Scranton Prep’s Cole Brown shot 7-under-par to win the Class 2A PIAA Individual Boys Golf state championship
Submitted Photo
Good starts led to an ideal finish for Scranton Prep’s Cole Powell on Oct. 20 and 21 in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Individual Golf Championships on the Penn State White Course.
Powell’s 7-under-par, 137 for two days produced a Class 2A boys gold medal.
The sophomore got to 3-under early each day by following a simple formula.
Powell continued a trend he had started before state play, keeping the ball in play with his drives.
“Getting the ball off the tee has been a huge part of my game,” Powell said in a telephone interview. “Getting the ball on the fairway has been a big part of why I’ve been playing so well.
“Also, hitting the greens in regulation. I have not missed a lot in a while. That is helping me score better.”
Powell bogeyed just three of 36 holes, two of them coming on par-3s. He played the 10 par-5 holes in 6-under.
“I went there with no real specific goal, as long as I played well, I was fine with it,” said Powell, who was comfortable playing for a state title after building experience in national and international events outside of the high school season. “I could see myself winning that tournament because of the way I had been playing the last couple of weeks coming up to it.
“That definitely built some confidence in me.”
Powell shot rounds of 68 and 69. He took the lead at the halfway point with the help of birdies on 1, 3 and 6, then expanded the lead early on the second day with birdies on 1, 3 and 4.
From there, Powell held on for a two-stroke lead over Fairview’s Anthony LaBoda. LaBoda had two eagles and three birdies to get to 7-under through 10 holes on the way to a second-day 65 and total of 139.
Greensburg Salem’s Luke Sikora, who was one back after the first day, was the only other player in the 72-player field to break par. He finished at 4-under, 140.
Ben Boyanoski gave Scranton Prep two of the 11 medalists for finishing in the top 10 and ties.
Boyanoski shot a pair of 74s. He birdied the last two holes in the opening round and played the final eight holes of the tournament in 2-under.
Scranton Prep’s Guy Rothery tied for 27th with 154, and Jack Pavuk tied for 52nd with a 162.
Class 3A
Ryan Boyd and Seamus Kelly from Abington Heights both got off to bad starts in the Class 3A tournament on the Blue Course, then recovered well late.
After they both shot an 87 in the first round, Boyd added a 75 and Kelly a 78.
Boyd had only one par while shooting 49 on the first day. He parred all but one hole on the back nine, then shot 1-under for the closing nine with a birdie-birdie finish on the way to a tie for 62nd at 162.
Kelly had three birdies each day and finished tied for 65th with a 165.
Carson Kittsley from Fox Chapel shot 66-70—136 to win by one stroke over Greater Latrobe’s Jack Sacriponte.
