Johnny Gruninger is only a ninth-grader at Manlius-Pebble Hill, but he is already firmly entrenched as one of the best junior golfers in Central New York.
Amid an undefeated season for his MPH Trojans, Gruninger went to Corning Country Club on May 5 for the Mike Heib Memorial Tournament, which featured a field of 96 top high school golfers from across New York State.
With a one-under-par 69, Gruninger won the tournament by three strokes, just the latest in a string of honors that included last year’s 14-stroke victory in the Syracuse District Golf Association’s Junior Classic. SDGA named him its Junior Player of the Year in 2017.
And Gruninger hasn’t forgotten about his high school matches, either. In last Thursday’s 192-269 victory over Fabius-Pompey, Gruninger posted a nine-hole score of 34, but he was topped by teammate Grant Lewis, who managed a 33.
Also in boys golf, Bishop Grimes took a 232-250 defeat to Cato-Meridian last Tuesday afternoon, though the Cobras’ Anthony Falgitano had the low individual round of 36, four better than the Blue Devils’ best total by Mike Grant.
