For Lohr, Schuman advancing was a breeze
GREENSBURG – Not only did the golfers who participated in the semifinals of the WPIAL Class AA championship have to put up with the slick greens, tricky approach shots and tilted fairways, they also had to put up with nasty gusts of wind.
The 6,287-yard course at Hannastown Golf Club is difficult enough on bright, sunny warm days. Add blustery wind to it, and it’s downright unfair.
That’s why Liam Lohr should feel so good. The junior from Carmichaels parlayed two birdies into an 8-over-par 78 finish, good enough for a tie for 10th place.
The top 36 and ties from the field of 90 advanced to the finals, which will be held Tuesday at Oakmont Country Club. Golfers will carry their scores into the next round.
Hunter Jurica of Derry and Daniel Sethman of Brownsvillle each shot 74 to tie for first place. JP Tusai of South Park and Logan Voytish tied for third place with a pair of 75s.
Lohr will be joined by next week by teammate Dustin Hastings, who shot an 82 and finished tied for 21st. Sam Schuman, a senior from Fort Cherry, tied Lohr with a 78. A.J. Tarolli, a junior, finished in a tie for 30th. The last few spots for next week were unknown until the final group came in. That’s when senior Jacob Ross of McGuffey, Mason Lapana of Carmichaels and senior Braden Dombroski of Fort Cherry found out they tied for the 36th and final spots after each shot 86.
Belle Vernon had a strong effort with Roger Maloney in fifth place, Jordan Mocella in 21st and Seth Tomalski finishing 29th.
“I’m happy, even though I started bad and ended bad,” said Lohr. “I shot 84 at the qualifier. But everything was different today. I putted better, I was better off the tee and I just hit better shots.”
Lohr said the greens rolled nicely and the wind forced him to hit lower shots into the green.
“A lot of times I came up shorter than I wanted to because of the wind,” said Lohr. “But I was able to control the ball.”
Schuman shot 89 on a practice round Saturday and one might believe that would unnerve him. But three birdies left him in great shape. Schuman birdied the par-4 No. 6 and two par-3s, Nos. 7 and 11.
“When I practiced putting on the green, I felt good about my putting,” said Schuman. “It was good all day.”
Hastings had a strong front 9, finishing with a 39. But a pair of 6s on the back nine brought him in with a 43.
“It’s a different course,” said Hastings. “A lot of trees and there was a lot of wind out there. I had to keep the ball low on my irons and tee shots so the ball could cut through the wind. Some shots, the wind died down and let me hit the ball higher.”
Divots
The first tee time at Oakmont is 10 a.m. … Because the WPIAL was taking the top 36 and ties to the next round, there will be substitutions if any one of the qualifiers are unable to participate. … The boys Class 3A semifinals will be held today at Champion Lakes Golf Course and Resort in Bolivar near Ligonier.