Plymouth CC’s Melnick Jr. tops Junior Boys’ Qualifier

NEWARK, Del.– Kevin Melnick, Jr. of Plymouth CC blistered the field to earn medallist honors at the 93^rd running of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Boys’ Championship by carding four birdies en route to a bogey-free, 4-under-par 67 at a sweltering Cavaliers CC (par 71, 6,486 yards).

  Russell Hartung of Doylestown CC finished four strokes back in second place with an even-par 71 to grab the second seed while Robert Robertson of Philadelphia Cricket Club capped his day off with a 2-over-par 73 to take third.

  Sixteen players qualified for the Championship Flight after eight players tied at 76 battled it out in extra holes for five spots. In the First Flight, 11 players were tied at 78 and headed to a playoff for the remaining six spots.

  Melnick, who will be attending the International Junior Golf Academy in South Carolina this fall, birdied hole Nos. 2 (par 4, 399 yards), 3 (par 3, 159 yards), 6 (par 4, 412 yards) and 18 (par 4, 379 yards). His first birdie came when he stroked an 8-iron to 10 feet just below the hole. From there Melnick drained the uphill, slight left-to-right breaking putt for birdie.

 On No. 14 his tee shot took a rather fortuitous bounce off a tree that ended up allowing Melnick to save par. Then on No. 15 his errant tee ball found the greenside bunker. From there he was able to get up-and-down for par.

  “Yeah, it’s nice,” said Melnick of his medallist honors, “But it’s a whole new thing tomorrow. It’s good [to be seeded high], but it doesn’t really matter that much.”

  Melnick, who admits to not having much experience in match play, said he feels more comfortable with the match play format.

  “With match play you’re never really out of it,” he said. “One bad hole doesn’t take you out.”

  This was Melnick’s first attempt at the Junior Boys’ Championship.

  A field of 109 players competed in today’s event.

  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.

  Merion GC’s first team and its four entrants – J.D. Hall (76), Erik Fischer (77), Austin List (78) and James Tallent (82) – finished with a team total of 231.

  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 135 Member Clubs and 60,000 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.