Powderly Captures Junior Amateur Title, McCabe Wins 14-15 Division
Liam Powderly, from Baltimore Country Club, broke away from an early three-way tie and rode a 2-under-par 69 to the championship of the 93rd Maryland State Golf Association Junior Amateur, finishing with a 36-hole total of 140 at Norbeck CC in Rockville, June 27. The 69 equaled the low round of the tournament.
Will Koras, from Hayfields CC, claimed second place with 73-70–143, followed by Keegan Shreves, Congressional CC, 73-72–145. Kevin Johnson, from Bethesda CC, had the other 69 and finished fourth at 146. They were joined by Gus Haglund, Columbia CC, 75-72–147, and Matthew Barnes, Argyle CC, 73-76–149, as the only ones among 45 second-day players (at 79 and better) to break 150.
Powderly, 17, a McDonogh School junior, had four birdies, two bogeys, and once in sole command of the lead was not headed. He favored using a 2-iron off the tee, kept the ball in the fairway and hit the greens. “I hit the ball well and putted a lot better,” he declared. “I hit 14 greens. My putter got me under [par]and I was able to keep it there.” He finished with 29 putts.
Johnson, 17, a Gonzaga junior from Bethesda, “finally put it together,” with his 69. He had three birdies including one on a 25-foot putt at the fifth hole, and one bogey when he missed the 13th green. Koras, 17, had three birdies, two bogeys, and his birdie at the 17th helped seal his runner-up position.
Dugan McCabe, 15, from Bethesda, won the 14-15 title with 75-76–151. He is a rising sophomore at Walt Whitman and cited his goal of “no doubles,” as one of the things on which he’s been working. “And I had no doubles in the two rounds,” he added.
The 12-13 division played 18 holes on June 26, and Corey Minkoff, from Gaithersburg, who plays mostly at Worthington Manor GC in Urbana, won with 69, equaling his career best.
Champion — Liam Powderly, 71-69–140
16-18 — 1. Powderly; 2. Will Koras 143; 3. Keegan Shreves 145
14-15 — 1. Dugan McCabe 151; 2. Zachary Maloy 153; 3. Connor McGarrity 154
12-13 — 1. Corey Minkoff 69; 2. Esteban Knorr 71; 3. Charlie Craig 82
McGarrity, Powderly, Barbin Tied for Lead After First Round, Minkoff Fires 69 to Win 12-13 Division.
Sean McGarrity, from Bethesda, set the early pace with a 1-under-par 71, then was joined by Liam Powderly, from Cockeysville, and Austin Barbin, from Elkton, as play in the 93rd Junior Amateur championship of the Maryland State Golf Association moved through the first round at Norbeck Country Club in Rockville, June 26.
The cut fell at 79 as the result of the tournament’s “within eight strokes of the leader(s)” rule, and 45 players will advance to the final round. The event attracted 110 players in the two older divisions, and nine in the 12-13 class.
McGarrity, 16, a Gonzaga junior who made the cut in last week’s Frank Emmet Schoolboy championship, highlighted his round with four back-nine birdies, including one on a putt from 40 feet. The 6,895-yard course (for the 14-16 and 16-18 divisions) was played at a par of 35-36–71.
Powderly, 17, better known in the Baltimore area as an All-Metro lacrosse player at McDonogh School, where he will be a junior in the fall, hit the ball really well, reaching 16 greens in regulation, including his last two, Nos. 17-18, where he dropped birdie putts from inside 10 feet.
Barbin, 16, a rising junior at Red Lion (Pa.) Christian School, started on No. 10, birdied the par-5 11th with a chip and a putt for his only deviation from par going out, then came back with a birdie and two bogeys. Earlier this month, at the Maryland State Amateur qualifying round, he earned the only place available in a 14-for-1 playoff, then challenged medalist and former champion Ben Warnquist (on his way to a second title) before losing, 4 and 3.
Among six players at 73 was Lou Baker, 16, from Baltimore CC, a St. Paul’s School junior, who eagled the 545-yard 17th hole with driver, 6-iron, chip-in. It helped get him into the tie after soaring 4-over on the front nine. He was joined by Brad Whitaker, Columbia CC; Matthew Barnes. Argyle CC; Keegan Shreves, Congressional CC; Pieter DeGroot, TPC Avenel, and Will Koras, Hayfields CC. Corey Minkoff, 13, a middle-school student from Gaithersburg, won the 12-13 division with a 69, one of the best rounds of his career. It set a personal record in relation to par (3 under), and 69 tied his best 18-hole score. His tour included an eagle-3 at the 439-yard fifth, where he hit driver, 6-iron to 15 feet. The youngest division played the course at par-72 and 5,877 yards. Esteban Knorr, CC Woodmore, finished second, 71, trailed by Charlie Craig, Bretton Woods Recreation Center, 82.
16-18 division and overall champion, Liam Powderly with OIC Diane Herndon (left) and MSGA President, Jack Barse (right)
14-15 Division Winner, Dugan McCabe (center) with OIC Diane Herndon (left) and MSGA President, Jack Barse (right)
12-13 Champion Corey Minkoff, MSGA eClub (left) and OIC Diane Herndon (right)
Reported by John Stewart
