John Welch, Ranney win Shore Conference Tournament boys golf titles
MILLSTONE - There were some wild swings at the top of the leaderboard down the stretch at the Shore Conference Boys Golf Tournament on the South course at Charleston Springs Wednesday, with four different players either in the lead or tied for it down the stretch.
And the finish made clear just how competitive the area high school landscape is this spring.
It appeared Colts Neck's Jack Aiello, who won the Monmouth County Tournament title last week, was in position to make it two straight, successfully overcoming a triple bogey that erased a two-shot lead on the back nine by sinking birdie putts on the final holes to take a one-shot lead into the clubhouse at 1-under-par 71.
But playing in the group right behind Aiello was Ranney's John Welch, battling back from a 4-over-par start after five holes. And with Aiello watching, Welch used his putter to roll in a 30-footer from just off the 18th green in the rough to force a playoff at 1-under.
On the first playoff hole, it was the Ranney senior winning his first major title with a par.
Welch also led the Ranney to its first team title in the event, pulling off a stunning upset of Wall, the defending Shore Conference champion and reigning Monmouth County champs. The Panthers, coached by Michael Butler, finished with a four-man total of 305, two shots better than Wall, which shot 298 on the North course at Charleston Springs last week to win the MCT. In addition to Welch, Ranney got a 76 from sophomore Samson Landers, a 78 from junior Chris Hannan and an 80 from senior Noah Weiss.
"This was just great," said Welch. "Noah, Sammy, Gavin (Karlin), everybody played great today. And shout out to Chris Hannan, with a really good 78. He is the most improved player on the team."
Big-time comeback
Welch, who finished fifth at Monmouth County, set the tone with his furious rally, which began when he hit his approach shot close on No. 7. He made it back-to-back birdies when he hit the green on the par-5 eighth hole in two and two-putted, and did it again on the par-5 13th hole to get back to one-over-par.
Through it all, Welch opted not to check the leaderboard, available this year to every player on their phone via the state's new live scoring app. Even after he got back to even par by sinking a 30-footer on No. 16.
"I knew when everyone was watching on 18 I had to so something," he said. "I didn't know if it was two putt or make the putt or anything like that."
Aiello, on the other hand, took a peek after his triple bogey on No.15, which dropped him from 2-under-par and a two-shot lead back to 1-over-par.
"I just took a look to see where that put me because I knew I was playing well," Aiello said. "And then right before I teed off on 18."
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When he teed off on 18, he was in a three-way tie for the top spot with Welch and Middletown South's Daniel Cassidy at even-par, with Aiello having rolled in a birdie putt on No. 17, a par-3, to get a share of the top spot. He hit his approach shot on the finishing hole to 10 feet and sank the putt to take the lead.
Minutes later it was Welch's approach shot finishing just off the putting surface.
"I decided to putt it. It was just in rough, and hit a good putt. I did the same thing on 10. I knew I could get the club on it. It wasn't thick enough where I couldn't, and then trying to get it close and it happened to drop."
"I did the same thing at counties. I was 2-under my last seven holes at counties, so this is a position I've been in before and am comfortable in, and the finish today says a lot about the work I've put in."
RESULTS
Team: 1. Ranney 305; 2. Wall 307; 3. Holmdel 309; 4. CBA 311; 5. Point Boro 328; 6. Freehold Twp. 333; 7. Middletown South 334; 8. Manasquan 335; 9. Rumson-Fair Haven 337; 10. Southern 340.
Individual: 1. John Welch (Ranney) 71*; 2. Jack Aiello (Colts Neck) 71; 3. Daniel Cassidy (Middletown South) 72; 4. tie, Pat Scenna (Wall), Patrick Sharpe (Holmdel) 73; 6. tie, Christian Klemanowicz (Freehold Twp.), Dylan Mattessich (Manasquan) 74; 8. Boden Pepe (Wall) 75; 9. tie, Bowen Liu (Marlboro), Jack Hennelly (Monmouth), Jack Stamberger (CBA), Samson Landers (Ranney) 76; 13. tie, Evan Sorensen (CBA), Ryan Quigley (Holmdel) 77; 15. tie, Kevin Ostrander (Point Boro), Chris Hannan (Ranney), Mailon Kent (Point Boro), Will Ross (Rumson) 78; 19. tie, Anthony LaRosa (CBA), Jack O'Connor (CBA), Chase Jakubowski (Wall), Remy Mander (Holmdel) 79; 23. tie, Brandon George (TR North), Matt Merkel (Holmdel), Brendan Millevoi (Middletown South), Noah Weiss (Ranney) 80; 29. tie, Matt Carroll (Rumson), Paul Reilly (Southern), Chace Schell (RBC), Jack Puma (CBA), Peter Tadrick (Brick Memorial) 81; 34. tie, Ed Grinvalsky (Howell), Tommy Renkin (TR East), Alex Henbest (Southern) 82; 37. Corey Gold (Freehold Twp.) 83; 38. tie, Mia Martinez (Pinelands), Brandan Tyhanic (Pinelands), Andrew Torregrossa (RBC), Quinn Gibb (Red Bank), Daniel Dougan (Red Bank), Alexander Jang (Marlboro), Ben Martorana (Point Boro), Gavin Karlin (Ranney) 84.
*Won in playoff.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: John Welch, Ranney win Shore Conference Tournament boys golf titles
