FCCA notebook: Brownsville鈥檚 Rohland wins girls county golf crown
Brownsville sophomore Ava Rohland checked off a couple career boxes Friday with her performance in the annual FCCA Golf Invitational held at Duck Hollow Golf Club.
Rohland became the first Brownsville golfer to win a county title and, on a personal note, cracked 100 with her county-winning score of 10-over 80.
Rohland went out in 41 and came back in 39.
鈥淭his was my best round of golf, ever,鈥� said Rohland. 鈥淢y wedge and putting were working. I had only one three-putt.
鈥淢y goal was to shoot under 100. I shot a good bit under. I never broke 100 on 18 holes.鈥�
Rohland plays on the boys team, so she doesn鈥檛 get to play against many females through the season. She enjoyed her round with Geibel Catholic鈥檚 Sarah Konieczny and Belle Vernon鈥檚 Ava Dudzinski.
鈥淭he group I played with was awesome. That helped a lot,鈥� said Rohland. 鈥淚t was easier (playing a group with girls) than guys.
Konieczny celebrated her birthday with a second-place finish. Sh shot 84, but felt she should鈥檝e finished with a lower score.
鈥淚 feel I could鈥檝e played a lot better. I should鈥檝e shot under 80,鈥� said Konieczny. 鈥淚 made a lot of dumb mistakes. All the bogeys were three putts. I could鈥檝e shot 76 or 77.
鈥淚 just wanted to play well.鈥�
Belle Vernon鈥檚 Vittoria Scaramucci finished third with 86. Uniontown鈥檚 Emily Myers was fourth with 89 and Belle Vernon鈥檚 Felicia Kruppa closed out the all-county team with 94.
THE SHOT OF THE DAY: Albert Gallatin鈥檚 Paityn Stout hit a solid tee shot on No. 6, but the hard, dry conditions, coupled with the slant of the fairway, caused her ball to roll in high grass in what is normally the shoreline of the adjacent pond.
Stout was able to play from the spot with a less-than-conventional result.
Her pitch bounced through a pedestrian bridge over what is normally a creek, took a bounce above a sand trap and landed short of the green.
Stout鈥檚 par putt, unfortunately, rimmed out for bogey.
EXTENDED SEASON: Seven of the top 10 boys will be playing in the second round of the WPIAL individual playoffs.
Connellsville鈥檚 Ethan Porreca was alone in seventh after shooting 74.
鈥淚 had a few birdies. My best birdie of the day was a tap-in on No. 8. I hit a monster drive and two-putt,鈥� said Porreca. 鈥淚 had one bad hole on the back nine. I chunked my tee shot on No. 15 and then hit in the water. I took seven.鈥�
Porreca believes he鈥檒l carry some momentum into the Class AAA semifinal at Southpointe on Tuesday.
鈥淚t was pretty important (to play well). Today was a big confidence boost for me,鈥� explained Porreca. 鈥淚鈥檝e played there. The greens are lightning fast.
鈥淚f I shoot under 85, I鈥檒l be happy there.鈥�
Belle Vernon鈥檚 Seth Tomalski finished tied for eighth with Geibel Catholic鈥檚 Seth Dolan and Connellsville鈥檚 Derek Routzahn at 75.
鈥淢y lag putting killed me, but I actually made some putts,鈥� said Tomalski, who carded three birdies. 鈥淢y problem came off the tee. I was spraying off the tee, everywhere.
鈥淢y highest number was a bogey. I just made too many of them.鈥�
Routzahn has steadily improved throughout the season.
鈥淚 shot better than my average,鈥� said Routzahn. 鈥淚鈥檓 playing really consistent.鈥�
TEAM CHAMPIONS: Belle Vernon finished with a team total of 382, edging Connellsville鈥檚 score of 386, to win the big school crown.
Frazier shot 401 for the small school team title. The Belle Vernon girls finished with 383 for the title.
THE GANG鈥橲 ALL HERE: All seven programs in the county participated, plus Belle Vernon and Southmoreland whose districts include Fayette County municipalities.
NEXT UP: The individual tournaments continue Monday and Tuesday with the WPIAL championships to follow next week.
The Connellsville and Belle Vernon boys also qualified for the Class AAA team playoffs.
DID NOT FINISH: Belle Vernon鈥檚 Hailey Farrah had to withdraw with an injury after nine holes, but not until she rolled in a birdie putt off the fringe on No. 13, much to her delight.