Arthur, Morris top Junior Boys’ Qualifier

  GLADWYNE, Pa.–Bobby Arthur of Tavistock CC and Scott Morris of Doylestown CC waited three days to complete their Junior Boys’ Championship stroke play qualifying rounds at Philadelphia CC (par 71, 6,507 yards), but both are glad they did. Arthur, 16, of Marlton, N.J., and Morris, 17, of Doylestown, Pa., both finished with impressive 2-over-par 73s on Thursday to earn co-medallist honors. Arthur and Morris will be the second and third seed, respectively, behind two-time defending champion Robert Galbreath, Jr. of Huntingdon Valley CC, who as the reigning titleholder is automatically the top seed.

  Players with a 77 or lower qualified for the Championship Flight (16 players). The First Flight cut number fell at 82 where Michael Gallagher of Honeybrook GC defeated Austin Anthony of Philadelphia Cricket Club in a playoff.

  The 92^nd Junior Boys’ Championship is in its fourth day. Stroke play qualifying was postponed on Monday and play was subsequently suspended for the previous two days due to the torrential rains that have hit the area.

  The first round of match play is set for today with the quarterfinals and semifinals scheduled for Friday beginning at 7:30 a.m. The finals, for both flights, will be a mutually agreeable date on or before 8 a.m. on July 21.

  Both Arthur and Morris head into match play following solid qualifying performances.

  Arthur carded four birdies, including two on his final nine today, four bogeys and a double bogey. His double bogey was on the first hole of the tournament.

  “At that point, after the double bogey, I was just trying to grind it out,” said Arthur, a junior at Cherokee High School. “I had a caddie the first day and he told me to forget about it. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have had a good round.”

  Arthur made the turn in 38 and resumed his first round on Thursday on the 10^th (par 4, 414 yards) green. A poor tee shot on No. 11 (par 3, 177 yards) resulted in a bogey, but he rallied with a three on No. 13 (par 4, 362 yards) by rolling in a quick downhill 10-footer. Arthur then answered another bogey, this one on 16 (par 4, 400 yards), with a sensational 4-iron to 15 feet on the difficult 17^th hole (par 4, 444 yards). He made that putt and carded a par on the finishing hole for a back nine 35 and 2-over 73.

  “All I can say is I wasn’t expecting this,” said Arthur of earning the medallist honor.

  Morris echoed Arthur’s sentiments.

  The Central Bucks East senior golf captain entered the Junior Boys’ in a little funk.

  He finished the front side at 2-over-par 38 before finishing the back side in an even-par 35.

  Morris carded a pair of birdies on Nos. 10 (par 4, 414 yards) and 12 (par 5, 539 yards), including a kick-in on the par 5, before bogeying No. 13 (par 4, 362 yards) and No. 18 (par 4, 381 yards).

  “After I made the birdie on the 12^th hole, the nerves were really building up,” said Morris. “This means a lot. I don’t have that good of a tournament history.”

  This was Arthur’s third Junior Boys’ Championship. He failed to qualify in his first year before advancing to the second round of the First Flight last summer at Torresdale-Frankford CC.

  This was Morris’ first attempt at the Junior Boys’ Championship.

  A field of 83 players competed in the Junior Boys’.

  The qualifying round for the Junior Boys’ Championship and scores from the two rounds of the Christman Cup comprise the Harry Hammond Award.

  The Junior Team Championship also runs concurrently with the Junior Boys’ Championship Qualifier. Teams consist of three or four players with the low three scores counting toward the final total.

  Penn Oaks GC and its four entrants – Chris Allan, Jr. (77), Kevin Huntington (76), Kevin Ignatuk (77) and Michael Ignatuk (91) – finished with a 230 a total, eight shots clear of Overbrook GC (238).

  This was the first Junior Team Championship for Penn Oaks GC.

  The event started in 1950.