Maloney captures Pennhills crown at Penn-York

Maloney, new to Penn-York, wins with a 7-over 77

BRADFORD, PA — Evan Maloney had long ago established himself as a standout on the Jamestown High School golf team.

In fact, he was among the top players in the entire Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association, routinely shooting at or very near par during regular season matches while qualifying for each of the last two New York State boys’ championships.

Now, he’s trying to do the same in the Penn-York Junior Golf League.

And, as one might expect, it’s been so far, so good.

In just his second Penn-York outing, Maloney shot a 7-over-par 77 to claim the boys’ Division I (16-18 years old) crown at the second stop of the circuit’s 57th season Monday at Pennhills Country Club. The Chautauqua Golf Club member edged both Liam McArdle and Matt Beaver by one stroke for the top spot, with Owen Wright claiming fourth place with a 79. Maloney’s effort came two weeks after finishing second, three strokes behind Wright, in his Penn-York debut.

“I feel like I played a lot better today than I did a couple weeks ago,” Maloney said afterward. “Just in general. … I like this course, too. I haven’t played here very often, but it was really nice.”

MALONEY GOT off to a strong start, birdying the first hole, but made bogey on holes three and four “because I couldn’t get the speed of the greens down yet,” he said. After that, however, he bounced back, hitting his tee shot on the par-three sixth hole to within a foot for a tap-in birdie. Maloney did have a trio of double-bogeys on his scorecard, “but other than that, I had a good day,” he agreed.

It culminated in his second-straight top-two finish and essentially flip-flopped the results from two weeks earlier, when Wright, last year’s Penn-York points and low-average champion, took the top spot at Elkdale Golf Club. In Week 2, however, after both recorded a 78 in regulation, McArdle (Caledonia CC) beat Beaver (Cardinal Hills) in a one-hole playoff to place second and third, respectively, and complete the reshuffling of four of the top five from Salamanca.

So, what worked for Maloney on a picture-perfect Monday in Bradford?

“I think my wedges were pretty good today,” he said. “My driver was doing pretty good as well, but it was mainly my wedges.”

Maloney, who graduated from Jamestown last month, is set to continue his golf career at SUNY Delhi (about four-and-a-half hours east of his hometown), where he plans to major in the school’s business and professional golf management program. Despite his track record – Maloney was one of the CCAA’s top-finishing state qualifiers and placed 83rd and tied-for-76th at the last two state championships – he’d never played Penn-York before.

So, why did he choose to enter the summer after his senior year?

“My coach for college wanted me to do more competitive golf,” Maloney pointed out, “and it seemed like a fun thing to do.”

IN BOYS’ Division II (14-15), Kael Riekofsky (Smethport CC) followed up his runner-up performance last week in Salamanca with a dominant victory at Pennhills, posting a 79 – which was 10 shots clear of the field and knotted him for fourth overall with Wright. D. Palumbo (Emporium) and K. Caskey (Bavarian Hills) tied for second at 89, with Palumbo capturing the No. 2 spot in a playoff.

In Division III (12-13), C. Crabtree (Chautauqua Golf Club) and K. Beaver (Cardinal Hills) led the field with matching 42s over nine holes, with Crabtree then winning a playoff for the divisional title. Elkdale champion Gavin Blocher finished sixth with a 48. Keegan Smith (Bavarian Hills) made it 2-for-2 on the season in Division IV (11-and-under), shooting a 34 from the modified tees for a second-straight week to win by seven shots over C. Beaver (Cardinal Hills).  

In the girls’ 18-hole Division I, Allison Sikora (Orchard Park) won with a 125, besting Aubrey Resig (Bolivar CC) at 128 and Elkdale winner Molly Burnett (Bartlett CC) at 140. Alaina Hirliman (Birch Run) repeated as champion in the girls’ nine-hole Division I, matching her Week 1 showing with a 46. Peyton Truman (unattached) took second with a 71.  

Penn-York golfers will return to action next Monday at the circuit’s third leg, Wellsville Country Club. Results and tee times can be found at www.swnynwpa.com. 

(Story courtesy of J.P. Butler as a special to the Olean Star) 

BOYS

DIVISION I (16-18) 

1. E. Maloney (Chautauqua GC) 77 — 10 

2. L. McArdle (Caledonia CC) 78 — 9 

3. M. Beaver (Cardinal Hills) 78 — 8 

4. O. Wright (Cardinal Hills) 79 — 7 

5. C. Bartman (Bartlett) 81 — 6 

6. C. Riekofsky (Smethport CC) 82 — 5 

7. B. Porter (Ridgway) 83 — 4 

8. P. Leet (Pine Acres) 84 — 2 

8. K. Caskey (Bavarian Hills) 84 — 2 

8. K. Shinebarger (Hornell GC) 84 — 2  

DIVISION II (14-15) 

1. K. Riekofsky (Smethport CC) 79 — 10 

2. D. Palumbo (Emporium) 89 — 9 

3. K. Caskey (Bavarian Hills) 89 — 8 

4. D. Preston (Caledonia CC) 91 — 6 

4. K. McArdle (Caledonia CC) 91 — 6 

4. J. Antonio (Elkdale CC) 91 — 6 

7. C. Quinn (Birch Run) 95 — 2.5 

7. L. Himes (Smethport CC) 95 — 2.5 

7. A. Wade (Elkdale CC) 95 — 2.5 

7. J. McDow (Bartlett) 95 — 2.5 

DIVISION III (12-13) 

(9 holes) 

1. C. Crabtree (Chautauqua GC) 42 — 10 

2. K. Beaver (Cardinal Hills) 42 — 9 

3. M. Myers (Kane CC) 45 — 8 

4. K. Caskey (Bavarian Hills) 46 — 6