Having endured a season full of weather issues, it only figured that, when Cazenovia boys golfer Cody Thorp went to Cornell University’s course in Ithaca for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships early last week, it was raining again.
The wet first-round conditions, and concerns over possible thunderstorms and delays, led to a shotgun start in Sunday’s opening round, and in the soggy conditions no one broke par.
Thorp teed off on the 13th hole and started with a pair of pars, but the conditions took a toll. A triple bogey on the 4th hole, a long, 489-yard par-four, was the low point as Thorp finished with an 86 that left him in the middle of the pack.
Now looking to move up, Thorp attacked Monday’s final round. Again he started on 13, parred every hole until a birdie on 18, and then went to the front nine where he added birdies on 5 and 7 to go with four bogeys overall.
With a one-over-par 72, Thorp tied for the third-lowest round of the day, trailing only Danny Gianniny (Pittsford Sutherland), whose 69 put him in solo third place, and Christian Chapman (Victor), who posted a 71 and was alone in fourth place.
Overall, Thorp finished tied for 25th at 158 with, among others, Manlius-Pebble Hill’s Johnny Gruninger. Among the Section III contingent, only West Genesee’s Dylan Plis, who tied for 13th at 154, fared better.
Baldwinsville’s Maxwell Dec finished at 160, with Bees teammate Ben Donohue posting 164, one behind Cooperstown’s Teddy Trossett and New Hartford’s Jack Angelucci. Matt Barton (Thousand Islands) finished at 166 as West Genesee’s Joe Morgan had to withdraw following the first round.
Nathan Han, from Somers, won the state title by defeating Manhasset’s Adam Xiao in a three-hole playoff after both finished at four-over-par 148. Section III finished seventh in the team standings as Section V prevailed in that part of the competition.
