Brownsville tops J-M in golf
CARMICHAELS – Ryan Bashour had medal honors for the day, plus a single distinction in pacing Brownsville’s golf win. Bashour shot a 2-over-par 39 over the front nine at Carmichaels Golf Club to be both match- and team-medalist, as Brownsville (4-3, 3-1) defeated Jefferson-Morgan, 213 to 218, in Division II, Section 8, golf play Tuesday.
And in addition to that honor, he was the only golfer among 24 from four teams competing to break 40. He was two-over-17 on the first four holes, then went three under with successive birdies on five (378, 4), six, and seven, before closing with a bogey and double-bogey to finish two-over.
Despite his honor, Bashour was still upset with one factor, noting, “Irons and my play from 100 yards in, were the best part of my game today, but I hurt myself by not concentrating like I should have on three holes, and it cost me. In this game, you have to stay focused.”
Of his successive birdies, it could be said Bashour went from best to worst to average.
He noted, “On five, I had my best drive of the day, then hit a good sand wedge 90-yards to the green, landing 12 feet from the pin and one-putting. But on six, I had my worst drive of the day. I don’t know what I did, but my drive went up in the air and landed about 70 yards from the tee. I hit a 3-wood about four yards short of the green, chipped on, and got the five-foot putt. Then I had an average drive on seven, hit an eight-iron about 140 yards 25-feet short of the pin and two-putted.”
But after that “it was all downhill on the last two. I had a good shot on the uphill par three eighth, and putted to about 18-inches from the cup. But then I don’t know what I did, but my game just stalled there and I two-putted. On nine, I hit a great drive, then a three-wood about 90-yards short of the green. My sand wedge third shot hit the green and bounced over, then I didn’t pay attention to what I was doing and tried chipping for par, but it rolled past and I two-putted.”
Teammate Josh Seelye might have had a shot at breaking 40. He started out six over par on the first four, but then turned around and played the last five one-under, to finish with 42.
Ben Barbetta and Chad Kokoska led Jefferson-Morgan scoring with 41 each.
Barbetta said, “I didn’t have any birds, but while I bogeyed the first two holes and the last two, in between I had all pars. My driver wasn’t good all day, but my long irons and putter were good. What I didn’t get on the drives I partly offset with the irons.”
Kokoska had a bird on seven where “I missed an eagle by about two inches. I had a perfect drive, but then sort of pushed my seven-iron second shot to about 30-yards to the right of the green. I chipped up two inches short of the cup and an eagle, but I did have an easy tapin for birdie. My driving was good and chipping was my best point today.”
Falcon coach Mike Sobocinski called the match “an eye opener for us if we have a shot at going farther. You have to play the course. It was rough today for both sides, the greens played hard, but you still have to play the course and not worry about playing each other. It was a good competitive round for both teams.”
J-M coach John Curtis added “if you play the course and do well at it, you will win most of your matches. We did not play as well as we could have, but then neither team really played to their best today.”
Brownsville has an exhibition today with Laurel Highlands at Duck Hollow, then returns to section play Thursday against West Greene at Rohanna’s. J-M meets Charleroi today at Mon Valley CC, then has a section test Thursday with Waynesburg at Rohanna’s.