Overtime: Mocello earns PIAA golf final berth with playoff victory
OAKMONT 无毛视频� Belle Vernon无毛视频檚 Jordan Mocello is familiar with scoreboard watching after waiting until last week无毛视频檚 first round at Southpointe Golf Club was nearly over before discovering he secured one of final berths into the WPIAL Class AAA Individual Golf Championship final round.
The junior was in the same situation Tuesday after he was in the first twosome to finish in the final round at Oakmont Country Club.
Mocello无毛视频檚 patience 无毛视频� and solid shotmaking 无毛视频� was rewarded when he won a playoff on the first extra hole with Thomas Jefferson freshman Ty Hartman for the 14th and final berth into the PIAA Championship.
Mocello无毛视频檚 tee shot on No. 1, the first playoff hole, went wayward left into the rough. The junior无毛视频檚 second shot rolled just off the back of the green. He nestled his short chip within 10 feet and needed a two-putt to win the playoff.
Mocello didn无毛视频檛 need two putts because he drained his putt for par.
Mocello posted a 3-over 74, one of the top rounds in the final, to finish with a two-round total of 157. He was on the outside looking in as he patiently watched as scores were posted with each finishing twosome.
无毛视频淚 did what I could do,无毛视频� Mocello said after he completed his round. 无毛视频淛ust keep the driver in the fairways on the holes with the driver and play the par-4s, just hit 5-iron and 8-iron, instead of going with the driver and wedge and try to make the par.
无毛视频淚 tried to go no more than double bogey. The holes that I bogeyed I got in trouble.无毛视频�
Mocello noted one hole that got away from him in an otherwise solid round.
无毛视频淣o. 6, the par 3. I hit it right about the perfect distance, so I had this downhill chip and if it was U.S. Open (conditions), it would无毛视频檝e been a perfect chip. But, since they无毛视频檙e slower, it came up 10 feet short. It was a bad double bogey,无毛视频� said Mocello.
While Mocello无毛视频檚 future was in other无毛视频檚 hands, Peters Township无毛视频檚 Colton Lusk controlled his outcome with a stellar round of 4-under 67. The senior won the gold medal with a two-round total of 2-under 141.
无毛视频淚 didn无毛视频檛 think I无毛视频檇 have to shoot 4-under,无毛视频� said Lusk.
Baldwin无毛视频檚 Michael Quallich and Pine-Richland无毛视频檚 William Hilton shared the silver medal at 3-over 146. Both golfers shot 72 in the final round.
Lusk played the front 9 in 3-under 33. He scored 1-under 34 on the back nine.
Oakmont Country Club has taken down more than one good golfer over the years and Lusk was prepared for the lows and highs.
无毛视频淚 knew there were going to be some ups and downs, so my downs I just let go. The ups, I had a lot of them,无毛视频� said Lusk, who carded seven birdies. 无毛视频淚 felt really in control in holes one through five. On Nos. 15 through 18, I just knew I was going in straight and just make the putt.无毛视频�
Lusk was in control as the final twosome headed into the final three holes, but he managed to stay focused on the task at hand until the final shots.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e been here before. I just really wanted to hit my shot and let things go,无毛视频� said Lusk. 无毛视频淚t wasn无毛视频檛 hard (to not think ahead) because there was a backup on No. 17, so I just stood around talking to Carson (Kittsley). It got my mind off of things.
无毛视频淭hen, coming down 18 I just had fun with it.无毛视频�
Tomalski shot 79 in both rounds, missing the playoff by one stroke.
无毛视频淚 shot 41 on the front so I had to press a little on the back,无毛视频� said Tomalski. 无毛视频淭he game just felt impossible today. Last year, I gave up and missed by two. This year I said I无毛视频檓 going to finish it out.无毛视频�
Tomalski said he started to gain momentum after he made the turn, but No. 12 derailed the run.
无毛视频淥n No. 12, I took a double (bogey). That无毛视频檚 the only double I had today,无毛视频� said Tomalski.
Belle Vernon无毛视频檚 Jack Edwards shot 82 in the final round for a two-day total of 165.
无毛视频淚 started off terrible (with a poor tee shot) and played great over the next six holes. I kept myself to 2-over, but it无毛视频檚 a hard course,无毛视频� said Edwards. 无毛视频淭he hardest part is getting off the tee. I put myself in a bunker on No. 7 and it was hard to make a good number from there.
Edwards said he might无毛视频檝e been caught up in the moment.
无毛视频淣ervous? For sure. I three-putted both par-5s and that stung a little bit,无毛视频� said Edwards.
Connellsville senior Ethan Porreca had a rough start and things didn无毛视频檛 improve as he ballooned to 95 in the final round after shooting 82 in the first round.
无毛视频淚 was feeling really good after the first hole. I found a lot of bunkers,无毛视频� said Porreca. 无毛视频淚 was playing good up until today. Everything was great. My practice round would无毛视频檝e been a qualifying score. I just didn无毛视频檛 really have it today.
无毛视频淭he tee was putting me in bad spots. Everything was a pull. Don无毛视频檛 know what the issue was.无毛视频�
Porreca noted the atmosphere might无毛视频檝e gotten to him, including one of the biggest galleries, a little bit.
无毛视频淣othing really worked today. I无毛视频檒l be honest. I don无毛视频檛 know if it was the nerves. I can无毛视频檛 lie. It无毛视频檚 Oakmont,无毛视频� said Porreca. 无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 all these people that I love watching me. I had the biggest gallery. I think that got to me a little bit.无毛视频�
Upper St. Clair无毛视频檚 Connor McKenzie (152), South Fayette无毛视频檚 Sam Bishop (153), West Allegheny无毛视频檚 Nico Ward (153), North Allegheny无毛视频檚 Ravi Desai (154), Peters Twp.无毛视频檚 Griffin Hansberry (156), and Central Catholic无毛视频檚 Regan Logan (156) also qualified for the state championship.