Week two of the 49th Penn-York Junior Golf League season had quite the Pennsylvania flavor to it.
Not only was Monday morning’s event at Pennhills Club in Bradford, but two Pa. participants won the Division I trophies.
Bradford’s Elyse Godding (Pine Acres) had one of the day’s most impressive outings, scoring a 40 (five strokes over par) in the top girls division (14-18-year-olds). The runner-up in the girls’ Division I, Jamestown’s Sarah Pillittieri, was 10 strokes back with a 50 over nine holes.
Godding also captured last week’s trophy with a round of 45 at Elkdale Country Club, giving her a strong start on the five-week Penn-York circuit.
Even after these two strong weeks, Godding feels like with some slight adjustments in her game she can reach her goal of getting below 40.
“I can definitely break 40,” she said. “I was on track on the eighth hole (Monday) but I doubled and the last hole really got me.”
“As people say, ‘You drive for show and putt for dough,’ Godding added with a laugh. “So, I just need to work on my chipping and putting and I can also hit my drives way further than I did.”
On the boys’ side, Smethport’s Connor Alfieritook home the second Division I trophy (16-18) of the summer. Alfieri carded a 75, five strokes over par, to beat out runner-up Branson Morrison (Cardinal Hills), who scored a 79.
Alfieri credits a birdie on the fifth hole for the push he needed to get through a tough Pennhills course.
“It was a 450-yard par four and I got a three on it,” he said. “It gave me a lot of momentum and I rolled off of that for the next few holes.”
After seven boys carded under an 80 at Elkdale, just Alfieri and Morrison did so at Pennhills. In fact, the average score for the top 10 golfers for Week 2 was a 82, compared to 77 last week.
League director Kyle Henzel cited fast and windy conditions that resulted in golfers having a tough time navigating the greens as the major factors for the high scores.
In total, 86 of the area’s brightest young golfers played Monday at Pennhills.
The younger divisions featured plenty of repeat winners from Week 1, with some even improving their scores.
Olean’s Kamdyn McClain (Bartlett) won the boys’ Division II (ages 14-15) with an 81, a six-shot improvement from his Week 1 win. Allegany’s Michael Davis (Bartlett) finished second with an 87.
“It came down to putting, said Davis, who improved from his 96 in Week 1. “I did really well with that along with my chipping. I pared on all of the par threes, and also did really well on the par fives.”
In the boys’ Division III (12-13), Wellsville’s Ethan Bailey carded a 48 over nine holes, edging out runner-up Talon Stitt (Bartlett), who scored a 51.
Allegany’s Ryan Lechner (Bonaventure) repeated as the winner of the boys’ Division IV (11-under, modified tees) with a 44. He beat Randolph’s Tyler Salvaggio (Cardinal Hills) by one stroke. The two boys finished in the same order Week 1.
Coudersport’s Olivia Schott avenged her second-place finish in Week 1 with a score of 72 to win the Division III girls (ages 12-13). Bradford’s Sophie Cornelius was the runner-up in the nine-hole round with a score of 73. Emma Edwards captured the Division IV girls (11-under, modified tees) with a 55 over nine holes.
Penn-York heads back to the Empire State next week, with Week 3 set for Monday at Wellsville Country Club.
Golfers are playing for a chance to qualify for the SWNY-NWPA Men’s Amateur at Bartlett Country Club. The lowest 10 averages at the end of the five-week Penn-York tour qualify for the event, while the lowest 16 are invited to the Betty Bergreen Junior Championship.
Week 2 Penn-York standings, as compiled by Kyle Henzel:
Top 10
Division I boys
Score Points
1.) C. Alfieri (Smeth) 7510
2.) B. Morrison (CH) 799
3.) J.. McCollough (BH) 808
4.) B. Burton (HH) 817
5.) J. Goodenow (ELK) 826
6.) Z. Zameroski (LM) 845
7.) E. Beaver (CH) 853.5
7.) D. Reed (Wells) 853.5
9.) S. Hyman (HH) 861.5
9.) J. Frigo (PA) 861.5
Division II boys
Score Points
1.) K. McClain (BAR) 81 10
2.) M. Davis (BAR) 87 9
3.) S. Cornelius (PA) 88 8
4.) C. Lechner (Bona) 93 7
5.) S. Cashimere (Bona) 96 5.5
5.) B. Morgan (HH) 96 5.5
7.) C. Salvaggio (CH) 97 3.3
7.) E. Christoff (RIDG) 97 3.3
7.) M. Insley (HH) 97 3.3
Division III top 10 (9 Holes)
Score Points
1.) E. Bailey (Wells) 4810
2.) T. Stitt (BAR) 51 9
3.) D. Brokaw (Ole) 53 8
4.) C. Hannon (JAMES) 54 7
5.) D. Smith (PH) 61 6
6.) K. Padlo (BOL) 63 5
7.) I. Howell (Ole) 64 4
8.) L. Brushingham (Ole) 67 3
9.) A. Giardini (Ole) 74 2
10.) C. Lyons (BAR) 75 1
Division IV top 10 (9 Hole Modified)
Score Points
1.) R. Lechner (BONA) 4410
2.) T. Salvaggio (CH) 45 9
3.) A. Schott (COUD) 52 8
4.) J. Mest (BONA) 56 7
5.) D. Myers (BAR) 57 5.5
5.) J. Morrison (CH) 57 5.5
7.) J. Marsh (CV) 59 4
8.) D. Skaggs (PA) 61 2.5
8.) O.Wright (CH) 61 2.5
10.) J. Marshall (CH) 62 1
Division I top 10 Girls (9 Holes)
Score Points
1.) E. Godding (PA) 40 10
2.) S. Pillittieri (MOON) 50 9
3.) L. Salvaggio (CH) 53 8
4.) J. Corey (Chaut) 60 7
5.) J. Stockwell (MOON) 61 6
6.) S. Oliver (MOON) 62 5
7.) I. Palermo (James) 66 4
8.) C. Streich (Coud) 69 2.5
8.) A. Agnell (PA) 69 2.5
10.) S. Segrue (Maple) 73 1
Division III Girls (9 Holes)
Score Points
1.) O. Schott (Coud) 72 10
2.) S. Cornelius (PA) 73 9
3.) A. Salvaggio (CH) 75 8
4.) R. Maggio (James) 78 7
5.) A. Rosengren (CH) 81 6
6.) M. Triplett (Couds) 85 5
Divison IV Girls (9 Holes Modified)
Score Points
1.) E. Edwards (Ole) 55 10
2.) R. Thompson (BOL) 63 9
