Just two shots – maybe a missed putt, or a poor drive, or an errant approach – kept the Baldwinsville boys golf team from winning the Section III Class AA championship.
But the Bees had plenty of reason to feel proud at the end of Wednesday’s sectional tournament at the Links at Sunset Ridge, mainly the fact that Christian Nizamis and James Pelcher tied two others for individual sectional honors.
Having already secured the CNY Counties League National division regular-season title earlier in the week with a 16-2 mark, B’ville turned its attention to the sectional tournament and a chance to sweep every possible honor it could attain in 2013.
What greeted them at Sunset Ridge was a dry, firm and fast course with quick greens and winds that constantly gusted past 20 miles per hour. Also greeting them was Fayetteville-Manlius, a team with which it had split two regular-season matches – the Bees winning Sept. 20 at Woodcrest, the Hornets claiming the rematch four days later at Timber Banks.
So it only figured that the sectional tournament would boil down to these two powers, with a strong challenge also offered up by the same West Genesee side B’ville defeated 203-215 back on Monday afternoon.
B’ville, with a team score of 391, would hold off the Wildcats, at 395, but watch as F-M put up 389 and claim first place, this despite Nizamis and Pelcher going to the top of the individual standings.
Remaining steady amid the wind gusts, Nizamis and Pelcher posted matching rounds of three-over-par 75. Though no one beat them, they would share medalist honors with F-M’s Dan Thomas and West Genesee’s Stuart Winn, one shot ahead of the Wildcats’ Sean Stanistreet.
The team battle that unfolded behind Nizamis and Pelcher proved intense. Matt Monaco finished with a six-over-par 78, while Paul Pitcher managed to shoot a 79. Griffin Bruce, with an 84, posted B’ville’s fifth-best score as Sean Barron struggled to a 90.
And that was where F-M pulled in front. Behind Thomas, the Hornets saw Mike Lee and Nick Santoro both shoot 78, while Ryan Keller and Kyle Gilroy produced rounds of 79, which put them on top by that slim margin.
Still, Nizamis, Pelcher, Monaco and Pitcher all advanced to the Section III qualifier, which does not take place until late May at Colgate University’s Seven Oaks course in Hamilton.
The Bees clinched that league title against West Genesee at Timber Banks last Monday afternoon as a hot round from Nizamis, plus ample support from his teammate, helped the Bees fight off the Wildcats.
Nizamis, sharp and confident from the moment he teed off, covered nine holes in 34 shots, two under par. That proved five shots better than Stanistreet, who led WG with aa 39.
Monaco, who shot a 38, also beat Stanistreet, and the rest of the B’ville players were solid, too, as Pelcher shot a 41, with Griffin Bruce and Hunter Cohen-Ciampchini both finished with 45. WG, in defeat, saw Ethan Smith shot a 42, with Stuart Winn (43) and Pat Matkowski (44) close behind.
