Overtime: Mocello earns PIAA golf final berth with playoff victory
OAKMONT 鈥� Belle Vernon鈥檚 Jordan Mocello is familiar with scoreboard watching after waiting until last week鈥檚 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鈥檚 patience 鈥� and solid shotmaking 鈥� 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鈥檚 tee shot on No. 1, the first playoff hole, went wayward left into the rough. The junior鈥檚 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鈥檛 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.
鈥淚 did what I could do,鈥� Mocello said after he completed his round. 鈥淛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.
鈥淚 tried to go no more than double bogey. The holes that I bogeyed I got in trouble.鈥�
Mocello noted one hole that got away from him in an otherwise solid round.
鈥淣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鈥檝e been a perfect chip. But, since they鈥檙e slower, it came up 10 feet short. It was a bad double bogey,鈥� said Mocello.
While Mocello鈥檚 future was in other鈥檚 hands, Peters Township鈥檚 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.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think I鈥檇 have to shoot 4-under,鈥� said Lusk.
Baldwin鈥檚 Michael Quallich and Pine-Richland鈥檚 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.
鈥淚 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,鈥� said Lusk, who carded seven birdies. 鈥淚 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.鈥�
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.
鈥淚鈥檝e been here before. I just really wanted to hit my shot and let things go,鈥� said Lusk. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 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.
鈥淭hen, coming down 18 I just had fun with it.鈥�
Tomalski shot 79 in both rounds, missing the playoff by one stroke.
鈥淚 shot 41 on the front so I had to press a little on the back,鈥� said Tomalski. 鈥淭he game just felt impossible today. Last year, I gave up and missed by two. This year I said I鈥檓 going to finish it out.鈥�
Tomalski said he started to gain momentum after he made the turn, but No. 12 derailed the run.
鈥淥n No. 12, I took a double (bogey). That鈥檚 the only double I had today,鈥� said Tomalski.
Belle Vernon鈥檚 Jack Edwards shot 82 in the final round for a two-day total of 165.
鈥淚 started off terrible (with a poor tee shot) and played great over the next six holes. I kept myself to 2-over, but it鈥檚 a hard course,鈥� said Edwards. 鈥淭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鈥檝e been caught up in the moment.
鈥淣ervous? For sure. I three-putted both par-5s and that stung a little bit,鈥� said Edwards.
Connellsville senior Ethan Porreca had a rough start and things didn鈥檛 improve as he ballooned to 95 in the final round after shooting 82 in the first round.
鈥淚 was feeling really good after the first hole. I found a lot of bunkers,鈥� said Porreca. 鈥淚 was playing good up until today. Everything was great. My practice round would鈥檝e been a qualifying score. I just didn鈥檛 really have it today.
鈥淭he tee was putting me in bad spots. Everything was a pull. Don鈥檛 know what the issue was.鈥�
Porreca noted the atmosphere might鈥檝e gotten to him, including one of the biggest galleries, a little bit.
鈥淣othing really worked today. I鈥檒l be honest. I don鈥檛 know if it was the nerves. I can鈥檛 lie. It鈥檚 Oakmont,鈥� said Porreca. 鈥淭here鈥檚 all these people that I love watching me. I had the biggest gallery. I think that got to me a little bit.鈥�
Upper St. Clair鈥檚 Connor McKenzie (152), South Fayette鈥檚 Sam Bishop (153), West Allegheny鈥檚 Nico Ward (153), North Allegheny鈥檚 Ravi Desai (154), Peters Twp.鈥檚 Griffin Hansberry (156), and Central Catholic鈥檚 Regan Logan (156) also qualified for the state championship.