Merion’s Davis, Aronimink’s Selverian scorch 26th Francis X. Hussey field

Merion’s Davis, Aronimink’s Selverian scorch 26th Francis X. Hussey field

  SPRINGFIELD, Pa.–On a sweltering summer day, Michael Davis and Mac Selverian scorched the 26th Francis X. Hussey Memorial Tournament and venerable Rolling Green GC (par 71, 6,315 yards) for a record-tying score of 8-under-par 63. Davis and Selverian’s total equaled the 2005 Junior Division (14-to-17 years old) mark established by Cole Willcox of Philadelphia CC and Jason Bernstein of White Manor CC.

  “We thought we could go low because the course was set-up a little short and the greens were perfect,” said Davis, 15, of Newtown Square, Pa. “If you got your putt on the right line, everything went in.”

  The duo’s scorecard bore out that statement.

  Even-par through three holes, on No. 4 (par 4, 362 yards), Davis lofted a pitching wedge from 125 yards to 15 feet and drained the birdie. On No. 5 (par 4, 373 yards), Davis again registered the team’s better-ball score of 3 after hitting a 54-degree wedge from 102 yards to 18 feet above the hole for birdie. Both putts rattled the bottom of the cup on the final roll.

  On No. 6 (par 3, 172 yards), Selverian carded his first under-par effort, rocketing a 7-iron to 12 feet for 2 and then on No. 7 (par 5, 512 yards), drained an eight-footer for 4. The duo turned in 4 under.

  “Going into the back nine we knew there would be some real opportunities to score,” said Selverian, 17, of Wayne, Pa., when asked about breaking the tournament record. “We just tried to make birdies and no bogeys.”

  Davis, who qualified for the U.S Junior Amateur earlier in the year, had other ideas on the drivable 12th (par 4, 277 yards). He found the green off the tee and curled in a downhill, right-to-left eagle putt for a deuce. Selverian then kept his team’s momentum going on No. 13 (par 4, 405 yards) with a smooth 15-foot uphill par save after both players struggled. The duo then finished birdie-birdie for 63.

  On No. 17 (par 5, 473 yards), Selverian knocked a 60-degree wedge from 56 yards to three feet and then on No. 18 (par 5, 508 yards), with the tournament-record talk prevalent, Selverian again took command. Coming up just short of the par 5 in two shots, he chipped up and drained a 15-footer to equal the record. Selverian actually gave up on the birdie putt which twisted in on the last roll.

  “I actually pushed it,” said Selverian.

  Davis and Selverian are long-time Junior golf friends but this is the first year they’ve teamed up for the Hussey.

  Davis, a highly-regarded national Junior player, is a sophomore at Malvern Prep and reigning Inter-Ac League Champion. Selverian, a senior at The Haverford School, placed in the Top 10 in the Inter-Ac Championships a year ago.

Junior-Junior Division
  The team of R.J. Wren of Honeybrook GC and Davis Mitchell of Wilmington CC carded a 1-over-par 37 to earn the Junior-Junior Division title (13-and-under). The Junior-Junior Division, a nine-hole competition, played to a yardage of 3,336 yards.

  “It’s pretty cool. Last year I lost by two strokes and I had two penalty strokes,” said Wren.

  Added Mitchell, a recent winner of the Father-Son Younger Junior-Junior Division, “It’s an honor to play in a tournament honoring Francis Hussey. I read a little bit about the history of this tournament and it’s a sad story.”

  Wren, 13, of Morgantown, Pa. and Mitchell, 13, of Wilmington, Del. are typically competitors and not teammates.

  The two know each other from U.S. Kids Golf and Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour events.

  “It’s great to team up with a great player and friend,” said Mitchell.

NOTES-A total of 42 teams competed in the Hussey, named in honor of the former Rolling Green GC junior member.

  Francis suffered with congenital heart disease and passed away in December of 1983 while undergoing major heart surgery. He was 13 years old when he died. Francis was a student in the Haverford Township School system, an avid sports fan and an active junior member at Rolling Green. His courage in the face of his illness was a great inspiration to all who knew him.