Amole, Carbone win 24th Francis X. Hussey Memorial

   SPRINGFIELD, Pa. – The team of Mike Amole of Huntingdon Valley CC and Paul Carbone, Jr. of Old York Road CC rode strong putting to triumph in Monday’s 24th Francis X. Hussey Memorial at Rolling Green GC (par 71, 6,338 yards) with a score of 4-under-par 67.

   The Huntingdon Valley, Pa. residents registered seven birdies on the day.

   “He helped me make a lot of putts,” Amole, 16, said of his partner.

“I’m the reader,” Carbone added. “I caddie too much.”

   The duo’s birdie barrage began on No. 5 (par 4, 366 yards) after Amole pinched his pitching wedge out of the right-side rough 125 yards to about three feet. Carbone stepped up on No. 7 (par 5, 495 yards). From 185 yards out, he hooked his second shot – a 5-iron – about 185 yards to right of the green. Carbone, 16, chipped to about a foot and converted the birdie putt.

   Amole drilled his 5-wood to about 13 feet on No. 10 (par 3, 205 yards). He then drained a birdie on No. 12 (par 4, 333 yards) after sticking his 9-iron 135 yards to about five feet. Amole went back-to-back on Nos. 15 (par 4, 365 yards) and 16 (par 3, 139 yards) after his iron play put him in prime positions to score. Carbone registered the duo’s final birdie of the day on No. 17 (par 5, 480 yards) after punching his lob wedge 60 yards to about two feet.

   “That was huge,” Carbone said.

   This marks the pair’s first appearance as a team in the Francis X. Hussey Memorial. Amole and Carbone have been friends since they were 5 years-old.

   “I just thought we had a good shot to win,” Carbone said. “It means a lot.”

   Defending champions Jeff Blechschmidt and Edward McCrossen, Jr. of Whitemarsh Valley CC carded a 3-under-par 68. They placed third overall after a match of scorecards against the team of Vince Boyle of Torresdale-Frankford CC and Joseph Gunerman of Yardley CC, who also finished at 68.

   C.J. and Mitch Van Ostenbridge of Spring Ford CC carded a 2-under-par 69 to place fourth. The high finish may have never come to fruition, though. C.J., who’s entering his senior year at Conestoga High School, originally intended to play alongside Tucker Koch of RiverCrest GC & Preserve, but Koch is competing in the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s Amateur Championship this week at Waynesborough CC. C.J.’s next choice for a partner, Cameron Liebert of White Manor CC, was out of town.

   So C.J. looked farther down the bench and noticed his brother Mitch, a soon-to-be sophomore at Conestoga.

   “Mitch got the call, but he really stepped up,” C.J, 17, said.

   The decision paid off, as Mitch ignited the duo’s play by firing birdies on Nos. 6 (par 3, 176 yards) and 7 (par 5, 495 yards). He stuck his 6-iron to about a foot on No. 6. On the next hole, Mitch drilled his hybrid about 220 yards to about 15 feet and two-putted for birdie.

   “Mitch was working for me,” C.J. said. “When I made bogeys on the first couple of holes, he made pars, and then when he made bogey, I made par, so we had that going.”

   C.J. registered a birdie for the duo on No. 4 (par 4, 359 yards) after dialing in a GAP wedge from 10 yards out to about five feet. The Malvern, Pa. residents made the turn at 3-under, but carded bogeys on Nos. 10 (par 3, 205 yards) and 11 (par 4, 422 yards). However, they didn’t let it affect their confidence.

   “I think just realizing that you’re still 1-under and you have a couple of birdie holes coming up helps you,” C.J. said.

   On No. 17 (par 5, 480 yards), Mitch made par after knocking his wedge about 80 yards out of the bunker to about five feet. Standing about 200 yards from the flagstick, C.J. chunked his 5-iron to the left of the bunker. He escaped with a 58-degree lob wedge, and drained a 40-footer for birdie.

   “He made a 5-footer for par, so I got aggressive with it,” C.J. said.

   Standing about 200 yards from the flagstick, C.J. chunked his 5-iron into the left-side bunker. He escaped with a 58-degree lob wedge, and drained a 40-footer for birdie.

   Michael Lamond and Andrew Willner of White Manor CC won the Junior-Junior flight (par 35, 2,598 yards) by carding a 2-under-par 33.