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DALLAS — The Potentate Golf Tournament might be turning into a young man’s event.

All four championship flight quarterfinals on Saturday at Irem Country Club pitted youngsters against proven veterans.

Two of those matches were won by the teams of 20-somethings with the teams of Tyler McGarry and Mariano Medico, and Jon Wilson and Ryan Georgetti making it look fairly easy.

Both teams will try to join last year’s champs of Jeff Carter and Kris Konicki, who were 20 and 21-year-old winners.

“I think it has to do with that we’re younger, we have more energy,” Wilson said when asked about a possible advantage for younger players. “We’re able to play more holes. The guys we’re playing are tired. It’s hard for them to keep it going for 36 holes.”

Wilson and Georgetti were the first duo to advance to the tournament semifinals blowing out their opponents, Frank Pinnacoli and Earl Thompson 7-up. This coming after the team needed just 17 holes to win their first-round match on Saturday morning in come-from-behind fashion getting birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to help secure the win.

Wilson/Georgetti, who are 20 and 21 years of age, respectively, and participated in last year’s championship flight but lost in the first round, will face another veteran squad of Rob Michaels and Mike Lazevnick in the semis, which will tee off at 8:10 a.m.

This semifinal won’t be a cakewalk for either team. Michaels and Lazevnick won the event in 2015, and Lazevnick has been in the finals two other times. They knocked out the young team of Ryan Tracy and Shamus Gartley in the quarterfinals ending the match on the 16th hole. Tracy and Gartley are 2012 high school grads from Pittston Area and Coughlin, respectively.

“Just getting a good night’s sleep is important,” Georgetti said. “Just getting some rest. That’s about it. That’s all you can do.”

McGarry and Medico, who are past District 2 champions for Pittston Area and Holy Redeemer in 2014 and 2013, stormed out to a 4-up lead and could have ended the match on No. 14, but couldn’t put away their opponents. That was until a birdie on 16 ended the match in their first Potentate tournament together against a veteran team that has sustained much success over the course of their golf careers.

“We know we’re just gonna play our game,” Medico said. “That’s what we’ve been doing the last two days. And even though it’s match play, it’s still a golf course and we have a game plan setup pretty well.”

Their semifinal match will be against a veteran squad of Jeff Hodorowski and Jim Fronzoni, who also ended their quarterfinal on No. 16 ousting a 20-something team of Joe Collini and Joe Bevevino.

If McGarry and Medico are going to win the tournament, they’re going to have to be able to put their opponents away and not let them stay close. That almost cost the team twice on Saturday.

“Both matches we got up early and, not that we cooled off, the other guys just made a little bit of a run and we never really rebounded until we got to the back nine,” said McGarry, a current golfer at Misericordia University.

“We have to take advantage tomorrow if we get up early,” Medico chimed. “We gotta keep it going if we’re gonna win.”

The semifinal winners advance to the finals, which are set to tee off at approximately 1:20 this afternoon.

Potentate Golf Tournament

Championship Flight

Today’s Schedule

Semifinals

Tyler McGarry/Mariano Medico vs. Jeff Hodorowski/Jim Fronzoni, 8 a.m.

Jon Wilson/Ryan Georgetti vs. Rob Michaels/Mike Lazevnick, 8:10 a.m.

Finals, 1:20 p.m.

Saturday’s Results

Quarterfinal

Tyler McGarry/Mariano Medico d. Gary Sagan/Santo LaFoca 4-and-2

Jeff Hodorowski/Jim Fronzoni d. Joe Collini/Joe Bevevino 4-and-2

Jon Wilson/Ryan Georgetti d. Frank Pinnacoli/Early Thompson 7-up

Rob Michaels/Mike Lazevnick d. Ryan Tracy/Shamus Gartley 2-and-2

First Round

McGarry/Medico d. Scott Francis/Lou Belgio

Sagan/LaFoca d. Brett Slocum/Jim Hoover

Hodorowski/Fronzoni d. Alex Anderson/Tim Rutkoski

Collini/Bevevino d. Drew Mamary/Eric Plisko

Wilson/Georgetti d. Jim Breck/John Mulhern

Pinnacoli/Thompson d. Kevin Racemus/Corey Teeple

Tracy/Gartley d. Lynn Kilduff/Tom Klimek

Michaels/Lazevnick d. Michael S. Wills/Brandon Wills

Mariano Medico watches his drive at the second tee.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL080617PotentateGolf_2.jpg.optimal.jpgMariano Medico watches his drive at the second tee. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Jonathan Wilson watches his putt on the 1st green at the Potentate Golf Tournament on Saturday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL080617PotentateGolf_3.jpg.optimal.jpgJonathan Wilson watches his putt on the 1st green at the Potentate Golf Tournament on Saturday. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Tyler McGarry watches his drive at the second tee at the Irem Temple Country Club on Saturday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL080617PotentateGolf_4.jpg.optimal.jpgTyler McGarry watches his drive at the second tee at the Irem Temple Country Club on Saturday. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Mike Lazevnick watches his shot on the 1st fairway at the Irem Temple Country Club on Saturday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL080617PotentateGolf_6.jpg.optimal.jpgMike Lazevnick watches his shot on the 1st fairway at the Irem Temple Country Club on Saturday. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Jim Fronzoni holds the pin for partner Jeff Hodorowski at the 1st green in quarterfinal round action of the Potentate Golf Tournament at the Irem Temple Country Club in Dallas Township on Saturday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL080617PotentateGolf_5.jpg.optimal.jpgJim Fronzoni holds the pin for partner Jeff Hodorowski at the 1st green in quarterfinal round action of the Potentate Golf Tournament at the Irem Temple Country Club in Dallas Township on Saturday. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Ryan Georgetti hits out of a sand trap at the first hole in the quarterfinal round of the Potentate Golf Tournament at the Irem Temple Country Club in Dallas Township on Saturday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL080617PotentateGolf_1.jpg.optimal.jpgRyan Georgetti hits out of a sand trap at the first hole in the quarterfinal round of the Potentate Golf Tournament at the Irem Temple Country Club in Dallas Township on Saturday. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Jim Fronzoni holds the pin for partner Jeff Hodorowski at the 1st green in quarterfinal round action of the Potentate Golf Tournament at the Irem Temple Country Club in Dallas Township on Saturday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL080617PotentateGolf_5CMYK.jpg.optimal.jpgJim Fronzoni holds the pin for partner Jeff Hodorowski at the 1st green in quarterfinal round action of the Potentate Golf Tournament at the Irem Temple Country Club in Dallas Township on Saturday. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Mike Lazevnick watches his shot on the 1st fairway at the Irem Temple Country Club on Saturday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TTL080617PotentateGolf_6CMYK.jpg.optimal.jpgMike Lazevnick watches his shot on the 1st fairway at the Irem Temple Country Club on Saturday. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader
Pair of 20-something advance to semis

By Dave Rosengrant

For Times Leader