By Neil Geoghegan
ngeoghegan@21st-centurymedia.com
@NeilMGeoghegan on Twitter
WESTTOWN >> Politics seem to infiltrate everything these days, and the All-Ches-Mont Boys’ Golf Team is apparently no exception.
That is the most logical reason to explain how, in a vote by league coaches, West Chester Rustin’s Sam Feeney was left off the 12-person all-league first team. After all, the junior was the only competitor to break par en route to winning the 2023 District 1 Class 3A Tournament, and went on to place in the top 10 at the PIAA Individual Championship for the third straight year.
“I can’t believe it. It doesn’t make sense,” said Rustin head coach Joe Paris.
Feeney, however, took it in stride: “I didn’t have a great round at Ches-Monts, so that’s probably why,” he said.
Sub-par for Feeney, by the way, was registering a 14th place finish at Wyncote Golf Club and earning a spot at districts.
Feeney has been an elite player since bursting onto the scene in 2021; he reigned supreme at the Ches-Mont Tournament a year later; and then took it to a whole new level in ’23, earning Daily Local News Player of the Year honors along the way.
“I can count on one hand – maybe two or three matches in three years – where Sam hasn’t scored in the 30s,” Paris said. “It’s very rare that he scores above par.”
The Westtown resident’s 9-hole average of 35 this fall proves the point. Feeney is already one of the most consistent players to ever come out of the Ches-Mont. His attention to detail is unsurpassed, which is a trait that can’t be taught.
“He is a self-motivated player,” Paris said. “He is the type of kid you don’t have to coach. He probably has a golf club in his hand every day, and he’s an excellent student too.
“He puts in more work than just about anybody I’ve coached. He does all of the things you need to do to be an elite player.”
Feeney started playing golf at the age of eight and never looked back. While many are turned off by the game’s difficulty, he embraced it.
“I fell in love with it immediately,” he recalled. “I got into golf going to the range a few times with my brother. I liked the fact that it was a difficult sport to master. It can be cruel.”
Brother Matt is five years older and was a standout at Rustin. By the time Sam arrived, he was already well known to Paris.
“We knew Sam was going to be an integral part of the team – we just didn’t know he’d be this impactful,” Paris said. “He is probably the most consistent player I’ve ever coached.
“He is very methodical, and he doesn’t make mistakes. He’s like a machine – it’s just greens and fairways. There just isn’t a weakness to his game. He is very precise with his irons, he hits it long off the tee, he has great finesse around the greens and he’s had some 9 holes matches where he was in single digits in putts.”
From the start of his high school career, Feeney has played in every single match for the Golden Knights, and wrapped up a banner freshman season by placing in a tie for fourth at the PIAA Championship at Heritage Hills Golf Resort.
“My freshman year I came in nervous,” Feeney acknowledged. “But I had a good day. Now I’m very comfortable playing in that tournament.”
A year later, after topping a transcendent talent like Downingtown West’s Nick Gross for medalist honors in the Ches-Mont Tourney, Feeney went to the Penn State White Course and placed 10th against the state’s best.
“He just takes it very seriously,” Paris explained. “He basically lays out his plan of attack before he plays every match. He knows what club he is going to hit before he gets to the course. He is very studious that way.”
But the pinnacle of Feeney’s career, so far, came on Oct. 9-10 at Raven’s Claw Golf Club. Going against 100-plus of the best golfers in the entire district, he fired a 70-73 – 143 to go 1-under par and win by 3 strokes. And he did it under very challenging conditions, especially for the final round.
“District 1 is so competitive, so it was awesome for him to win it. I could tell before the round that he was going to play well – he wasn’t nervous,” Paris said.
“It was definitely the high point of my season,” Feeney added.
“It was extremely windy and that made the course play pretty tough. That day I did a really good job of committing to a shot, flighting the ball (low), and picking the correct club.”
Then came an ultra-consistent 2-under 36-hole performance at the Penn State Blue Course for the ’23 PIAA Championship to add another top-10 at states.
“Consistency with my ball striking is probably my best asset,” Feeney said.
“I definitely pay a lot of attention to detail when it comes to hitting iron shots. Ever since I started playing golf I have always been a naturally good ball striker. I tend to struggle with the putting a little bit, but I am working on that.”
Feeney has one more season to set more high school milestones, and it is no secret that he’d like to secure the only individual title that has eluded him so far: the state crown.
“That’s certainly one of my goals,” he said. “I know I have the game to compete for the top spot. Whether or not I can put it all together is another question.”
According to Paris, he is already garnering attention from a lot of Division I college programs.
“I don’t know where he’ll end up but he is going to be playing college golf somewhere,” Paris said.
“It’s a little early now, but it’s definitely something I’d like to do – preferably at the Division I level,” Feeney said.
