Marone emerges victorious at Locust Hill

Wentworth earns first IJGT victory 

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The International Junior Golf Tour’s (IJGT) Northeast Tour was in Pittsford, N.Y., on Sept. 28-29 for the Upstate Challenge at Locust Hill. Over the course of two days and 36 holes at Locust Hill Country Club, junior golfers ages 10-19 competed for national rankings and IJGT Merit Points. The field consisted of 45 players representing three states and two countries.

Located only minutes from the city of Rochester, Locust Hill Country Club was designed by Scottish Architect Seymour Dunn. The private club played 6,000 yards for the Girls Division, 6,197 yards for the Boys 14 & Under Division, and 6,575 yards for the Boys 15-19 Division. The weather could not have been any better for the golfers, as both days featured clear skies and temperatures in the 70s. Trees lined narrow fairways and small greens made every shot take the players’ full concentration. Also, ponds and creeks come into play on nine holes. For those reasons, Locust Hill has hosted an LPGA tournament every year since 1977 and the Wegman’s LPGA Championship from 2010-2013.

The Boys 15-19 Division came down to the wire as a number of players were in contention entering the final round. Eamon Marone of Belvidere, N.J., eventually emerged victorious, winning by one stroke over four other players. Marone finished the tournament with a score of 146, while Jack Gianniny of Rochester, N.Y., Harry Jin of Palisades Park, N.J., Joe Petrin of Cicero, N.Y., and Nick Musshafen of Fairport, N.Y., all finished at 147.

Marone carded 14 pars and a birdie as part of a first-round 2-over-par 74. He was one stroke off the leaders, Jin and Petrin, entering the final day. Jin birdied five holes and Petrin two, as both shot 1-over-par, 73 for the first round. Musshafen also shot an opening-round 74.

Gianniny made the biggest move on the final day after shooting 78 in round one. He sat five strokes off the lead entering the day, but shot a final-round 3-under-par 69 to put himself back in contention. The  round of 69, which was enough to win him the Clazic Belts Low Final Round Award, was highlighted by six birdies as part of a 5-under-par 32 on the back nine.

As Gianniny watched from behind the 18^th green, the rest of the leaders finished up. Musshafen birdied No. 17 to get to 2-over-par for the tournament but a bogey on No. 18 dropped him to 3-over-par, and put him in a tie with Gianniny. Marone, Jin and Petrin all stepped to the 18^th tee at 2-over-par and with an opportunity to win.

Both Jin and Petrin found the fairway off the tee, but Marone missed right, leaving himself under the trees. Even with the difficult approach, Marone reached the green in two, while Jin left his approach short and Petrin missed the green to the right. Petrin and Jin chipped to within 10 feet and Marone’s putt came up a few feet short, as Gianniny and Musshafen looked on.

Petrin was first up to putt and he missed his putt to the right, tapping in for bogey. Next up was Jin. His putt burned the left edge but would not fall, as he also dropped a stroke with a bogey. That left Marone with a three-foot putt for par and the championship. He stood over his uphill putt with a large group of spectators watching. Marone made the putt to earn the victory at the Upstate Challenge at Locust Hill.

“It’s challenging. It’s a tight course, you can’t just bomb it all over the place, I made a lot of putts within 10 feet and that was key for me,” said Marone.

In the Girls Division, Allyson Wentworth of Stewartsville, N.J., won her first IJGT Event. Wentworth finished with a total score of 152 to earn the six-stroke victory.

Wentworth used 10 pars and two birdies to card a first-round 77 to take the outright lead heading into the final round. She sat two strokes clear of Chelsea Dantonio of Lancaster, N.Y., and four strokes ahead of Christine Schmitt of Pittsford, N.Y., as the three made up final group.

Dantonio closed the game to one after the first three holes on during the final round but never got any closer. After nine holes, Wentworth’s lead was up to four, as she shot a 2-over-par, 39, while Dantonio carded a 41, and Schmitt, a 40.

Schmitt started the back nine off with three consecutive pars and sat three off the lead with six holes to play. Wentworth caught the hot hand at the right moment, though, putting together a streak of five pars on holes Nos. 4-8. Entering the final hole, a par-3, Wentworth’s lead sat at five strokes.

Even with the lead, Wentworth played the final hole aggressively, putting her tee shot within 15 feet. She finished in style, sinking the birdie putt to finish the round with a 3-over-par 75, and earning the Clazic Belts Low Final Round Award.

Wentworth noted that the key to her victory was, “…definitely putting. Anything within 10 feet I made this weekend.”

Schmitt finished second with scores of 81-77-158 while Dantonio placed third with a 79-81-160.

Danny Gianniny of Rochester, N.Y., earned his first victory of the season in the Boys 14 & Under Division. Danny Gianniny got off to a strong start in the first round, carding two birdies and six pars on his way to an 81, carrying a five-stroke lead into the final round.

Danny Gianniny continued his strong play during the last round. Paired with Chris Tanabe of Sewickley, Pa. and Dylan Plis Camillus, N.Y., Danny Gianniny shot a 42 on the front nine, to open up a six-stroke lead. Plis fired a 40 on the front to get within eight of the lead, heading into the back nine.

Danny Gianniny started his back nine with another birdie, and was on his way to the victory. He matched his front-nine score on the back to finish at 84 for the day and 165 for the tournament.

When asked about any key shots he made, Danny Gianniny was quick to note, “On my 10^th hole today, I stuck a shot to about a foot.” He made the putt for a birdie on his way to the victory.

Tanabe carded three birdies on in the final round as part of an 88, putting him in a tie for second with Plis. Both finished with scores of 174 over the two days.

The IJGT Northeast tour will be back at it the weekend of Oct. 5-6 in College Park, Md., for the College Series at University of Maryland. The tournament will be played at the University of Maryland Golf Course, home to the University of Maryland’s Men’s and Women’s Division 1 golf teams.

To sign up for this Event, or others, visit IJGT.com or call (843) 785-2444.

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Final-round results of the IJGT Upstate Challenge at Locust Hill conducted by the International Junior Golf Tour completed September 29, 2013. Boys 15-19 Division: Green Tees – 6,575 yards, Par 72 (75.5/137) Boys 14 & Under Division: White Tees – 6,197 yards, Par 72 (71.2/132) Girls Division: Blue Tees – 6,000 yards, Par 72 (76.2/139)

Weather:        Saturday: Sunny with temperatures in the low 70’s with 0-5 mph winds

Sunday: Sunny with temperatures in the low 70’s with 0-5 mph winds

International Junior Golf Tour

Locust Hill Country Club

Pittsford, N.Y.

September 28-29, 2013

Boys 15-19 Division - Green Tees, 6,575 yards, Par 72

1. Eamon Marone, Belvidere, NJ, *74-72--146

2. Jack Gianniny, Rochester, NY, *78-69--147

2. Nick Musshafen, Fairport, NY, *74-73--147

2. Joe Petrin, Cicero, NY, *73-74--147

2. Harry Jin, Palisades Park, NJ, *73-74--147

6. James Pelcher, Baldwinsville, NY, *74--79-153

6. Mike May, Auburn, NY, *75-78--153

8. Scott Chambers, Pittsford, NY, *79-75--154

8. Sean Dain, Oswego, NY, *77-77--154

10. Phil Leahy, Waterloo, Canada, *81-74--155

11. Alex Tanabe, Sewickley, PA, *76-80--156

11. Jack DePerrior, Rochester, NY, *77-79--156

13. Matt Monaco, Baldwinsville, NY, *83-74--157

13. William Thomson, Pittsford, NY, *78-79--157

13. Christian Nizamis, Baldwinsville, NY, *83-74--157

16. Sean Stanistreet, Camillus, NY, *82-78--160

16. David Hanes, Elma, NY, *84-76--160

18. Michael McIntosh, Chittenango, NY, *82-79--161

18. Nicklaus Cuny, Cranberry Township, PA, *80-81--161

18. Evan Gaesser, Kendall, NY, *85-76--161

18. Brad Belote, Lancaster, NY, *83-78--161

22. Andrew Fedele, Rochester, NY, *76-90--166

23. Joshua Greenly, Ontario, NY, *86-81--167

24. Andrej Erkelens, Pittsford, NY, *84-86--170

25. Grant Brongo, Spencerport, NY, *83-91--174

26. Alex Hepburn, Corning, NY, *91-86--177

27. Noah Andriatch, Brockport, NY, *89-91--180

28. Armand Cadieux, New Hartford, NY, *97-84--181

Boys 14 & Under Division - White Tees, 6,197 yards, Par 72

1. Danny Gianniny, Rochester, NY, *81-84--165

2. Chris Tanabe, Sewickley, PA, *86-88--174

2. Dylan Plis, Camillus, NY, *91-83--174

4. Tj Buck, Penfield, NY, *95-97--192

5. Chang Hyun Park, Pittsford, NY, *107-117--224

Girls Division - Blue Tees, 6,000 yards, Par 72

1. Allyson Wentworth, Stewartsville, NJ, *77-75--152

2. Christine Schmitt, Pittsford, NY, *81-77--158

3. Chelsea Dantonio, Lancaster, NY, *79-81--160

4. Sarah Godfrey-Singleton, Depew, NY, *87-79--166

5. Sarah Bothner, Rochester, NY, *86-82--168

6. Emily Connors, Lancaster, NY, *84-85--169

7. Victoria Parker, Lewiston, NY, *86-87--173

8. Madison Braman, Loudonville, NY, *88-87--175

9. Katie Walsh, Baldwinsville, NY, *88-91--179

10. Sarah Notaro, Lancaster, NY, *96-84--180

DID NOT FINISH

Meredith Glenning, Rochester, NY, *93--JWD

Lindsay May, Auburn, NY, *JWD