Oct 6, 2004 By Jim Downey 6 min read

PITTSBURGH – By most accounts, the South Hills Country Club golf course was the big winner Tuesday, but 10 golfers, including three local players, survived the difficult greens to advance out the regional into next Monday’s WPIAL Boys Individual Golf Championships to be played on Mystic Rock at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa. The general consensus was the regional at South Hills was the deepest, although the scores were more reflective of the hard, fast greens than of the field. Geibel Catholic’s James McGrath finished tied with Peters Township’s Jim Ellis at 6-over-par 77, counting an unusually high six 3-putts on his card. Brownsville’s Ryan Bashour and Chad Kokoska of Jefferson-Morgan were also among the ten qualifying golfers.

“I wasn’t too happy. The greens were the hardest part of the course. I missed two putts under three feet. I missed a lot of short putts,” said McGrath of the putting portion of his game. “The greens made shots harder. There were tough pin placements.”

The Geibel junior went out in 3-over 36 with two birdies, three bogeys, a double bogey and three pars. He scored his two birdies on the final two holes the front after carding his double bogey on the par-3 No. 7 hole. McGrath was 3-over on the back as well, opening with a bogey and double bogey before recovering to birdie the following two holes. He bogeyed No. 15 and had one of his three putts on the treacherous No. 18 green for a bogey.

“I drove the ball really well. I hit my wedges well. I had birdie opportunities,” explained McGrath. “I had to factor in the greens. They were hard and fast.”

The opening foursome was the most productive. Trinity’s John Popeck had the low round of the day with a 2-over 73 and Chris Bonchosky of Laurel Highlands shooting an 82, loosing a five-way tie for the 10th spot when South Fayette’s Kevin Hart rolled in an improbable birdie putt on the first playoff hole. Bonchosky lost out on his bid for the first alternate when Peters Townships’ Chad Warmbein parred the third playoff hole.

The course changed McGrath’s outlook at the cut, as it did most of the coaches and golfers.

“The scores are higher than I thought. I expected 77, 78 to be the cut,” said McGrath. “I knew I was right there (around 77). The main thing was getting to the WPIAL Championships.”

While Bonchosky had the longest wait to see if he would make the cut, what has become a tradition with Jefferson-Morgan golfers of looking at the scoreboard and waiting anxiously was carried forward by Chad Kokoska.

Kokoska was in the fourth group of ten finishing with an “on the bubble” score of 81. The Rocket had some problems on the front with a 43, but regrouped on the back nine for a saving score of 38. Kokoska was faced with a similar situation last week in the sectionals held at Rohanna’s Golf Course.

“I though I’d shoot a 78 today. I was the last player in my group after nine holes,” said Kokoska.

“I told myself I needed to play better or I wouldn’t make it. The same thing I did at Rohanna’s. I putted better on the back.”

Kokoska didn’t fire out of the gate on the back nine, turning a birdie putt on No. 10 into a bogey with a three-putt to go to 8-over.

“I had an up-and-down on No. 11 that helped,” said Kokoska. “I just had to grind it out. It was very stressful. I don’t care if I’m first or 10th, just though I make it. Everyone starts over and the scores go to zero.

“The experience of playing in this round (before) helped. It gave me a new approach. I might have blown up.”

Bashour didn’t have to wait long to see if he had advanced, playing in the third from last group. The Falcon senior shot an 80 (41-39), two shots below the cut line, despite going 6-over-par on the par-3s.

“I prepared the whole week for this,” Bashour said of his round of golf. “This is the most confidence I’ve ever had.

“I heard at the No. 17 tee box there were five golfers at 82. I knew if I shot par-par I’d finish with a 79. I three-putted No. 18, but I still did it.”

Bashour also chimed in on the quickness of the greens.

“These are the fastest greens I’ve ever played on, and hard, too. You couldn’t shoot at the pin,” said Bashour. “I missed two fairways. I drove the ball perfect. I hit below the hole, which is good, but I didn’t capitalize.”

The senior factor also weighed in on Bashour’s approach and preparation to the second round.

“It did,” Bashour said of the thoughts of a senior. “That’s probably why I prepared so much. I panicked after I had a triple bogey on the second par-3. But I saw a lot of kids on 41. I was relaxed, cool as a cucumber.”

The trio of local golfers is also very involved in the race for a berth in the team playoffs. Jefferson-Morgan (Division II, Section 8) and Brownsville (Division I, Section 2) are fighting for second place. Geibel has already clinched the Division II, Section 8 title, but the Gators are looking to finish undefeated as momentum into the playoffs in a season dedicated to team captain Andrew Broadwater’s fight with cancer.

“We really want it. It’s great we’re doing this (for Andrew Broadwater). We talk about it. We think about it. We’re hoping for the best,” said McGrath.

“I’m a team player. There’s a lot of kids (on the team) who haven’t experienced the team playoffs,” said Bashour.

CHIP-INS: Upper St. Clair’s Robert Shogry (75), South Fayette’s Jim Markovitz (80) and Matt Sampson (81) and Burgettstown’s Christian Goetz (81) also advanced to the WPIAL finals. … The back nine (42.6) played a bit easier than the front (44.4). … Shogry had the low round on the front nine with a 37 while Popeck’s 34 was the best on the back. … Connellsville’s Jonathan Luczka (87), Charleroi’s Dom Marozza (99) and Mapletown’s Zach Cumberland (95) had the best turnaround on the back with bettering their front nine by seven strokes on the finishing holes.