell, North Pocono 76; 25. Emma Shelby, Saucon Valley 95.
*Won on first playoff hole