Lower Merion’s Yermish wins battle for District 1 girls golf title; PAC trio advances
LIMERICK >> As the two-day District 1-3A girls golf championships came down to the last few holes on Tuesday, the scores at the top of the leaderboard kept getting closer and closer, with the battle for the title eventually boiling down to the final holes at Turtle Creek Golf Course.
Steadiness down the stretch was rewarded and that left Lower Merion’s Sydney Yermish at the top of the pack, winning the close two-day fight with a 4-under score of 139. She made two birdies in the final six holes to close with a second-day 70.
Kate Roberts (Phoenixville), Stefania Fedun (Owen J. Roberts) and Rhianna Gooneratne (Plymouth Whitemarsh) wound up tied for second place, three strokes back. Phoenixville freshman Kayley Roberts tied for sixth.
The top nine finishers advanced to the PIAA Championships next Monday and Tuesday at Penn State.
Fedun shot a 4-under 67 on Monday at Raven’s Claw to take the lead, one stroke better than Gooneratne and two ahead of Yermish. She trailed Yermish by one heading to the final hole on Tuesday, but finished the day with a double bogey after hitting a ball into the water.
“I didn’t do myself any justice putting my second shot on the hill,” Fedun said. “I two-putted and shot a seven.
“Everything was consistent today. My driver was a little off, but my putts were definitely better.”
Despite the problems on the final hole, the OJR senior was happy to make it back to states for the first time since her freshman year.
“It feels great,” she said. “All of the girls I was playing with today were really fun. I’m glad we all made it through.”
Phoenixville junior Kate Roberts was fifth after shooting a 73 on the first day and finished at 142 after a 3-under 69 to qualify for a repeat trip to states. Last season she was the only PAC girl to advance and finished in a tie for 12th place.
“I was just really happy to play my best,” she said. “Definitely my driver was working and today I was putting really well from the 10-15 foot range.”
She is also happy that she’ll be heading to states with her sister Kayley.
“That will be awesome,” said Kate Roberts. “I’m so happy for her to make it her freshman year.”
Kayley Roberts rebounded from a 5-over 76 on Monday to also shoot a 3-under 69 on Tuesday.
“It was nice,” she said. “I just treated it as any other tournament. I definitely improved on my putting today. I think it’s pretty neat (to make states).”
Also qualifying for states were Mary Dunigan (Unionville) in fifth, Haley Ekert (North Penn) in a tie for sixth place, Silvana Gonzalez (Downingtown East) in eighth and Abigail Lynn (Central Bucks West) in ninth. Spring-Ford’s Morgan Kunze and Alie Adams also made it to the second day, but did not advance.
Gooneratne was happy with her play and her tie for second.
“I was just trying to make it to states,” she said. “I like the competition. It keeps me focused. It keeps me going. I try to play my best under pressure. My driver was consistent. I was pretty confident hitting the fairways with my second shot.
