Yardley CC’s Ritondo earns Junior-Junior Boys’ top seed

  MOORESTOWN, N.J.–Christian Ritondo of Yardley CC heeded some motherly advice en route to qualifying honors in Monday’s 63rd Junior-Junior Boys’ Championship at Moorestown Field Club (par 36, 2,818 yards). “She told me not to think about what I was going to do on the first hole,” said Ritondo, who carded a Qualifier best 1-over 37. “I usually start with a double bogey or two and play par golf from there.”

  Ritondo listened well and played even better, opening with four straight pars before capitalizing on a little good fortune on No. 5 (par 5, 401 yards). After almost landing his drive in the right water hazard off the tee, he advanced his next shot up the fairway before knocking his third shot, a 60-yard lob wedge, off the flagstick. It stopped a foot away where he tapped in for a 4.

  “I was a little nervous because I was 1 under and I was really excited,” said Ritondo of his score at that point.

  The eighth grader double-bogeyed the next hole after going long with his approach and leaving his first chip in the green guarding trees, but finished strong with three consecutive pars to finish at 1 over.

  “I practice three hours a day and felt very confident I was going to be able to do well,” said Ritondo, 13, of Newtown, Pa.

  Ritondo heads into match play as the No. 1 seed in the Championship Flight (eight players). First-round and semifinal matches will be contested tomorrow beginning at 8 a.m. The 18-hole final is set for Wednesday at 8 a.m.

  This could be Ritondo’s lone chance to have his name inscribed on a Golf Association of Philadelphia trophy. He is moving to Jacksonville, Fla., next week. His mother, Darlene Deo, works in the medical supplies field and is transferring south.

  “I’ll get to play a lot more golf,” said Ritondo of the move. “I’m going to try and take up surfing, too.”

  Nate Menon of LedgeRock GC and R.J. Wren of Honeybrook GC tied for second at 38.

  The cut line for the Championship Flight fell at 40.