Mikes come up short in WPIAL individual golf championship
Carmichaels’ Liam Lohr plays from a greenside bunker onto the fifth hole at Willowbrook Country Club in Monday’s WPIAL Class AA Individual Boys Golf Championship first round. (Photo by Jim Downey)
Carmichaels' Mason Lapana plays from a bunker in front of the eighth green at Willowbrook Country Club in Monday's WPIAL Class AA Individual Boys Golf Championship first round.
APOLLO — As the final groups finished the WPIAL Class AA Boys Individual Golf Championship first round Monday afternoon, the hope to make the 36-golfer cut for members of the Carmichaels squad slowly faded away.
When the final signature was recorded, Geibel Catholic sophomore Seth Dolan and Brownsville senior Matthew Sethman, both late finishers, were right at the cut line at 12-over 84, knocking the Mikes’ Liam Lohr and Mason Lapana from a return trip to next Monday’s WPIAL finals at Butler Country Club.
Lohr and Lapana both shot 13-over 85. Lohr won the bronze medal in the 2022 championship.
“With five holes left, I was 10-over and the cut was at 12-over. I had to have a good last five holes,” explained Matthew Sethman. “Then, I went bogey-bogey.
“I finished par-par-par. I made a clutch par putt on No. 17.”
Sethman described the putt, noting, “It was a slider. I was confident in the read.”
Sethman added, “I almost made my birdie putt on No. 18.”
Sethman finished with three double bogeys.
“Two were unlucky. I was behind a tree and in a bunker on the same hole,” said Sethman. “On No. 12, I hit a giant draw OB. I found the ball in the woods, so I decided to play the ball (instead of his provisional). I rolled a 7-iron and hit three out of a bunker.
“I saved bogey. That was one of the best bogeys in my life.”
Dolan had an idea where he stood as the round neared completion.
“i was riding the line. I got the marker to check scores a couple times to get an idea,” said Dolan. “I knew I was kinda close. I had to par out.
“I was able to stay away from big numbers. I had two double bogeys because of bad tee shots.”
Brownsville senior Daniel Sethman, who was in the first group with Lohr, removed all the anxiety of making the cut by shooting 1-under 71. Sethman won the silver medal in last year’s district championship.
“I’m happy with it,” Sethman said of his round. “I hit greens and putted well. I had no 3-putts, although I pulled around 10 approach shots. I gave myself poor birdie opportunities.
“I would’ve had a lot more looks at birdie if I wasn’t pulling my shots.”
Waynesburg Central senior Braden Benke finished in a tie for 26th place with 82.
“The front was rough. I was 5-over after three holes,” said Benke. “On my third hole (No. 12), I chunked it into the water for double bogey.
“I played more conservative (after that). I had a birdie (on his 13th hole). That’s when it kicked in. I scrambled on the front. The back it all clicked.”
Benke wasn’t checking the scoreboard.
“Today, I thought nothing but one shot at a time,” said Benke, who advanced to the finals two years ago.