Youths’ learning experience continues
Evan Murphy spent 90 minutes Monday after his opening round at the PIAA Golf Championships working to find touch with his putter. He left at dark.
The Pocono Mountain East senior again felt like he was putting in the dark during Tuesday’s second round.
“I could not make a single putt,” Murphy said. “It was ridiculous.”
Murphy could only crack a wry smile in disgust after shooting an even-par 72 in the final round at Penn State’s Blue Course.
He tied Nazareth’s Zach Miller for Tuesday’s low round among District 11 competitors — boys and girls — in what was a learning experience for all.
Murphy made birdie at Nos. 1 and 5 to offset a bogey at No. 4. The putting woes then resumed for the District 11 champion.
“Yesterday was all speed,” he said. “Today in the middle of the round, it was all line. I just kept missing the hole. Yesterday, the lines were perfect. I had five birdie putts right around 10 feet that were going in the middle of the cup that came up 2-4 inches short. All day.”
After a good start Tuesday, Murphy bogeyed four holes in a six-hole stretch, three of which came on three-putts.
The Cardinal did not quit, though. He finished with birdies on Nos. 12, 13 and 18 to leave the course feeling better than he felt a couple hours earlier.
“I am definitely still striking it well since districts,” Murphy said. “I just wish I could have scored better since I knew this course is easy to go around. The putting was just really off.
“I tried as much as I could. I did putt better today. The three 3-putts, that was rough. But I found something that worked later in the day.”
Butler’s Hunter Swidzinski proved Murphy true about the course being there for the taking. Swidzinski had eight birdies and an eagle on his way to an 8-under-par 64 Tuesday, then winning Class 3A gold in a three-way playoff.
Miller again was steady with three birdies and three bogeys for a two-day total of 145, good for 19th place. The Nazareth junior had 27 pars in 36 holes.
Girls recap
Moravian Academy sophomore Mara Dubacher’s second round started with a double bogey on the first hole — one she birdied a day earlier.
Things never got better for the two-time District 11 Class 2A champion. She followed up a 74 Monday with four double bogeys, nine bogeys and no birdies Tuesday for an 89 to tie for 14th.
Moravian Academy teammate Emma Xu trimmed eight shots off her first-round score with a 79 Tuesday to end up tied for 17th.
North East’s Anna Swan, last year’s runner-up, took 2A gold with a two-day total of 143. Warrior Run’s Hannah Robb, last year’s state champion, tied for a second place two shots back.
Nazareth teammates Camryn Hoff and Allie Tarreto took different paths to the same two-day score (170). Hoff, the 2022 District 11 3A champion, shaved 10 shots off her first-round score with an 80 on Tuesday, despite two double bogeys in a three-hole stretch in the middle of her round.
Morning Call reporter Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-8206651 or at thousenick@mcall.com
PIAA Golf Championships Tuesday at Penn State’s Blue-White Courses (par 72) (Top 5 plus locals) BOYS Class 2A
1. Nick Werner, Wyoming Seminary; 68-70-138
2. Cael Ropietski, Lake Lehman; 72-68-140
3. Michael Lugiano, Lake-Lehman; 71-69-140
4. Michael Maslanka, Riverside; 74-70-144
5. Ethan Dai, Quaker Valley; 73-71-144
6. Luke Gronbeck, Eden Christian Academy; 70-74-144
Locals
T55. Thomas Ubriaco, Saucon Valley; 83-80-163
58. Collin Schreiber, Moravian Academy; 83-82-165
T59. Talan Spittler, Schuylkill Haven; 83-83-166
T59. Tyler Barton, Schuylkill Haven; 79-87-166
T67. Derek Ostrosky, Bethlehem Catholic; 85-85-170
71. Drew Kokinda, Panther Valley; 86-86-172
Class 3A
7. *Hunter Swidzinski, Butler; 73-64-137
8. Nick Turowski, Penn Trafford; 69-68-137
9. Wes Lorish, Plum; 66-71-137
10. Colton Lusk, Peters Township; 70-68-138
11. Seiji Sako, Lower Merion;
68-70-138
Locals
19. Zach Miller, Nazareth; 73-72-145 T25. Evan Murphy, Pocono Mountain East; 75-72-147
T28. Hunter Probst, Stroudsburg; 71-77-148
T58. Lydon Patascher, Pleasant Valley; 80-78-158
T61. Louie Pagano, Freedom; 82-78160
T61. Frank Boensch, Southern Lehigh; 80-80-160
GIRLS Class 2A
12. Anna Swan, North East; 73-70-143
13. Kate Sowers, West Middlesex; 74-71-145
14. Hannah Rabb, Warrior Run; 74-71-145
15. Anna Zapletalova, Wyoming Seminary; 73-74-147
16. Maddie Koshko, Saint Joseph’s Catholic; 74-74-148
Locals
T14. Mara Dubacher, Moravian Academy; 74-89-163
T17. Emma Xu, Moravian Academy; 87-79-166
31. Marla Freiwald, Blue Mountain; 93-94-187
Class 3A
17. Rhianna Gooneratne, Plymouth Whitemarsh; 67-73-140
18. Kate Roberts, Phoenixville; 75-70-145
19. Gwen Powell, North Pocono; 74-71-145
20.Kayley Roberts, Phoenixville; 78-69-147
21. Mia Pace, Downingtown East; 74-74-148
Locals
T30. Camryn Hoff, Nazareth; 90-80-170
T30. Allie Tarreto, Nazareth; 85-85-170 36. Ashlyn McCormick, Pocono Mountain West; 94-100-194
*Won in a playoff