Bryan Gunter Memorial Finals

Posted: August 13, 2016
By ROBERT NIEDZWIECKI
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — For the second straight year, Sherando senior Brett Loy and Loudoun Valley junior Ryan Hammer walked to the 15th hole at Winchester Country Club tied atop the Bryan Gunter Memorial Golf Tournament leaderboard.

In 2015, Loy opened the door for Hammer to seize control with a bogey on the 483-yard par-4 hole. In 2016, Hammer grabbed a stranglehold on the tournament with a putting performance that was almost as sizzling as the hot weather.

Hammer birdied 15, 16 and 17 while Loy parred all three holes, and Hammer went on to win the Billy Phillips award for the individual tournament champion by two strokes over the runner-up Loy.

Hammer’s 3-under 69 tied for the lowest score of the day and gave him a two-round total of 138 (5-under), one stroke better than the score he shot to win last year’s Gunter.

Hammer — who shot a 2-under 69 on Thursday at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club in Front Royal — overcame a two-shot deficit heading into the second round to beat Loy (67-73 —140).

Though he struggled on the par-3s — a double-bogey at No. 12 and a bogey at No. 14 — Loy didn’t feel he played poorly.

It was just tough to match Hammer’s performance on the greens, which extended beyond just what he did on 15 through 17, all par-4s. Hammer’s most impressive birdie came on 15, when he putted from more than 15 feet away just off the green below and to the right of the hole moments after Loy’s 15-foot birdie putt above the hole rolled past.

"[Hammer] putted really well today," said Loy, a runner-up at the Gunter each of the last three years after he was co-champion as a freshman. "[What he did on 15, 16 and 17] pretty much sealed the deal. I didn’t hit the ball too bad, but I couldn’t really make a putt today. I just couldn’t get anything going."

Hammer led Loudoun Valley to its third straight team championship and fourth title in five years at the 29th annual event.

The Vikings’ four-player score of 590 bested the tournament record of 602 set by Centreville in 2011 and defeated runner-up Washington (W.Va.) by 17. Coached by James Wood graduate Troy Mezzatesta, the Vikings only brought back two of the six golfers who helped them win the Group 4A state title last year.

Sherando led the way among local schools in the 12-team tournament by taking fifth with a 630. The Warriors shot a 324 Friday after recording a 306 Thursday at SVGC. Millbrook (370-363 — 633) placed eighth and Handley (368-373 — 741) and James Wood (365-376 — 741) tied for ninth.

Loy said he found a water hazard on 12, then chipped short of the green before two-putting.

It looked like Loy was going to apply a little pressure on Hammer on 16, but after his 10-foot birdie putt missed to the left as he raised his club in disbelief.

"I don’t know what happened," said Loy, who birdied Nos. 2, 10 and 13 on Friday and also bogeyed No. 6. "I think it just bounced a little left on me. Just a little unlucky."

Hammer — who also birdied No. 6 and bogeyed No. 18 — said coming into the Gunter, his luck with the putter wasn’t any better than Loy’s was on Friday.

But everything came together over the last two days. In addition to the long putt on 15, Hammer converted a 10-foot birdie putt on 16 and finished off a six-footer on 17 after hitting a low, running shot from 105 yards away.

"I didn’t think I would putt well because the greens were aerated, but I did, and I hit a lot of good wedge shots," said Hammer, who like Loy did not compete at last week’s Curley Licklider because of another tournament commitment. "The one on 15 felt good, because I had run some of my previous putts by the hole. That birdie got me rolling and got me into a little groove for the next couple of holes."

Mezzatesta was proud of Hammer and all his players. His other top returnee, Max Cave, tied for third with a 145 (73 Friday).

In addition to playing a lot of golf, Mezzatesta said four of his golfers are doing explosive performance training twice a week at Performance Edge in Ashburn. That training involves a lot of core-strengthening exercises.

"We started off with 311 in our first match, then 301 and 299, 289 [Thursday], then 301 [today] on a tough course," Mezzatesta said. "All the work they’ve put in ... I’m blown away at what anyone can achieve when they have the drive to do it, and we’re showing a lot of drive right now."

In addition to Loy, Sherando’s counting scores on Friday came from senior Jonah Pearson (79, 153 overall to tie for seventh), Josh Bianco (84, 160) and Brandon Nice (88, 177).

Sherando shot 18 strokes worse than it did Thursday at its home course, but coach Rob Wright said three of his golfers had never played WCC before.

"Jonah had two triple [bogeys], Bianco had three doubles on the back [nine], so we just had a few tough holes for us," Wright said. "That happens out here, because it’s a course where you use more clubs and one that requires more shotmaking. The greens are different here too. I think we did well all things considered."

James Wood junior Tyler Mounts had the second-best score among local golfers on Friday by shooting a 78 for the second straight day to finish with a 156.

Mounts — who started on No. 17 in the shotgun format — had an eagle on the par-5 13th as a result of holing a bunker shot from 50 feet away, but he gave two strokes back after finding the rough.

"I had a bad lie on 15 and had to hit it twice out of some thick rough, so I took a double bogey," said Mounts, a member at WCC. "I hit my wedges horrible, but I thought I played well. I had a couple nice par saves on 5 and 14. My focus was pretty good these past couple of days."

Millbrook posted the area’s second best score on Friday with its 363, as Joe Eisenhauer bounced back from Thursday’s 103 with an 86, and Andy Kim improved on Thursday’s 84 with an 82.

"I think everybody [Thursday] was a little disappointed," Millbrook coach Mark Manspile said. "The kids wish they could have played better.

"But Joe grew up playing on this course, so this is like coming home for him, and he was able to turn it around pretty well. Andy’s been solid all year, and he made a couple putts. He could have shot in the 70s with a couple more made putts, but overall he’s playing really well."

Handley’s top round on Friday came from Kyle Kremer, who improved on his 98 on Thursday with an 84 (182 total). Maddi Neff had the Judges’ best score for the tournament with a 181 (83-98).

Washington’s Mason Kidwell tied Hammer for the best score of the day with a 69, and his overall score of 145 tied Cave for third.

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