Oct 1, 2009 5 min read

BOLIVAR – The weather was the prevalent topic of most conversations Wednesday at the WPIAL Boys individual semifinals hosted by Champion Lakes Golf Club. That is, until the first threesome finished.

The 12-player cut into next week’s WPIAL Championships at Butler Country Club kept sliding down as each threesome finished, from 83 to 82 to 81, until the cut finally rested at 7-over 78.

Only the Lustig brothers from Belle Vernon managed to make the cut with Bo finishing tied for second with a 2-over 73 and Tyber tying for sixth with a 3-over 74.

Both golfers started on No. 1 and shot a 2-over 38. Bo Lustig was one of two golfers to finish the back in even-par 35, while Tyber Lustig shot 1-over 36.

Norwin’s Jesse Doverspike persevered through the cold, misty, miserable weather conditions for medalist honors with an even-par 71, going out in 1-under 35 and coming in with a 36.

Opening with a sub-40 on the front relaxed Bo Lustig as he prepared for his final nine holes.

“I knew all I had to do was keep in the 30s on the back side,” explained the younger Lustig. “I missed three birdie putts in the last four holes on the back, and I missed five greens on the back.”

Bo Lustig kept the game plan simple as he approached the semifinals.

“I wanted to get it anywhere around the pin, and two-putt for par,” said Lustig.

The light rain didn’t bother Lustig, and he actually used the damp weather to his advantage.

“I was striking the ball well. The greens were wet so I was able to fly the ball at the pin,” said Lustig.

Tyber Lustig wasn’t real pleased with his round, but understood his score was all it needed to be.

“I had one double bogey today and didn’t have any birdies. I couldn’t putt,” said the elder Lustig. “I missed a few short ones (putts) early, and it just got in my mind.

“It was a grind all day. I was hitting a lot of greens, and had a lot of 2-putts for par.”

The wet weather didn’t concern Tyber Lustig physically, but played havoc with his ability to read greens.

“The pace of the greens wasn’t consistent. The weather was fine. It was more the inconsistency of the green.”

With all said and done, the brothers agreed the most important result was gaining one of the coveted 12 berths into the district finals.

“I knew even-par would win, and I thought I’d have to break 80 to go. I’m trying to get through to the state tournament. That’s what you try to do,” said Tyber Lustig.

“All that mattered was I just wanted to be in the top 12,” echoed Bo Lustig.

The longer Connellsville’s Johnny Leonard stared at the leaderboard, the further the junior slipped away from the cut after he finished with a 12-over 83. He went out in 41 and finished the back in 42, including three 6s.

“I don’t even want to think about them,” Leonard said of the triple 6s. “I left five or six shots out there.”

“All of (the shots) were bad,” deadpanned Leonard.

Albert Gallatin’s Mike Petrun finished off the pace with an 86, but the senior soaked in the atmosphere of his last major high school tournament.

“I couldn’t get anything going. I had a birdie on No. 7. That was the highlight of my day,” said Petrun, adding as he looked at the leaderboard, “These scores are amazing.”

The weather affected Petrun in different ways.

“(The rain) made it tough to hit out of the rough. The fairways were so soggy. I was chunking it,” said Petrun. “I’m wearing a lot clothes. I’m not used to that.”

Despite it all, Petrun enjoyed the round. “It was a great experience. I’m proud of what I did,” said Petrun. “It (being a senior) hit me as I was walking up No. 9. I was looking around, and got a little choked up. This will be the last time I’m here.

“I parred the last hole. That’s something I’ll always remember.”

Penn Trafford’s Kevin Loutzenhizer (73) and Dan Maier (76), Latrobe’s Will Wears (73), Ben Gjebre (75) and Sam Cline (77), Greensburg Salem’s Zach Ross (73), Hempfield’s Chris Cline (74), Indiana’s Colton Wiggins (76), and Ringgold’s Mike Yavorsky (78) also qualified for the WPIAL finals.

Penn-Trafford’s Derek Lingafelt shot a 79 to finish as the first alternate.

DIVOTS: Jefferson-Morgan had three golfers in the semifinals. Senior Josh Kokoska, the last of three brothers to golf for John Curtis, shot a 44-42-86. Alex Rush carded a 46-45-91, and Zach Berkstresser finished with a 44-49-93. + Waynesburg Central had a pair in the semifinals with freshman Loren Dukate shooting a 41-47-88 and Jackson Gardner carding a 51-48-99. + California’s Zac Edmiston shot a 46-47-93. + Geibel Catholic sophomore Mike Noonan finished with a 42-46-88. + Wears joined Doverspike as the lone golfers to shoot 1-under 35 on the front nine. + Not one of the 44 golfers broke par on the back with Ross and Bo Lustig the only players to shoot even-par 35.