Perennially powerful Unionville boys’ golf team off to 11-0 start

Kennett Square >> Despite graduating a talented senior class to graduation last spring, the Unionville boys’ golf team keeps sailing along, as the Indians have won their first 11 matches of the 2019 season.
The Indians lost 2018 Daily Local News Boys Golfer of the Year Connor Bennink to the college ranks, as well as Will Bennink (who tied for 12th at the PIAA 3A state championships last fall), Richie Kline (who was second team All-Area in 2018), Chris Skean (second team All-Area last fall) and David Starnes (honorable mention All-Area). This quintet captured the 2018 District 1 AAA boys’ team championship for Unionville.
“We have a new cast of characters this fall,” said Unionville boys’ golf head coach James O’Rourke. “But a lot of these guys have been members of our successful teams of [prior] years.”
The leading quartet of the Indians this fall has been junior Roy Anderson, senior Jack Cooley, senior Jon Passarello and junior Ross Charlton.
Anderson led the way in the Indians’ 196-210 victory against visiting Kennett High School Tuesday afternoon, shooting a 2-over-par 37 at Unionville’s home course, Kennett Golf & Country Club. Last fall, Anderson placed third at the Ches-Mont Championships and he received Daily Local News All-Area honorable mention honors.
“Roy is really focused, he hits the ball far and there’s no weak part of his game,” said O’Rourke. “He has the most consistent scores of anyone on the team.”
Anderson, who has been a member at Kennett Golf & Country Club for a decade, said, “Playing here [Kennett] as our home course is an advantage. The greens are pure [true], and the ninth hole is the type of hole that allows a longer hitter to take advantage. We have a lot of depth [of talent] on our team too.”
Cooley, like Anderson is a consistent competitor who is averaging only 1.1 strokes above par for his rounds this fall. As a junior, he tied for 13th at the District 1 Golf Championships and received Daily Local News All-Area second team honors.
“Jack and Roy are really tournament-tested golfers,” said O’Rourke. “They have a lot of experience playing in different amateur competitions, like the AJGA [American Junior Golf Association].”
Passarello shot a 3-over-par 38 Tuesday as the Indians’ second-leading scorer. Like Anderson, Passarello has been a member of Kennett Golf & Country Club for 10 years.
“This is a really good course to play on, the greens are pretty quick,” said Passarello, a good all-around athlete who plays varsity basketball for the Indians in the winter. Last fall, he received Daily Local News All-Area honorable mention for golf.
O’Rourke also praised the efforts of Charlton this fall.
“Ross has got to be our most improved golfer this year,” said O’Rourke. “He’s hitting the ball further, and his overall game has really come around. A couple of weeks ago, he shot three-under at Hartefield.”
The Indians’ home course, Kennett Golf & Country Club, is a Donald Ross design that includes many elevation changes and is dotted with bunkers. One notable hole on the front nine (which Unionville plays for their home matches) is No. 2, a par 4 in which the golfer is hitter to a steeply elevated green that is surrounded by bunkers.
“The greens here [at Kennett CC] are of PGA quality,” said O’Rourke. “The speeds can be pretty quick. This is the best home course we could have, for a 30-member team [boys and girls combined]. The members here are top-notch, they work their tee times around us when we play here. The head pro, Ryan Nuechterlein, has been great with us. I don’t know if there are other courses around who would take a 30-member team like ours.”

Other top scorers for Unionville Tuesday were Will Hage (39), Stephen Starnes (39) and Tyler Bourdreau (43). For Kennett High School, the leading scorers Tuesday were Nimah Narinesingh-Smith (39), Luke Mullen (41), Jack Ryan (42), Griffin Gaughan (42) and Marcus Kinney (46).