Great Valley’s Liv Juliana claims PAC Individual title
GILBERTSVILLE >> The first step in Liv Juliana’s golf career was channeling her emotions.
In those days as a freshman, it was all about handling herself in between shots and focusing on what lies ahead. Never what went on behind her.
Her play would surely follow suit.
Tuesday afternoon stood as concrete proof of the process Juliana has followed ever since.
The Great Valley senior was cool, calm and collected on her way to an even-par 70 at Gilbertsville Golf Club as she claimed the Pioneer Athletic Conference Individual Championship. She tapped one in from gimme range for bogey on No. 18 to take the one-stroke victory over the defending champ from Downingtown East, Liddie McCook.
“I learned how to handle my emotions on the course very quickly,” recalled Juliana, who looked as calm as ever tapping in the winning putt. “I only picked up a club during my freshman year. I had a really hard time with the emotional part when I first started out. So I spent most of that season working on those emotions.
“Then I spent the next three seasons focused on my game and my swing. That’s helped me all along.”
A prime example of Juliana keeping her emotions in check came early on the back nine.
After picking up a bogey on No. 12, she landed her tee shot in an unkept sand trap on No. 13. Then after a long, drawn-out ruling, Juliana knocked it out of the sand and proceeded to chip in her next shot from about 60 yards out for birdie. From there, she walked briskly to the cup without cracking a smile, pulled out her ball and started to make her way to the next tee.
“My mood and everything got thrown off while we were trying to get that figured out,” she recalled. “Once it went in, I said to myself ‘We’re done with that one … next hole.’ My emotions were everywhere at that point. I’m glad I collected them and that was it.”
For her round, Juliana hit only nine greens in regulation but needed only 29 putts. She fired a 2-under 33 with two birdies on the front nine, then followed it up with two birdies and four bogeys on the back side en route to a 37.
“I knew that I would be close to contention after the front nine,” she said. “Liddie’s a really great player and I knew she would be right there with me. That was when I shifted focus and played every shot on its own. I couldn’t worry about what everyone else in my group was doing. I just needed to play my own game.”
It was far from the most consistent round McCook had put together during her career. The senior hit 13 greens in regulation but couldn’t find her stroke on the putting surface. She putted 36 times, including a three-putt bogey on No. 11.
“I really think I could have grabbed a couple strokes here and there,” she said of her round. “My putting could have been better and I kind of figured out my drive as the day went on.”
Downingtown West’s Grace Hickey finished behind McCook with a 4-over 74 while Phoenixville’s Grace Simenson followed with a 75.
Hickey had a tough go on the front where she posted a 5-over 40, but then came roaring back with two birdies on the backside to post a 1-under 34. She hit six greens in regulation on the back and needed only 13 putts during that stretch.
Simenson utilized an approach similar to Juliana.
The Phoenixville senior didn’t get too up with the highs, nor too down with the lows, including a rare four-putt double bogey on No. 3. Instead, she played steady and calm throughout.
“I’m a really nonchalant golfer,” she said with a laugh. “I try not to have a lot of emotion regarding my shots. I had a bad start to my round, but it didn’t make much of a difference to me. I was more focused on the holes that were still ahead.”
Simenson had four birdies, seven bogeys and a double while hitting 12 fairways and 12 greens in regulation.
Moving On
In all, 21 girls qualified for next week’s District 1 Championship. The first qualifying round will be held back at Gilbertsville on Monday, Oct. 9 then conclude at Turtle Creek the next day.
Downingtown West will be the best represented team at districts as Hickey, Casey Ruch (77), Lily Byrne (81), Shae Cabbadu (86) and Caitlin McGrinder (89) all punched their tickets on Tuesday. Phoenixville will send Simenson, Allison Bradley (84), Morgan Frampton (85) and Morgan Morris (90). Downingtown East will be represented by McCook along with Anisha Sonti and Megan Ostertag, who both finished up at 88 while Great Valley’s Juliana and Amanda Heins (88) will represent the Patriots. Methacton’s Emma Lawrie (81) and Riley Thomas (88) will represent the Warriors.
Solo representatives for their schools will be Boyertown’s Savanna Haas (78), Pope John Paul II’s Courtney Caiola (79) Perkiomen Valley’s Katie Pupillo (86), Hatboro-Horsham’s Hailey Phillips (90) and Spring-Ford’s Bryce Armor (91).
Different for Girls
Caiola, a senior at PJP, has spent the regular season playing alongside the boys in match play since the school doesn’t feature a girls team.
“It definitely brightens it up a little bit, playing with the boys,” said Caiola. “Playing with the boys and beating them is fun, but playing with the girls gives me a range of where I’m at. It doesn’t bother me making the transition from one to the other.”
We Meet Again
Tuesday’s lead group provided a preview glimpse of next week’s upcoming PAC Final Four semifinals on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
Simenson and No. 4 seeded Phoenixville will go up against Hickey and top-seeded Downingtown West while Juliana and No. 3 Great Valley will face McCook and No. 2 Downingtown East in the other semifinal. The winners will face off on Thursday, Oct. 5 at Applecross Country Club.
Par-Ty of Two
Talk about consistency.
Both the boys and girls PAC Individual Champions claimed the title by shooting even-par this week at Gilbertsville. Spring-Ford’s Ben Pochet won the boys side on Monday afternoon before Juliana followed suit on Tuesday.
