After battling with a shaky start, sweltering triple-digit temperatures and being down early to the reigning champion, Ortiz carded nine pars and two birdies in the final, his first experience with a match play format.
“It was fun but kind of weird at first, said Ortiz of playing in match play. “If you make a mistake it can really hurt you.”
And that’s exactly what happened to the 13-year-old from North Philadelphia when he sent his drive out-of-bounds off the very first tee. Ortiz ended up losing the hole to Dilcher.
But he would not panic. Down one, Ortiz halved holes Nos. 2 (par 4, 308 yards) and 3 (par 3, 175 yards) before winning No. 4 (par 5, 479 yards) with a birdie to bring the match to All Square.
It was on the second par five (No.8, par 5, 443 yards) when things began to come together for Ortiz.
Needing a win on the hole to get back to All Square yet again, Ortiz reached the green in two and won the hole after Dilcher gave him the birdie putt.
The incoming eighth grader at Visitation Blessed Virgin Mary School would go 1-over par through the next eight holes with seven pars and only one bogey. Ortiz rode his momentum to a, 4&2, victory of Dilcher.
Said Ortiz of his opponent, “I’ve played against him a couple of times, he’s a great golfer.”
Jack Loeber, III of Wedgwood CC defeated Paul Carbone, Jr. of Old York Road CC, 4&3, for the First Flight title, while Connor Eichman of Llanerch CC outlasted Steven Altieri of Hopewell Valley GC, 2&1, for the Second Flight Championship.
In the Third Flight final, Mitch Van Ostenbridge of Spring Ford CC led from wire-to-wire as he beat R. Morgan Dougherty of Huntingdon Valley CC, 5&4.
