The Penn-York Junior Golf League is Connor Alfieri’s to lose.
With a narrow 28-27 lead in the boys’ Division I (ages 16-18) standings over second-place Spencer Cornelius, Alfieri (Smethport) turned in his best performance of the year. He carded a 1-under-par 71 that gave him a Week 4 victory at Pine Acres and put him two points ahead of Cornelius (Pine Acres) going into the final week of play on the circuit.
“The biggest thing today was I made a lot of putts,” Alfieri said. “I’ve played well the last four weeks, but the last three I hadn’t made all that many putts. Today, I didn’t play as well as I had, but my putter kept me in it.”
Specifically, Alfieri said, it was making the must-have short putts from within five feet.
“It was good to see those start dropping,” he added.
Alfieri spent the entirety of his round within a stroke of par, before an eagle on 18 sent him to 1-under and gave him the exclamation point for his victory. Cornelius and Michael Davis (Bartlett) tied for second at 78, with Cornelius taking a playoff victory.
Of his eagle, Alfieri, who now has two Penn-York victories this year, said, “The tee shot (on 18) fits me because I like moving the ball from right to left, so I had a nice starting point. I picked a tree and hit it right at the trunk.”
After the wind blew the ball over some, Alfieri had about 225 yards to the hole and opted for his 5-iron.
“I was thinking that it’d be enough to carry the pond but wouldn’t be too much to put me over. So I had a good draw and it got me to within 25 of the hole, on the left side and below it. And then I just got the break right and put the right speed on (the putt) and it went in.”
Looking forward to next week’s stop at Olean’s Bartlett Country Club, knowledge is power for the Smethport native. He knows the course is more about positioning than long drives, and that it carries fast greens.
“It’ll just be about figuring out the breaks and subtleties of the course and then hopefully I execute and make good swings to hit the ball where I’m looking,” he said.
IF PUTTING was the saving grace for Alfieri, it was Cornelius’ undoing, the Bradford native admitted.
“The irons were decent, but the longest putt I made all day was probably about five feet, which really killed me,” Cornelius said. “I had 19 putts on the back, and I couldn’t make anything happen. If I make a few more, my score would’ve come out decent, but it still wasn’t too bad.”
Still, Cornelius, also a two-time winner this year, is optimistic as the Penn-York circuit returns to the Empire State for Week 5.
“I’m really confident. Three weeks ago I went for a practice round with Sean Campbell (of Bartlett C.C.), and I’m thankful he got me on,” Cornelius said. “I played very well that day with five birdies on the front, and I shot even, so there’s no reason I can’t do it again.”
IN GIRLS’ Division I play, Sadie Oliver (Pine Acres) defended her home turf by carding a 55, seven strokes ahead of runner-up Avery Salvaggio. It marked the second time this season Oliver won in Pennsylvania, as she took a victory at Pennhills two weeks ago, too.
“I came into today thinking that this is my home course, and I’m going to win,” Oliver said. “It felt great. I was up here yesterday, and I wasn’t doing too well. But today, I had a good feeling, and I won.”
The difference between the two outings was in her 7-iron and ball positioning.
“But I straightened it out, and it all paid off,” she said.
Oliver hasn’t been to Bartlett yet, so next week could be a wild card for her. But with a little momentum, she says she’s entering with a positive mindset and “we’ll see what happens, because it’s mind over matter.”
OTHER WINNERS from Penn-York’s Week 4 stop at Pine Acres included Ethan Bailey (Wellsville) in Boys’ Division II (ages 14-15) and Tyler Salvaggio (Cardinal Hills) in Division III (ages 12-13). Liam McArdle (Caledonia) edged Matthew Beaver (Cardinal Hills) and Jackson Marsh (Cardinal Hills) in a three-man playoff to take Division IV (9-hole modified). Moon’s Nila Ecklof shot a 55 to win the girls’ Division III, while Coudersport’s Makenna Heckman carded a 56 to win Division IV.
Penn-York will wrap up its summer circuit on Monday, Aug. 3 at the Bartlett Country Club in Olean.
BOYS
DIVISION I (18 holes)
1.) C. Alfieri (Smeth) 71- 10
2.) S. Cornelius (PA) 78- 9
3.) M. Davis (Bar) 78- 8
4.) K. McClain (Bar) 80- 7
5.) M. Lonto (Elk) 81- 6
6.) S. Campbell (Bar) 83- 5
7.) J. Pond (Elk) 86- 4
8.) K. Barner (Kane) 87- 2.5
8.) A. Rohrs (CH) 87- 2.5
10.) D. Keleman (Chaut) 89- .5
10.) C. Crist (Chaut) 89- .5
DIVISION II (18 holes)
1.) E. Bailey (Wells) 97- 10
2.) T. Stitt (Bar) 100- 9
3.) H. Brairton (Bar) 100- 8
4.) A. Forrest (BR) 102- 6.5
4.) C. Brinsky (PH) 102- 6.5
6.) J. DeRose (Bar) 105- 5
7.) M. Brinsky (PH) 107- 4
8.) E. Obergfell (Bona) 108- 3
9.) L. Brushingham (Bona) 114- 2
10.) K. Padlo (BR) 118- 1
DIVISION III (9 holes)
1.) T. Salvaggio (CH) 44- 10
2.) R. Lechner (Bar) 47- 9
3.) K. Heckman (Coud) 49- 7.5
3.) J. Mest (Bona) 49- 7.5
5.) C. Vogtli (Bona) 50- 5.5
5.) C. Kline (RA) 50- 5.5
7.) A. Schott (Coud) 51- 4
8.) J. Morrison (CH) 52- 2.5
8.) C. Boutillette (Bar) 52- 2.5
10.) C. Davis (CH) 54 – 1
DIVISION IV (9 holes modified)
1.) L. McArdle (Cal) 42- 10
2.) M. Beaver (CH) 42- 9
3.) J. Marsh (CH) 42- 8
4.) N. Beaver (CH) 47- 6.5
4.) C. Carls (Spring) 47- 6.5
6.) A. Bohdanowycz (Bar) 48- 5
7.) K. Streich (Coud) 50- 4
8.) D. Myers (Bar) 51- 2
8.) L. Johnson (Bar) 51- 2
8.) C. Bartman (Bona) 51- 2
GIRLS
DIVISION I (18 holes)
1.) S. Oliver (PA) 55 – 10
2.) A. Salvaggio (CH) 62 – 9
3.) S. Cornelius (PA) 65 – 8
4.) O. Schott (Coud) 66 – 7
DIVISION III (9 Holes)
1.) N. Ecklof (Moon) 55 – 10
2.) R. Thompson (BOL) 60 – 9
3.) K. Crawford (Bona) 62 – 8
4.) M. Ford (Bona) 69 – 7
5.) P. Leet (PA) 70 – 6
6.) A. Bates (Bona) 75 – 5
7.) C. Bell (PA) 75 – 4
DIVISION IV (9 holes modified)
1.) M. Heckman (Coud) 56 – 10
2.) J. Sherry (Coud) 78 – 9
