Wissahickon’s Matt takes 1st at SOL Boys Golf Championship

WARMINSTER >> Christian Matt carded a bogey on the fourth hole at the Suburban One League Boys Championship before storms that rolled through Tuesday morning suspended play at Five Ponds Golf Course.

“I felt good though,” the Wissahickon senior said. “We were all playing foosball in there, having a good time, so I kind of forgot about it.”

Matt was feeling even better after the 80-minute delay, resuming his round with an eagle on the par-5 fifth.

“I just made the bogey before the delay, so hit a shot, hit a second shot just left of the green and I knew the chip was makeable,” he said. “And then I made it.”

Matt went on to complete the front nine at 4-under 31 then kept steady on the back to shoot the day’s best score at 3-under 68 to lead the contingent of 39 SOL qualifiers for the District 1-3A tournament.

“I knew if I could get it going early I could hold the lead the rest of the day,” Matt said. “And couple putts fell, I made that eagle after the break and after that it was like free wheel, I had nothing to lose.”

Central Bucks West’s Kevin Lydon was the only other golfer to finish under par, taking second place at 1-under 70. Quakertown’s Nick Joyce came in third at 2-over 73.

“I wasn’t really thinking of a number cause I don’t like to do that but definitely hit the ball really good, scored good,” Lydon said. “Got an unlucky break on 17 but definitely have some confidence rolling into next week.”

The day’s top two finishers played in the same foursome alongside Joyce and Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Evan Rosenstein which for Lydon upped the enjoyment factor.

“Me and Christian had a lot of fun battling back and forth,” Lydon said. “I thought it was really fun, the competitiveness in the group cause we were going shot for shot, back and forth and it was just really fun today.”

Matt felt similarly on getting to trade shots with the CB West senior.

“It made it really fun,” he said. “He birdies I think 15 to get one back and we were grinding. It made it really competitive and it was fun.”

Lydon was one of six Bucks to qualify for districts, held Monday at Turtle Creek Golf Course. The SOL Colonial Division champs had four of the top eight finishes as West’s John Lee, Alex Feraco and Ryan Quinn all tied for fourth with Council Rock North’s Nick Riscica and Tyler Thrutchley at 3-over 74.

Also reaching districts for the Bucks were Chase Feraco – finishing in four-way tie for 10th at 5-over 76 – and Reese Dalzell, who grabbed one of the last six spots in an eight-golfer playoff after shooting 10-over 81.

“We’re solid for a team,” Lydon said. “Happy for all the guys who played today, they did a great job.”

Upper Dublin matched CB West with six district qualifiers, the SOL Liberty champ Cardinals led by Alex McCauley’s 6-over 77 that put him in a five-way tie for 14th.

UD’s Justin Kim tied for 19th at 7-over 78, Charlie Kerprich, Cole Coffee and Ruiraidh Sutherland all shot 9-over 80 to tie for 29th while Zach Holmlund moved on via playoff.

North Penn qualified four for districts with Justin Pileggi carding the Knights’ lowest score, tying McCauley, Hatboro-Horsham’s Justin Chong and Souderton’s Jack Graboski and Jacob Dommel at 6-over 77.

“I didn’t have a bad day overall,” Pileggi said. “I feel like I hit some pretty good shots but got unlucky a couple of times, hit a bad shot here and there but I think overall it wasn’t too, too bad – definitely could have been a lot better though.”

NP’s Connor Toussaint tied for 19th, Josh Kim recorded an 8-over 79 to tie for 23rd while Quinn Marett advanced through the playoffs after his 10-over 81.

Souderton had three qualifiers with Graboski and Dommel joined by Aidan Scott, who made it through via the playoff.

Matt was one of two from Wissahickon to reach districts as teammate Andrew Beiter had a 5-over 76 to tie for 10th.

Matt ended the front nine with four birdies to go along with the eagle on five. He posted back-to-back birdies on the second and third holes then bounced back from a bogey on four before the delay by going eagle-birdie on holes five and six. He followed a bogey at eight by picking up a birdie on the ninth.

Over his final nine holes, Matt collected pars on six, bogeyed the 11th and 18th and birdied the 12th.

“My putting was definitely on,” Matt said. I switched up my routine and I’m confident on the greens. And hitting my approach shots, I know if I’m inside 150 yards I’m going to hit it inside of 10 feet.”

Lydon began his round with eight pars and a birdie on par-4 4th to sit at 1-under 34 after nine. He bogeyed the 10th but birdied 11, 12 and 15 to reach 3-under before a double bogey at 17.

“I like that I made a lot of longer putts,” Lydon said. “I had one birdie inside five feet so made a lot of putts, hit a lot of greens, got up and down when I needed to, so pretty solid day overall.”

PW’s Rosenstein and Abington’s Sebastian Botero tied Toussaint and Kim for 19th at 7-over 78. Upper Moreland’s Bo Meakim and Pennridge’s Jeff Seiler finished in the tie for 23rd at 8-over 79. Adam Fluehr of Springfield-Montco shot a 9-over 80 to be part of the tie for 29th.

In the eight-golfer playoff, Dalzell, Marett, Holmlund, Scott and Central Bucks South’s Joey Carlin qualified for districts on the first hole while another six holes were needed before Council Rock North’s John Peace claimed the SOL’s 39th and last Class 3A spot.