Wallace, Manown advance to golf finals
Uniontown’s Luke Wallace and Belle Vernon’s Kirby Manown extended their individual golf seasons Tuesday for another week as both golfers earned a berth out of the WPIAL Class AAA individual golf semifinal held at the Links at Spring Church in Apollo.
Wallace and Manown both shot 9-over 79 to tie for eighth and earn one of the 12 spots into next Wedneday’s WPIAL Class AAA Individual Championship held at Fox Chapel Country Club.
“My long game counteracted my short game,” said Wallace, who went out in 41 and came back with 38. “I had four 3-putts. I had bad speed on the greens.”
Wallace shot a 77 in his practice round, but said, “The pins were in a much harder position today.”
Wallace, who advanced to his first WPIAL finals, was in the second group off the tee, so he had a long wait of not knowing if his score would stand.
“I had no feel for what I had to shoot,” said Wallace, who said of his scoreboard watching, “I was doing some math.”
Wallace gets right back at it today when the Red Raiders host Elizabeth-Forward. Uniontown is basically in a must-win situation with a victory against the Warriors going a long way toward a berth in the team playoffs.
“(Playing the section matches) will keep my focus on track,” said Wallace. “I’m looking forward to (the next week of golf).”