SPRINGFIELD, Pa.–Alex Dupre and Sean Fahey improved upon last year’s Francis X. Hussey Memorial Tournament finish by one position. That one step up, though, was good enough to earn the 2012 trophy.
The Episcopal Academy teammates and friends posted a 5-under-par 66 on Monday at Rolling Green Golf Club (par 71, 6,315 yards) to edge Nick Cappetti and Drew Guarino of Burlington Country Club by a stroke for the 27th Francis X. Hussey Memorial Tournament (Junior Division, 14 to 17 years old) win.
“This was our last year, so to be able to win it was great,” said Fahey, 16, of Villanova, Pa.
“It’s nice to win it on my home course,” added Dupre, 17, of Drexel Hill, Pa. “Everyone has been very supportive.”
The two will be high school seniors this fall.
Brendan Bacskai and Michael Cook of Applebrook Golf Club, in the first group out, posted a 2-under 69 as Dupre and Fahey turned moments later with the identical score.
On No. 15 (par 4, 363 yards), the eventual winning twosome grabbed the lead for good.
Fahey knocked a 125-yard pitching wedge to five feet to move the duo to 3 under. Dupre added another red circle on No. 17 (par 5, 473 yards) with a driver, 3-iron to five yards short of the green. His third shot stopped and inch from the cup and he tapped in for birdie. On No. 18 (par 5, 508 yards), Fahey responded with a 3-iron from 199 yards that released to the back of the large final green some 40 feet from the hole. He cozied his lengthy eagle try to three feet before rolling in the birdie.
“At the turn we said to each other to just keep playing golf,” said Fahey. “We missed a couple of makeable birdies early on the back, but we kept giving ourselves opportunities.”
Guarino and Cappetti made a late surge at the leaders, but failed to birdie either of the final two holes, the two par 5s, to finish a shot back.
In the Junior-Junior Division (par 36, 2,941 yards), for players 13 years of age and under, Danny Degraff and Brent Schoeller of Huntingdon Valley Country Club carded a 3-over-par 39 to edge Matthew Davis of Aronimink Golf Club and Evan Greenplate of the Country Club of York by a stroke for the title.
The 13 year olds registered six pars and three bogeys en route to their first Golf Association of Philadelphia victory.
Degraff lives in Mendham, N.J. Schoeller is a Jenkintown, Pa. resident.
“It was a good experience and to win it with a friend makes it even better,” said Schoeller, an eighth-grader at Abington Junior High School.
Added Degraff, “It’s awesome. We had a lot of fun. It was a great experience.”
NOTES–A total of 36 teams competed in the Hussey, 29 Junior Division and seven in the Junior-Junior Division. The tournament is named in honor of the former Rolling Green GC junior member Francis X. Hussey. Francis suffered 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.
Junior Division
Name, club
Score
Sean Fahey/Alex Dupre, Overbrook Golf Club/Rolling Green Golf Club
66
Drew Guarino/Nick Cappetti, Burlington Country Club
67
Michael Cook/Brendan Bacskai, Applebrook Golf Club
69
Matthew Bastian, Jr./Quinn Dolan, Rolling Green Golf Club
71
Will Gentry/Sam Gallen, Berkshire Country Club
72
Terry Hurst, Jr./William Swisher, Country Club of Scranton
73
Jack Quirk/Mark Lunney, Huntingdon Valley Country Club/Sandy Run Country Club
74
Ryan Kelly/Thomas Fisher, Philadelphia Cricket Club/North Hills Country Club
75
Mike Dobbs/Ben Litt, Riverton Country Club
75
Mac Walsh/Brendan Papariello, Aronimink Golf Club/White Manor Country Club
75
Brian Todaro/Steve McAlee, Rolling Green Golf Club
76
Mike O’Connor/Reid Worster, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
77
Rishab Kumar/Jesse Hunsicker, Talamore Country Club
77
Christian Portale/John Concannon, Concord Country Club
78
Colin Connor/Eric Studer, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
78
Andrew Willner/Ted Purdy, Phoenixville Country Club
79
Max Siegfried/Thomas Gravina, Jr., Philadelphia Country Club/Aronimink Golf Club
80
Jack McAleese/Alex Fisher, Aronimink Golf Club/Merion Golf Club
80
Dervort, Van/Connor Anthony Jones, Tavistock Country Club
80
Conor McGrath/Liam McGrath, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
81
Chris Marino/Andrew Jannetta, Waynesborough Country Club/Merion Golf Club
81
Matt Grubb/Mac Ryan, Overbrook Golf Club
81
Jake Fazio/Cole Swiger, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
84
Chris Binet/Phillip Held, Jr., Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
84
Edward Selverian/Will Panarese, Aronimink Golf Club/Merion Golf Club
86
Patrick Clearkin/Hugh Farris, Old York Road Country Club/Huntingdon Valley Country Club
86
Brian Lucey/Pete Gayhardt, Overbrook Golf Club/Philadelphia Country Club
91
Ryan Brennan/Andrew Panzo, II, Rolling Green Golf Club/Applebrook Golf Club
94
Taylor Hughart/Eric Herrmann, Tavistock Country Club
95
Junior -Junior Division
Name, club
Score
Brent Schoeller/Danny Degraff, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
39
Matthew Davis/Even Greenplate, Aronimink Golf Club/Country Club of York
40
Andrew Todaro/David Mester, Rolling Green Golf Club
42
Brian Isztwan/Taylor Munn, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
44
Billy Civitella/Kevin Civitella, Aronimink Golf Club
47
Dan Bastian/Matthew Brennan, Rolling Green Golf Club
48
James Gillespie, Jr./Patrick Finn, Concord Country Club/Cavaliers Country Club
52
