Scotch Valley Country Club was the setting, 36 holes was the format, being in the top 8 was the goal ! Assembled to one of those top eight, was the goal of 54 of the districts best players. The 54 set out on Tuesday morning with a goal of advancing to the Regional championships, and of hopes of being a district champion.
By the end of Wednesdays final round, Tyrone had brought home another sports champion. Jimmy Ferguson a sophomore at Tyrone, was crowned district champ.
Ferguson won the title over Bishop McCort’s standout Kurtis Straw. “Jimmy played awful good,” said Tyrone golf coach Greg Ferguson, “He is just really good, everything he does is solid, just solid. All his competition is made up of sophomores. McCort’s, Kurtis Straw, Hollidaysburg’s Conner Garrity, these kids are really good, and for him to finish ahead of them really shows how well he played. Bob Sweitzer, (a local golf icon) was there to watch the kids golf during Tuesdays round, he has not seen Jimmy hit a ball for a few years, at the end of the round, Bob said to me ‘that kid really is solid.’ For Bob to offer that comment, means something, he knows talent, so if he thinks the boy has potential, he definitely has potential!”
Jimmy’s opening 74 led the first round by one shot over McCort’s Kurtis Straw and Penn Cambria’s Will McMahon (75). After 27 holes Jimmy found himself two behind McMahon and two ahead of Straw. Jimmy birdied the 12th and the 14th as McMahon doubled the 13th and tripled the 15th.
That set the stage for Jimmy to finish strong and bring home the district title. “I was nervous,” Jimmy said, “not sure where I stood in the mix, I just kept thinking about what my Dad said, ‘one shot at a time, the score falls where it falls.’ I just played as if I was trying to shoot a number against the course, not the guys in the group. Fortunately for me it worked, it’s a great feeling, for me. I represent my school, that’s really cool, I did this and I am Tyrone proud.” Greg Ferguson is a six-time champion at Sinking Valley Country Club links.
Jimmy’s rounds were 74-74, Straw 75-77, and Garrity 78-75.
Tyrone’s James Russell qualified for districts but failed to advance to the second round.
Bellwood-Antis senior Tom Trexler earned a spot in the Regional championship with a sixth-place finish 76-78 for a total of 154. Trexler finished tied for fourth with McMahon, and Parker Everett of Central Mountain, but slipped to sixth on a playoff hole. McMahon placed fourth and Everett fifth.
In girls District 6 action, Lady Eagle freshman Olivia Stever carded a score of 96 and is in 10th position leading to Thursday’s final round at the State College Elks Country Club. The top six will advance to the lady’s regional next week at Tom’s Run.
