Tough rounds
WPIAL Individual Golf Championships challenge locals in 1st round
It is safe to say Hannastown Golf Club was the winner Monday morning in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A Boys Golf Individual Championship in Greensburg as just one player finished under par.
Central Catholic junior Bailey Donahue holds a three-stroke lead heading into the final round after shooting a 3-under-par 67.
The course was especially challenging on local players, as Laurel Highlands’ Dan O’Neal, Aiden Milsom and Kayden Smith, and Albert Gallatin’s Garrett Snyder didn’t score in the top 36 and advance to the final round, which will be contested on Oct. 5 at Sewickley Heights Golf Club in Sewickley.
Brownsville’s Ava Rohland and Laurel Highlands’ Sydney Glover will compete in the final round on Oct. 5 at Valleybrook Country Club in McMurray.
Rohland, a senior, completed her first round with a score of 99 to move onto the final round in Class 2A.
Glover, a freshman, finished her 18 holes at 97 to qualify for the final round in Class 3A.
Both classifications for the first round of the girls championships were held on Monday at Hillcrest Country Club in Lower Burrell.
Smith, a senior, shot the low round in the Section 2-3A qualifier on Sept. 21 at Butler’s Golf Woodside Course in Elizabeth with a 2-under-par 70 and was paired in first group with Fox Chapel’s Carson Kittsley, Greensburg Salem’s Luke Sikora and Pine-Richland’s Sam Schneck.
Kittsley, who is the two-time defending state champion that won last year’s district title, was 1-over par on the front 9, but came back with a 1-under to shoot an even-par 70 at Hannastown, which put him in second place heading into the final round.
Sikora fired a round of 76 to advance to Sewickley Heights Golf Club, but Schneck and Smith had tough rounds in failing to qualify for the final round after carding an 83 and 85.
Smith had a double bogey on hole No. 1, and after pars on the second and third holes, he lost another stroke on the fourth. He parred the fifth and eighth to finish the front 9 at 43. Smith sank five par putts on the back 9, but wasn’t able to record any birdies to lower his score.
Milsom recorded pars on the second, third, eighth, 12th and 16th holes to finish at 88.
O’Neal sank par putt on the first and second holes prior to recording a birdie on the par 4 at No. 6. He also parred the seventh and 17th holes for a round of 93.
Snyder parred the first, third and 16th holes, but the sophomore wasn’t able to get himself in a groove in carding a round of 95.
Glover registered a birdie on the third hole (par 5), and had pars on the fifth and seventh. She parred the 16th hole on the back 9.
Rohland birdied the 16th hole, and recorded pars on the fourth and 18th.
Glover and Rohland will need to rally in the final round at Valleybrook, as the top seven in Class 3A and top nine in Class 2A will advance to the state tournament as the scores and places from the first rounds will carry over.
Glover is in a tie for 26th place and Rohland is 15th heading into their final rounds.
The season isn’t over for Milsom, O’Neal and Smith, as the Mustangs will compete in the WPIAL team tournament, which is scheduled to begin on Oct. 8 or 9 with the semifinals. The finals will be contested on Oct. 13 at Cedarbrook Golf Club in Belle Vernon.