Overbrook GC’s Michael Kania tops Junior Team Championship

  HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa. – Michael Kania of Overbrook GC carded a 1-under-par 69 to take medallist honors at the individual stroke play qualifying portion of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 94^th Junior Boys’ Championship Tuesday at Huntingdon ValleyCC (Centennial/Flynn Courses) (par 70, 6,487 yards).

  The soon-to-be senior at The Haverford School came out firing on all cylinders and birdied his first (No. 1, par 4, 397 yards) and third (No. 3, par 5, 550 yards) holes to end up playing the front nine (Centennial Course) in 1-under-par 34.

  Kania, who said he knew the Montgomery County course was going to play tough, fired an 8-iron from 160 yards out to within six feet for birdie on the first hole. And then nearly made an eagle on No. 3 after he almost jarred his chip shot on the par 5 as his ball rattled the flagstick and came to rest on the lip for a tap-in birdie.

  “I just played really steady all day and got off to a really good start,” said Kania, who’s field-low round guarantees his fourth-consecutive trip into the Championship Flight of the Junior Boys’ Championship. “I was 2-under after three [holes] and from there I figured I was in good shape and could just cruise through the rest of the round by making a bunch of pars.”

  Kania, in fact, cruised along to finish the back nine at even par with smart iron play and steady putting.

  “Most of the time I was playing it a club short with hopes of landing the ball on the front fringe and having it release,” Kania said. “I played for the middle of the greens most of the time and figured that if I was in the middle of the green and had a look at birdie I could hopefully make some putts and see what happens.”

  Joining Kania at the top of the leaderboard was defending, three-time Junior Boys’ Champion and Huntingdon Valley CC member Robert Galbreath, Jr., who managed to fire five birdies on the day to finish at 2-over-par 72.

  Galbreath, who hopes to become the first player in the Junior Program’s 94-year history to win four Junior Boys’ Championship titles, used some of his local knowledge to stay close to the top.

  “I think that local course knowledge really comes into play from 125 yards and in here,” Galbreath said. “You have to be able to play the slopes here and a lot of guys won’t know about that and it’s definitely an advantage for me.”

  Meredith M. Jack of Merion Cricket Club was the only other player to win three Junior titles, only he did it in consecutive fashion from 1914 to 1916.

  “I have my eyes set on it,” said Galbreath of his possible place in history. “I’m just going to play the hardest I’ve ever played to try and win this. We’ve got a great field so I have to play as hard as I can.”

  As the defending champion, Galbreath will be the first seed in the match play potion of the Championship and Kania will be seeded second.

  “Hopefully I can get off to a good start again, make some birdies and play strong out here on a tough course,” said Kania of the start of match play.

  “I’m just glad that I hung in there today,” Galbreath said. “Especially with the course playing so difficult.”

  The first tee time for Wednesday is set for 8 a.m. where Galbreath will face off against the No. 16 seed in Christopher DeLuca of Lookaway GC in the first match of the Championship Flight.

  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.

  Huntington Valley’s second team and its four entrants – Robert Galbreath, Jr. (72), Patrick Welsh (81), Mike Meehan (82) and Kevin Seybert (87)– finished with a team total of 235.

  The Junior Team Championship started in 1950.

—

  Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 136 Member Clubs and 56,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The purpose of the Association is simple: To promote, protect and preserve the game of golf in the region.