AJ Abington Heights

By Tom Robinson
Go Lackawanna sports correspondent

MOUNT COBB – Dunmore’s Pat Ross and the Abington Heights combination of Connor Coldwater and Brian Mahlstedt made title-winning clutch putts Tuesday afternoon in the Irving Jackman Memorial Tournament at Scranton Municipal Golf Course.

Ross rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on 18 to finish at 1-under-par, 71 and claim the individual title by a shot over Coldwater and Mahlstedt.

The two Abington Heights seniors went back out on the course and converted birdie putts on the first hole to help the Comets win a playoff with Scranton Prep for the team title.

“I knew if I was going to have a chance, I had to make that putt,” said Ross, who was playing with Coldwater, who had just a short putt left for a birdie and an even-par finish.

Abington Heights and Scranton Prep each had team scores of 305, counting the low four out of their six-player lineups.

The four players who accounted for the team score for the Comets and Cavaliers proceeded to the stroke play, sudden-death playoff.

Luke Peterson had a par and Eric Montella a bogey for Abington Heights in the first group, matching the scores put up by Scranton Prep’s Evan Joyce and Nick Dalessandro.

With Scranton Prep’s Peter Nelson set for a par and Chad Hudacek two feet away for an almost certain birdie, Coldwater and Mahlstedt had some scrambling to do.

Mahlstedt rolled in a putt from beyond 20 feet to complete an up-and-down from the sand trap for one birdie. Coldwater than made a 12 foot left-to-right putt for another and the win.

“Those were big because when Hudacek hit his third shot two feet from the pin, it meant at least one of us had to make the putt to even stay tied,” Abington Heights coach Mike Williams said.

The Jackman Tournament also features awards for the top two players in each class after the individual champion is determined.

Coldwater won low senior in a playoff with Mahlstedt.

Western Wayne’s Corey Teeple beat Delaware Valley’s Eric Reiher in a playoff for low junior with a bogey on 16 after they each shot 79.

North Pocono’s Ken Sames was low sophomore with a 73. Dunmore’s Egan May shot 78.

Lakeland’s Mike Thomas was low freshman with a 76. Scranton Prep’s Joyce was second with 77.

Peterson shot 79 and Montella 82 to help Abington Heights match Scranton Prep at 305. Hudacek and Nelson had 75s and Dalessandro had a 78 for the Cavaliers.

North Pocono was third with a 309, followed by Dunmore with 315.