Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Photo
Austintown Fitch’s Joey Shushok watches an approach shot land on the green during his round Monday in the All-American Conference tournament at Trumbull Country Club. Shushok finished his round with a score of 86.
By Kevin Connelly
WARREN
Monday’s All- American Conference golf tournament continued on to a 19th and even 20th hole for a pair of the area’s top golfers.
Since one wasn’t even 18 years old, let alone of legal drinking age, this 19th hole had a medalist spot at stake instead of a spot at the clubhouse bar.
Lakeview’s David Lemasters and Newton Falls’ Jacob Harrah each shot a round of 74 needing a playoff hole to determine the individual medalist for the AAC’s National Division. After the two made par on the first playoff hole at Trumbull County Club, they got a ride back to the ninth tee box to play it again still searching for a winner.
“It was really nerve-racking,” Lemasters said of the two-man playoff. “I was shaking on every shot.”
It certainly didn’t show the second time around, as he clubbed his drive more than 300 yards and knocked his approach shot to within 15 feet of the hole.
After Harrah left his long birdie putt a couple of feet short, Lemasters sank his to win.
“It hurt a little bit, but Davey played well,” Harrah said. “Can’t be mad at birdie, but I left mine short. He played very well. He deserves it.”
Both Lemasters and Harrah are juniors and said it was their first time competing in a playoff at any level. Their confidence heading into sectional tournaments is very high, the two said.
“It was exciting, but a little bit of a letdown at the end,” Harrah said.
As close as the individual contest was, the team championship managed to match its excitement. Newton Falls edged Lakeview 320 to 321, earning the Tigers the National Division tournament championship. Harrah would’ve liked to take home both awards, but wasn’t upset settling for the team win.
“We played very well,” he said. “We’re hitting our stride at the right time.”
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was defending champion Girard’s fourth-place finish in the division. Closing in on another undefeated regular season, the Indians’ Standohars weren’t able to post low scores like they had all season against the same competition.
The youngest one Mark, a sophomore, shot 75 which tied him for the third-best score, but Evan and Jimmy each finished with a frustrating round of 83.
“I was a little shocked,” Harrah said of seeing Girard’s scores. “They’re all good golfers, very good golfers, so for them to have been in the 80s is a little surprising.”
Harrah’s Tigers lost to Girard 157-165 when they faced each other during the season.
The American Division didn’t need extra holes for Poland to claim the top honors with a team score of 319. Mark Passarello shot the low score of the division with a 75, four strokes ahead of his teammate Jason McQuown.
“I actually had no idea,” McQuown said of Passarello’s round. “I was right in front of him, and I usually ask, but I had no clue.
“I mean it was just tough. I started off bad [8 over through eight holes) so I
kind of hung in there, but I thought it was tough out there.”
Course conditions weren’t an issue at Trumbull CC, but rather the difficult setup had players adjusting their game all afternoon.
“This course is kind of narrow and really short, so it’s kind of hard to hit long drivers and long irons into greens and stuff like that,” Passarello said. “Mainly it’s just picking the right club off the tee and short game is really key in the end.”
Canfield’s Dom Carano had the other low score in the division with a 77 to help the Cardinals earn second.
The Lakeview Bulldogs did eventually take home a team championship, as their girls beat out Hubbard and Struthers for the top honor. They were led by Kaylee Neumeister’s low round of 89, although she was not the lowest-scoring female on the course Monday.
LaBrae’s Haylee Harford teed it up with the boys like she has been all season, and finished with a team-best round of 78.