Home-course advantage helps propel Latrobe’s Pevarnik, Franklin Regional’s Jackson into WPIAL finals showdown

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, September 27, 2018 | 9:42 PM

Some associated with Hannastown Golf Club like to use the hashtag #HannyStrong on Twitter when they give shoutouts to fellow members that are doing well.

They had another reason to do so Thursday.

The club was well-represented when it hosted the rain-soaked WPIAL Class AAA boys golf semifinal tournament. Two members and a player who calls the club home for high school matches negotiated a talented field and wet conditions to advance to Tuesday’s championship at historic Oakmont Country Club.

Latrobe senior Brady Pevarnik and senior Palmer Jackson of Franklin Regional, members at Hannastown, used their course knowledge and lift, clean and place rules to take the top two spots at the qualifier.

Pevarnik shot 3-under-par 67, including a 32 on the back nine, and Jackson posted a 1-under 69 — 33 on the front — to comfortably qualify for the finals.

But that was only part of their three-pronged goal. Qualifying came first, medalist was a nice bonus at second and getting paired together at Oakmont came in a close third.

“Players like Brady and I know we’re going to play well here,” said Jackson, a Notre Dame recruit who has averaged 33.6 in nine-hole team matches this season. “We know we’re going to do fine. Getting the final group together means a lot. We’ve been friends for a while and enjoy competing against one another. We’re two of the top dogs. You can tell how the other guys are doing by how we’re doing.”

Pevarnik, a Penn State commit, said he knew if he played well on his home course he would easily advance. He is 7-under for the high school postseason.

“I wanted to go out and have fun, stay within myself and just try to play solid,” he said. “It’s exciting to get to play with Palmer at Oakmont. We have both been playing really well, from the summer and it carried over into the fall.”

The showdown many thought could happen at Oakmont has taken shape. All eyes will be on their group Tuesday.

“It’s going to be great playing together,” Pevarnik said. “We just can’t get into a match-play situation. We’d both be happy if either of us won.”

The semifinal was postponed from Tuesday because of heavy rain but more showers Thursday forced club personnel to rake bunkers and squeegee greens.

“It was tough out there, you had to be patient,” said Franklin Regional sophomore Chuck Tragesser, who qualified with a steady 71, which tied him for fourth.

Greensburg Salem senior Jack Oberdorf also moved on to the finals after carding a 75, as did another Westmoreland player, sophomore Alex Turkowski of Penn-Trafford.

“It was tough because there was so much casual water,” Oberdorf said. “On No. 18, I couldn’t find a dry spot and hit out of the muck. It’s all right though because I wanted to play Oakmont bad.”

The top 18 advanced to the finals. The tournament didn’t start until noon and with play slowed to a crawl at times by rain, organizers hoped a playoff would not be necessary to settle spots. But when four players tied at 76 for the final spot — Grant Thiele of Fox Chapel, Ryan Bartos of Seneca Valley, Shane Kelly of Central Catholic, and Adam Yamrick of Penn-Trafford — they went to the first tee for sudden death in fading daylight.

Thiele and Kelly moved on to the second hole but the playoff was called because of darkness. As a result, Thiele and Kelly will return to Hannastown Friday after school to finish; one will get the final spot at Oakmont, the other will be the alternate.

Central Catholic and Fox Chapel each had four players advance, Central’s all seniors in Neal Shipley (70), Jimmy Meyers (72), Tyler Blake (75) and Palmer Kuny (75).

Fox Chapel’s qualifiers were junior Scott Bitar (72), senior Gregor Meyer (73), sophomore Aidan Oehrle (74) and junior Matt Matioli (75). Meyer won the WPIAL title two years ago at Oakmont.

A trio of players from Pine-Richland qualified in junior Donnie Professori (71), senior Jack Wymard (72) and senior Cade Zolkos (74).

Junior Brayden Setnar of Butler shot 75 to advance.

Hempfield senior Jared Gerger and Greensburg Salem junior Jeff Mankins finished a shot out of the playoff with matching 77s.

Bill Beckner is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.