FRIEDENSBURG — A practice round Friday night with a few of his friends gave Ryan Laudeman an indication that he could fare pretty well at this weekend’s Schuylkill County Amateur Golf Medal-Play Championships.
Even he, however, couldn’t have imagined it would be this good.
The 22-year-old Orwigsburg golfer broke the tournament record with a 7-under-par 137 in the two-day, 36-hole tournament at Hidden Valley Golf Course to capture his first county medal-play title.
After carding a 4-under 68 in Saturday’s opening round, Laudeman shot a 3-under 69 on Sunday to win the Championship Flight and overall title by four strokes over runner-up Bailey Sophy of Pottsville (71-70—141).
Defending champion
Sean Misstishin (71-72—143) finished third, while Steve Rice (71-74—145) placed fourth.
Mike DeColli of Pottsville (81-79—160) won the A Flight championship, while Hunter Mickatavage of Ashland (84-71—155) captured B Flight and Steve Reiter of Pine Grove (91-83—174) took top honors in C Flight.
“It’s been kind of a stagnant summer,” Laudeman said. “I’ve hit it OK, but I haven’t really made a lot of putts.
“We went out on Friday night, me, Steve Rice, Luke Morgan and Kyle Foster, we played a round and I hit it really well. I started to roll in some putts and I said ‘Wow, maybe I could make something happen this weekend.’
“I played extremely well (Saturday). I had a really solid round putting. Today, I putted really well. If anybody gets their putter hot here, it usually means you’re going to do well.”
Saturday, Laudeman carded two eagles — the par-5, 464-yard No. 5 and the par-5, 527-yard No. 13 — birdied the par-4 No. 2 and par-3 No. 11, and had two bogeys. His drive on the 207-yard No. 11 landed just short of 10 feet from the pin.
Sunday, he was equally impressive, notching birdies on Nos. 2, 6, 13, 14 and 16 and carding bogeys on Nos. 7 and 9. He was an even-par 36 on the front nine and 3-under 33 on the back nine of Hidden Valley’s 6,259-yard layout from the blue tees.
He came within 3 feet of a hole-in-one on the par-3, 187-yard No. 6,
Laudeman’s total of 137 is believed to be a tournament record, according to tournament director Jim Kimmel and Hidden Valley’s Henry Kriner, who compiles all the statistics and history for the tournament.
“That’s amazing. It’s an honor to get in the record books,” Laudeman said. “There’s been some very good players (to win this tournament). Dennis Campbell was at 6, I’m sure Jimmy Rattigan was pretty low. You have guys like Dave Linkchorst ... all those guys that have won so many times.
“To be up with those guys and be my first stroke-play title, that’s pretty cool. It’s a pretty cool feeling.”
Laudeman graduated from Elizabethtown College in May and is a staff accountant for Heckman and Laudeman CPA firm in West Brunswick Township. He said he works full-time during the week and tries to play as much golf as he can during the evenings and on weekends.
The 2012 match-play champion, Laudeman competed for four years on the Elizabethtown College golf team. He said that experience helped prepare him for tournaments like this.
“Any time you are playing a lot of tournament golf, it gets you in the right mentality, the right mindset,” Laudeman said. “Tournament play obviously is a lot different than going out and playing with your buddies. Getting to have those adrenaline-pumping, pressure situations, it gets you ready for situations like this. It’s easy to control your nerves and play well.”
Laudeman is part of a youth movement that’s raging right now at the county level. Sophy, DeColli and Mickatavage are high school seniors, while several other finishers in the Championship Flight are in their early 20s.
Mickatavage (151) edged Sophy (153) by two strokes at the Schuylkill County Junior Golf Championships at Hidden Valley on Aug. 4-5, with DeColli placing third.
This weekend, Sophy shot a 1-under 71 on Saturday and was the only golfer to stay relatively close to Laudeman on Sunday with a 2-under 70.
Sophy overcame early bogeys on No. 2 and No. 4 to compile six birdies — Nos. 5, 6, 10, 14, 16 and 18. His 33 on the back nine equalled Laudeman for the lowest score of the day.
“I drove the ball really well,” said Sophy, 17, a senior at Blue Mountain High School. “I was never out of play. I hit the ball really well.”
Sophy plays with Laudeman, Morgan, Rice, Foster and several current or former Blue Mountain golfers in a weekend pick-up league. A PIAA regional qualifier last season, Sophy said being in the final group Sunday with Laudeman, Rice and Misstishin didn’t rattle him.
“I knew it was going to be fun, because I play with them all the time, like (Laudeman), Luke and Steve,” Sophy said. “Being in the final group with them, I felt really comfortable.
“I made a lot more putts this weekend. My score reflects it,” Sophy continued. “I shot a lot better than in the junior championships.”
Final results
54th Schuylkill County Amateur Golf Medal-Play Championships
At Hidden Valley Golf Course, Friedensburg
Yardage: 6,259; Par: 72
Final Scores
Championship Flight
Ryan Laudeman 68-69—137
Bailey Sophy 71-70—141
Sean Misstishin 71-72—143
Steve Rice 71-74—145
James Bromwell 73-74—147
Bob Hillibush 73-75—148
Anthony Mehling 75-74—149
Chris Hartman 78-71—149
Greg Merrick 72-78—150
Luke Morgan 78-77—155
Jim Gross 75-82—157
Dan Woznisky Sr. 77-82—159
Joe Drasdis III 77-86—163
Mark Knock 78-87—165
Nick Michels 78-WD
A Flight
Mike DeColli 81-79—160
Ray Miske III 80-81—161
Joe Welsh 80-81—161
Kyle Foster 82-79—161
Gary Hess 83-82—165
John Bashago 82-84—166
Luke Reiter 82-85—167
Mike Steffe 82-86—168
Eric Schneck 82-91—173
Austin Boyer 83-91—174
Frank Brennan 79-96—175
Joe Drasdis Sr. 81-96—177
B Flight
Hunter Mickatavage 84-71—155
J.D. Powis 86-74—160
Nick Brayford 84-77—161
Clair Rummel 86-79—165
Mike Misstishin 85-82—167
Bill Kaczmarczyk 84-86—170
Keith Knock 87-83—170
Mike O’Pake 87-84—171
Al Gricoski 85-88—173
Matt Reed 85-90—175
Dave Leymeister 89-88—177
Jeff Bromwell 89-90—179
Mike Muncy 85-WD
C Flight
Steve Reiter 91-83—174
Nate Yost 90-87—177
Ray Misstishen 92-87—179
Jared Sabitsky 94-87—181
Winn Allen 92-90—182
Brad Woznisky 97-85—182
Jeff Albo 98-85—183
Mike Leymeister 90-95—185
James Lord 96-91—187
Ed Tarantelli 95-102—197
Vernon Kleckner 98-100—198
Fred Krute 107-WD
Closest to the Pin
Saturday’s winners
No. 6 — Dan Woznisky Sr., 16 feet; No. 8 — Mark Knock, 2-4; No. 11 — Ryan Laudeman, 9-11; No. 17 — John Bashago, 5-11
Sunday’s winners
No. 6 — Ryan Laudeman, 3 feet; No. 8 — Joe Welsh, 2-2; No. 11 — Bill Kaczmarczyk, 29-10; No. 17 — Greg Merrick, 8-0
(Note: Until 1976, this was also a match play event.)
1962-64 — Norm Ackley
1965-66 — Bob Costanzo
1967 — Bill Wallace
1968 — Dave Linkchorst
1969 — Jim Bohrman
1970 — Dave Linkchorst
1971 — Marty Dwyer
1972 — Dave Linkchorst Jr.
1973 — Dave Linkchorst
1974 — William L. Jones III
1975 — Robert J. Devitz
1976 — Jim Bohrman
1977 — Jerry Haas
1978-80 — Jim Bohrman
1981 — Ray Misstishin
1982 — Dave Linkchorst
1983 — Jim Bohrman
1984 — Dave Linkchorst
1985 — Jim Bohrman
1986 — Dave Linkchorst
1987 — Ray Misstishin
1988 — Dave Linkchorst
1989 — Jim Bohrman
1990 — George Huss
1991 — Dave Linkchorst
1992 — George Huss
1993 — Dennis Campbell
1994 — Nick Michels
1995 — Jeff Paul
1996 — Mike Misstishin
1997 — Mike Muncy
1998 — Dennis Campbell
1999 — Mike Muncy
2000 — Jim Rattigan
2001 — Jim Rattigan
2002 — George Huss
2003 — Dennis Campbell
2004 — Jeff Metza
2005 — Jim Rattigan
2006 — Dennis Campbell
2007 — Jim Rattigan
2008 — Sean Misstishin
2009 — Jeff Metza
2010 — Randy Kurzinsky
2011 — Randy Kurzinsky
2012 — Randy Kurzinsky
2013 — Jim Rattigan
2014 — Sean Misstishin
2015 — Ryan Laudeman