Penn-Trafford trio advances to WPIAL boys golf semifinals

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, September 21, 2018 | 8:12 PM

Penn-Trafford junior Adam Yamrick had never shot under par in an 18-hole round in his life prior to Thursday, but that changed after he carded a 3-under par 69 at the Section 1-AAA individual golf tournament at Manor Valley Golf Course.

Considering there was a trip to the WPIAL individual semifinals at stake, Yamrick picked a pretty good afternoon to have what he called “the round of his life.”

“What a time to do it, huh?” he said.

Yamrick, a sophomore, was one of three Penn-Trafford players to qualify after he placed second overall in the tournament. Junior Alex Turowski shot a 1-over par 73 and senior Cade Patterson finished with a 75. The Warriors hosted the sectional. Yamrick and Turowski qualified for the semifinals for the first time, while Patterson advanced for the second time. The WPIAL semifinals were scheduled for Tuesday at either Youghiogheny Country Club or Hannastown Country Club.

Yamrick started with a bogey on the first hole, but his round was energized with an eagle on No. 6. He drove the green on the par-4 246-yard hole and then sank a 24-foot putt.

“That was almost a turning point if you will,” Yamrick said. “After that, I was hitting the ball well, hitting it straight and I just stayed within myself and played well from there.”

Yamrick also had one birdie and a slew of pars.

Turowski’s round was buoyed by three consecutive birdies on holes 12, 13 and 14 that allowed him to close with a one-under 35 on the back nine after shooting 3-over par on the front. The fact he played in a lot of summer tournaments and having home course knowledge helped his comfort level.

“I shot 38 on the front nine and that was an average to bad nine holes for me, because my average has been better than that this season,” Turowski said. “My putting wasn’t great on the front nine, but I hit every shot tee to green the way that I wanted too. I knew on the back nine I had a pretty good cushion, so I played it pretty safe, and I ended up shooting 1-under.”

Patterson, who placed 19th in the WPIAL individual finals last year, made four birdies in his round, but started the back nine with three consecutive bogeys before rebounding to come home three shots clear of the target score.

“The first one is always the most nerve-racking one, because you know you have to qualify and you know there is a certain number you have to shoot,” Patterson said. “It’s always in the mind what you have to shoot, but being my fourth time playing it I didn’t feel as much pressure and I played all right.”

Patterson, Turowski and Yamrick showed the steady play on Thursday that they’ve had most of the season, which has helped the Warriors be in position to play in the WPIAL team postseason for the second consecutive season.

The Warriors are 6-2 in Section 1 and are behind Latrobe in the standings. They had two more matches scheduled — one at home against Latrobe on Monday and at Indiana on Wednesday.

Seniors Jonny Rizzardi, Tyler Horvat and Andre Mitrik have buoyed the top three in the lineup, bringing consistent results to the course.

“We have a lot of seniors and they deserve to get into the playoffs with our team,” Yamrick said. “I think our team is pretty good and that we can make a run in the playoffs.

The Warriors have shot under 200 as a team in five of eight section matches.

“Our top five guys were all in the starting lineup last year, and we needed to find that sixth guy. They all do well,” Penn-Trafford coach Andy Rizzardi said. “Sometimes you get kids who will shoot in the high 30’s one day and then like a 48 the next time. These guys will give you a consistent score pretty much every time. Even if it’s not their best round, it’s not anything that hurts your team.”

Patterson, Turowski and Yamrick are all thrilled to be one step away from getting an opportunity to play at Oakmont Country Club in the individual finals, but they also have their focus on playing together in team competition. Patterson said there’s a strong bond between all of them.

“I love these guys I play with, so playing with them as much as possible is phenomenal, and it’s a blessing really,” Patterson said. “The further we go into team playoffs the better, because that way I can experience more competitive golf, and I get to be around my friends making memories for a lifetime.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer.

Tags: Penn-Trafford