Scranton Prep’s Cole Powell putts on the 14th hole of the Penn State White Course during the first round of PIAA golf championships Monday. SCOTT WALSH / STAFF PHOTO
Holy Redeemer’s Arden Brunn eyes up her tee shot on the 10th of the White Course at the PIAA golf championships at Penn State. SCOTT WALSH / STAFF PHOTO
Wyoming Area’s Aiden Aug. eyes his tee shot on No. 10 of the White Course during the PIAA golf championships at Penn State. SCOTT WALSH / STAFF PHOTO
Wyoming Area’s Aiden Aug. lines up a putt on No. 9 of the White Course during the PIAA golf championships at Penn State. SCOTT WALSH / STAFF PHOTO
Scranton Prep’s Cole Powell chips on the 14th hole of the Penn State White Course during the first round of PIAA golf championships Monday. SCOTT WALSH / STAFF PHOTO
Scranton Prep’s Cole Powell on the 14th hole of the Penn State White Course during the first round of PIAA golf championships Monday. SCOTT WALSH / STAFF PHOTO
North Pocono’s Lyla Jones putts on No. 14 of the Blue Course during the PIAA golf championships at Penn State. SCOTT WALSH / STAFF PHOTO
North Pocono’s Lyla Jones hits on No. 14 of the Blue Course during the PIAA golf championships at Penn State. SCOTT WALSH / STAFF PHOTO
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Scranton Prep’s Cole Powell putts on the 14th hole of the Penn State White Course during the first round of PIAA golf championships Monday. SCOTT WALSH / STAFF PHOTO
STATE COLLEGE — Scranton Prep sophomore Cole Powell tamed extremely windy conditions to shoot 4-under-par 68 Monday to lead the Class 2A standings after one round of the PIAA Golf Championships at the Penn State Golf Courses.
Playing the White Course, Powell carded six birdies and two bogeys to lead by one shot over Luke Sikora from Greensburg Salem. Braeden Stringer of Berks Catholic is third, three shots back.
“This feels great,” Powell said. “I’d been playing pretty good coming up to this tournament, so I definitely came here with some confidence and a desire to win.”
Powell’s senior teammate Ben Boyanoski used birdies on the final two holes to finish with at 2-over-par 74 and sit tied for sixth place with four other golfers.
The scheduled 9 a.m. start was delayed by weather and caused several District 2 golfers to finish their rounds late.
Birdies on Nos. 1 (par 4), 3 and 6 (par 5s) got Powell off to a strong start. He bogeyed the par-3 No. 7, but responded with a birdie on the par-4 No. 8 to finish the front nine with 33. He birdied the par-5 No. 10, bogeyed the par-3 No. 12, but answered with a birdie on the par-5 No. 13. He parred his final five holes to shoot 35 on the back nine.
Coming back with birdies on the next hole after his bogeys were key.
“The bogeys actually kind of helped me in a way,” Powell said. “I got a little frustrated with them and made me have a desire to birdie. The birdies right after that definitely boosted the entire round and being able to bounce back from a bad hole.”
Powell felt his shorter putting was the best aspect of his round.
“I had a lot of inside six-footers for pars, birdies, whichever the case was,” Powell said. “I felt really solid about that. The driver was also really solid. I had a couple wonky tees shots, but that’s about it.”
In order to finish it off, Powell feels he just needs to take the same approach he did Monday.
“Have confidence in myself, hit some good shots obviously and keep the momentum going,” he said.
Boyanoski, meanwhile, had a rough front nine with a double-bogey 5 on No. 5 and bogey on the par-4 No.9. He opened the back nine with a birdie on the par-5 No. 10, but had bogeys on the par-3 Nos. 12 and 16.
“I hit the ball great on the front nine, hit eight greens,” Boyanoski said. “Two three-putts killed my score. But I knew I was striking the ball well. Even with the wind, I was able to make stuff happen. I was able to get a key birdie on 10 just to get some momentum. There were a few par-3s that were tough, just missing the green. But there were a few key up-and-downs that helped me along the way.”
However, Boyanoski birdied the par-4 No. 17 and par-5 No. 18 to thrust himself into contention heading into the second day.
“I didn’t see any putts fall throughout the day,” Boyanoski said. “So to see two 10-to-15-footers in the last two holes (fall) was great for momentum and confidence. The putter was pretty cold all day, but those two putts hopefully ignited a flame going into (Tuesday).”
Elsewhere in Class 2A boys, Aiden August of Wyoming Area is tied for 28th place with a 6-over 78. Guy Rothery from Scranton Prep is tied for 33rd with a 7-over 79. Holy Redeemer’s Liam Gill shot 9-over 81 to be tied for 46th and Scranton Prep’s Jack Pavuk was tied for 51st with an 11-over 83.
In Class 3A boys, Ryan Roman of Dallas shot 7-over 79 on the Blue Course to be tied for 40th place.
“Very difficult conditions. The wind kept getting worse and worse and worse as it went on,” Roman said. “The front nine was rough. Just tons of bogeys and dumb mistakes. The biggest thing was keeping it low, keeping it in play. It’s the hardest part of the game. Even putting was difficult. It was hard to judge the greens and the wind would even affect your putts sometimes. I was doing good on on the back nine, but the putting was just killing me.”
Patrick Ruane from Pittston Area was tied for 62nd with an 11-over 83. Brady Gerrity of Wilkes-Barre GAR finished at 13-over 85 to be tied for 66th. Abington Heights’ Ryan Boyd and Seamus Kelley each were 15-over 87 to tied for 69th.
Chase Yenser from Daniel Boone leads Class 3A with a 4-under 68.
North Pocono’s Lyla Jones is one of four golfers in Class 3A girls tied for eighth place at 4-over 76. Mya Morgan from Elizabeth Forward leads at 3-under 69.
Brianna Moffatt from Abington Heights is tied for 30th at 15-over 87.
Arden Brunn of Holy Redeemer shot 7-over 79 to be tied for ninth in Class 2A girls. Montrose’s Ally Legg is tied for 26th with a 17-over 89, while Tunkhannock’s Madison Walker is tied for 30th with a 21-over 83.
Three golfers shot 4-under 68s to share the lead in Class 2A girls: Madison Koshko of St. Joseph’s, Alyssa Zhang from Shady Side Academy and West Middlesex’s Kate Sowers.