Mater Dei sophomore Ryan McCormick has won his last two high school tournaments.
By Bob Badders - Senior Writer
WEST WINDSOR -- Walking to the tee box on the 10th hole during a playoff for the NJSIAA Non-Public South B individual title, Mater Dei's Ryan McCormick was wondering how he just had wasted two chances to take home a state sectional title.
He had missed a short putt on 17, the first hole of his playoff with Gloucester Catholic's John Perrine, to let his opponent force a second playoff hole. On 18, McCormick missed another birdie putt and once again allowed Perrine to get up and down for par and extend the tournament.
"On 17 I just hit a bad shot and that really bothered me because I didn't want to give him a second chance," said McCormick, who showed rare emotion after missing the tournament-clinching putt on 17. "But right after I missed those putts, I knew I just had to regroup. There was still another hole left, and I just had to keep it together."
On No. 10, McCormick was finally able to put Perrine away by two-putting for par after hitting a well-positioned second shot to take home the NJSIAA Non-Public South B sectional title on Wednesday on the par-72, 6,772-yard East Course at Mercer Oaks Golf Course. It's the fist sectional title for the Seraphs sophomore, who shot a one-over 73 through 18 holes. It is also his second career high school tournament victory after winning the Shore Conference Tournament last Monday.
"It was a really long day and I think I'm going to go home and sleep for about 15 hours," McCormick said. "But it feels good. It validates all the hard work I put in over the summer and winter, and it's a really good feeling when it all pays off."
"That was tremendous," said Seraphs head coach Mike Bonelli. "His back was stiffening up toward the end of regulation and to play three extra holes and come away with the win, he's just amazing. I don't know what else to say about him."
It was indeed another impressive tournament for McCormick, the reigning DigitalSports Shore Conference Golfer of the Year, who has played in either a dual match or tournament for 10 straight days since winning the Shore Conference Tournament. He recently won an American Junior Golf Association Tournament in Rochester, N.Y., over the weekend and today will compete in a qualifier for the New Jersey State Golf Association Amatuer Golf Championship at Jumping Brook Country Club in Neptune.
Starting his day on No. 10, he shot a two-over 38 on the back nine for a score that already had him in contention. He cranked his already solid game up another notch on the final nine and really started with a bang by making birdie on the 392-yard, par-4 first hole. McCormick said he thought his putting was off on Wednesday, which it was during the playoff. But his putter also helped him get to a playoff as he drained a 45-foot par putt downhill on No. 3 and also knocked down a four-foot birdie putt on 7.
In just his second high school season, McCormick has established himself as one of, if not the, best golfers in the Shore Conference and also the state. He was second at the Monmouth County Tournament by one stroke but won the Shore Conference Tournament and now the Non-Public South B title. On Monday he'll have to tame a course he is very familiar with, Beacon Hill Country Club in Atlantic Highlands, to take home the ultimate prize at the Tournament of Champions.
"It's an unbelievable advantage to be able to play at Beacon Hill," McCormick said. "For anybody who hasn't played there it's going to be tough. The local knowledge will be big. I'm just going to keep the same gameplan because it's been working pretty well so far."
Joining McCormick in a quest for a TOC title will be Christian Brothers Academy, as the Colts shot a 314 to take home the Non-Public South A team crown. The Colts third tournament title of the season showcased their depth as all five players shot 80 or better. Junior Brendan O'Brien led the way with a 77, senior Tom Gliozzo carded a 78, junior Brian Anderson shot a 79 and senior Kevin Clarke and freshman Michael DeGennaro each shot 80. O'Brien's score was good for second in his section while Gliozzo finished fourth and Anderson tied for fifth. The top five in each section qualify for the TOC as individuals.
"We started our season with the main goal of winning the TOC," O'Brien said after the Colts won by four strokes over St. Augustine. "We're not worried about winning as individuals. It's all about what the team can accomplish."
"Our depth is very good," Anderson said. "We have good players here (pointing to their five players) and also with our six and seven golfers who can also shoot 80. It's something we knew we were going to have."
Having already won the Monmouth County and Shore Conference Tournaments, the Colts moved one step closer to their goal of sweeping their four majors. The realize they are going to need a score close to the 308 they shot to win the SCT, but they also seem to salivate at the prospects of playing for a TOC title at Beacon Hill.
"It's going to be tough and we'll probably have to go a little lower," Gliozzo said. "But we can handle it. It's been our goal all season and we have the depth."
"Playing at Beacon is going to a major advantage," O'Brien said. "It's a risk-reward course and most of us have played it a lot."
The Colts were the only Shore Conference team to qualify for the TOC on Wednesday. The top two teams in each section advance and Red Bank Catholic shot a 330 to place fourth in Non-Public South A while St. John Vianney's 357 put it ninth. In Non-Public South B, St. Rose was third with a 343 and Mater Dei was fourth with a 348.
Aside from O'Brien, Gliozzo and Anderson, Red Bank Catholic's Eathon O'Malley and Monsignor Donovan's Dave Hertgen also qualified by finishing tied for fifth with 79s. Other than McCormick in Non-Public South B, St. Rose sophomore Max Venables qualified with an 82 that placed him fifth.
The final tally for Shore Conference teams and individuals that will be competing in the TOC now reads like this: Wall, Manasquan and Christian Brothers Academy have qualified as teams. Individually, the Shore Conference will be represented by Manasquan's Sam Gordon, Wall's Julian El-Adibin, Ocean's Chris Cerven, Manalapan's Pat DiLeo, Jackson Memorial's Steve Kezel, CBA's trio of Brendan O'Brien, Tom Gliozzo and Brian Anderson, Red Bank Catholic's Eathon O'Malley, Monsignor Donovan's Dave Hertgen, Mater Dei's Ryan McCormick and St. Rose's Max Venables.
Team Scoring
Top two in each section advance to the Tournament of Champions
Non-Public North A
1. Seton Hall Prep 313
2. Bergen Catholic 325 (won on playoff)
3. Don Bosco Prep 325
4. Pope John 329
5. Delbarton 338
6. St. Peter's Prep 341
7. DePaul Catholic 357
Non-Public South A
1. Christian Brothers Academy 3142. St. Augustine 318
3. Notre Dame 329
4. Red Bank Catholic 3305. Holy Spirit 342
6. St. Joseph-Metuchen 343
7. Paul VI 348
8. Camden Catholic 349
9. St. John Vianney 35710. Bishop Ahr 386
Non-Public North B
1. Newark Academy 322
2. Montclair Kimberly Academy 324
3. Oratory Prep 343
4. Pingry 352
5. Dwight-Englewood School 362
6. Eastern Cristian 366
7. Hawthorne Christian 367
8. Gill St. Bernards 378
Non-Public South B
1. Gloucester Catholic 331
2. Holy Cross 331
3. St. Rose 343
4. Mater Dei 348
Individual results
Top five including ties advance to the Tournament of Champions
Non-Public North A
1. Marc Kunesch (Pope John) 72
2. Andrew Tursky (Immaculata) 73
3. Andrew McGlynn (St. Peter's Prep) 77
4. Dylan Lam (Seton Hall Prep) 77
5. Jimmy Burke (Seton Hall Prep) 77
Non-Public South A
1. Matt Deamilio (St. Augustine) 76
2. Brendan O'Brien (CBA) 773. Matt Newman (Camden Catholic) 78
4. Tom Gliozzo (CBA) 78
5t. Brian Anderson (CBA) 795t. Devin Schaller (St. Augustine) 79
5t. Eathon O'Malley (Red Bank Catholic) 79
5t. Dave Hertgen (Monsignor Donovan) 79Non-Public South B
1. Ryan McCormick (Mater Dei) 73 (Won on playoff)
2. John Perrine (Gloucester Catholic) 73
3. Rob Taylor (Holy Cross) 77
4. Phil Villari (Holy Cross) 81
5. Max Venables (St. Rose) 82
E-mail: badders@digitalsports.com