Leaderboard
FRIEDENSBURG — All Colin Casserly wanted to do was lag his long putt close to the hole.
Instead, he ended up hitting it perfectly, quickly ending a sudden-death playoff in dramatic fashion.
Casserly sank a 25-foot putt for a birdie on the first extra hole, beating Hunter Mickatavage to win the Schuylkill County Junior Golf Championship on Tuesday at Hidden Valley Golf Course.
“I hit it,” Casserly said of his winning putt. “I was just trying to get it close.”
Both Casserly and Mickatavage finished regulation tied at 161. The playoff started at No. 1, a straight and short, 329-yard par 4.
The playoff didn’t last long.
The approach shots for both Casserly and Mickatavge ended up on the front of the green about 25 feet from the hole. Casserly was away and drained his putt, yelling for it
to get in as the ball got closer to the hole. Casserly then pumped his fist after the ball dropped and the small gallery of fellow competitors who followed the two along to watch the playoff applauded the putt.
Casserly, a Mahanoy City resident who will be a senior at Mahanoy Area this fall, said he thought the ball was going in about halfway to the hole.
“I knew I made it,” Casserly said. “It came off the club face, had the right line, the right speed and it dropped.”
Mickatavage, who is heading into his junior year at North Schuylkill, still had a chance but his putt ended up about 2 inches to the right of cup, giving Casserly the title.
“That was wild,” Mickatavage said after the round.
Nick Scicchitano, Casserly’s teammate at Mahanoy Area, finished a stroke out of the playoff with a two-round total of 162. Soon-to-be Blue Mountain junior Bailey Sophy was fourth with a 164.
Seven strokes separated the eight competitors who ended up making the championship flight in the 16-18-year-old division.
Other winners Tuesday included Mike DeColli (A Flight ages 16-18), Evan Salamone (14-15 division), Derrick Yuengling (12-13 division) and Derek Burcik (11 and under division).
Mickatavage started Tuesday a stroke ahead of Casserly after an opening-round 79. Casserly and Mickatavage were tied after the opening nine Tuesday as Casserly shot a 4-over 40 and Mickatavage a 41.
Casserly then took a two-stroke lead at No. 12, a 290-yard par-4 with the green on top of a hill. Casserly hit his approach to 2 feet and dropped the putt.
Casserly had a chance to close out the championship out in regulation but shot 4-over par during his final five holes. His winning putt followed what Casserly said was a bad approach with a sand wedge from 95 yards out.
“I chuncked it a little bit,” Casserly said.
This week’s tournament was the fourth Casserly has played on the county junior golf tour this summer. He won the tournament at White Birch on July 1 with a 76. He shot an 87 during the tour’s opening tournament at Hidden Valley on June 17 and had a 94 at Mountain Valley on July 9.
Casserly and Scicchitano have been key parts to the revival of the Golden Bears’ program the past couple of years. Mahanoy Area was the Schuylkill League Division II champion last fall and ended up second in the league team championship meet to Blue Mountain.
Casserly also has some unique qualities as a golfer.
He rarely takes practice swings, something Casserly said he has always done for as long as he’s played golf. He also prefers a fast pace of play and normally steps right up to the ball and hits it. That included his championship-clinching putt.
“I guess I just feel more comfortable not taking practice swings,” Casserly said. “It is just going up there and hitting it.”
Casserly also used his driver just twice Tuesday. And, despite some of his troubles late in the round, Casserly said his short game was working best for him Tuesday.
“Around the green, my putting was pretty strong. Chipping was pretty good also,” he said. “I mean my tee-off shots were good. I was hitting the ball good but I was not scoring like I wanted to.”
But he certainly did with his final putt.
Championship winners
Age 16-18
Championship Flight
Colin Casserly* 80-81—161
A Flight
Mike DeColli 86-86—172
Age 14-15
Evan Salamone 89-82—171
Age 12-13
Derrick Yuengling 96-88—184
Age 11 and under (9 holes)
Derek Burcik 59-54—113
* Won on first hole of playoff
Leaderboard
Schuylkill County Junior Golf
At Hidden Valley Golf Course
Yardage: 5,968; Par 72
Final results
Age 16-18
Championship Flight
Colin Casserly* 80-81—161
Hunter Mickatavage 79-82—161
Nick Scicchitano 82-80—162
Bailey Sophy 82-82—164
Mike Wollyung 85-80—165
Matt Lescavage 85-81—166
Lyle Luckenbill 83-83—166
Kory McElvaney 85-83—168
A Flight
Mike DeColli 86-86—172
Quinn McPhillips 87-99—176
Trent Williams# 88-92—180
David Leymeister 91-89—180
Trey Macieunas 89-93—182
Mike O’Pake 89-93—182
Alex Everly 87-96—183
Hunter Johns 94-94—188
Austin Raup 105-96—201
Reese Keitsock 107-97—204
Matt McGarry 110-101—211
Age 14-15
Evan Salamone 89-82—171
Luke Reiter 87-92—179
Austin Boyer 88-93—181
Josh Zelinsky 95-88—183
Jacob Artz 98-86—184
Carson Schoener 94-91—185
Tyler Coyle 101-87—188
Jason Blum 100-97—197
Cody Reichert 96-109—205
Kayla Drasdis 116-114—230
Nick Quinn 119-111—230
Kieran McMullin 147-132—279
Age 12-13
Derrick Yuengling 96-88—184
Kevin DiLorenzo 98-104—202
Noah Frederick 109-109—218
Gavin Lund 122-131—253
Age 11 and under (9 holes)
Derek Burcik 59-54—113
Derek Walasavage 59-60—119
Evan Burcik 74-70—144
* Won on first hole of playoff
# Tie broken by back-nine scores (Williams 44, Leymeister 48)
Champions list
2014 — Colin Casserly
2013 — James Dietz
2012 — James Bromwell
2011 — Greg Merrick
2010 — Mike Gottsein
2009 — James Bromwell
2008 — Stephen Rice
2007 — Stephen Rice
2006 — Sean Misstishen
2005 — Sean Misstishen
2004 — Sean Misstishen
2003 — Sean Misstishen
2002 — Doug Stewart
2001 — Greg Freeman
2000 — Joe Rattigan
1999 — Eliot Fink
1998 — Jeff Metza
1997 — Jeff Metza
1996 — Jim Rattigan
1995 — Jim Rattigan
1994 — Bob Grivin
1993 — Tim Kistler
1992 — Tim Kistler
1991 — Tom Goyne
1990 — Mark McCabe
1989 — Jens Klemsche
1988 — Jens Klemsche
1987 — Gret Surotcuak
1986 — Mark Riotto
1985 — Jeff Kosack
1984 — B.J. Evans