Fuhrer takes Junior Boys' Title at Hershey

Fuhrer birdies eight holes in Round 3 to claim 81^st Junior Boys’ Championship

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HERSHEY, Pa. –  A furious third round from Dave Fuhrer (Oakmont CC), which included eight birdies, was enough to secure the top spot on the leaderboard and a win in the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s (PAGA) 81^st Junior Boys’ Championship with a three-day total of 209 (-4). Fuhrer was the only competitor to finish under par for the week at Hershey Country Club and was four strokes lower than second-place Nicholas Turowski of Hannastown GC.

Fuhrer had a steady and relatively uneventful second round on Tuesday morning, carding two birdies (on holes No. 1 and 13) and a pair of bogeys to finish with an even-par 71. He caught fire in his third round, though, birdieing four of the first seven holes—then going on another streak on the back nine, with additional birdies on 12, 13, 14, and 17. A double bogey on the par three 16^th hole was the only major trouble spot for Fuhrer in a round that could have been even more dominant, but settled for a four-under-par 67, the lowest round of the week.

“The consecutive birdies on the back nine gave me a big confidence boost,” recalled Fuhrer. “I don’t like to check the live scoring because I don’t want to over-pressure myself, but I knew that with those, I probably had the lead. So then it was all about staying calm, trusting my game, hitting good shots, and seeing where it took me.”

Another highlight of Fuhrer’s third round was the par three 13^th hole.

“I missed the green and I was honestly just trying to get up-and-down,” said Fuhrer. “I hit a good chip—hit it a little hard—but luckily hit the center of the pin and dropped, and I got really excited. Then on 17, after a double bogey on 16, my nerves were a little tight. I hit four iron off the tee, then a great wedge shot from 76 yards, hit it to about six feet and made the putt. That really felt good and it settled in at that point that I might have won the tournament.”

“I’d also like to shout out my good friend Nick Turowski, I loved playing with him today and when I found out today’s pairings, with he and Carson (Kittsley), two of my really good friends, it was a great feeling that I knew both of them. With 36 holes and a long day, Nick and Carson both gave me a good fight and it was a ton of fun.”

Turowski, who was only one shot back heading into Tuesday morning, fired a 70 (-1) in round two – one of only six rounds under-par for the entire Championship – and was tied for first place with Fuhrer heading into the third round with a total of 142 (E). He tallied a pair of eagles on Tuesday (both on the first hole) and played solid golf in both rounds, finishing the Championship with a 54-hole total of even-par 213.

Thomas Young (Saucon Valley CC) shot up the leaderboard on Tuesday to earn third place after an incredible third round of his own, shooting a 68 (-3) to finish the Championship with a combined 214 (+1). Young’s round (the second-lowest of the week, bested only by Fuhrer’s 67) included birdies on holes No. 2, 5, 6, 10, and 13, with bogeys on 8 and 18 the only blemishes.

Past the top three, a trio of competitors were tied for fourth place with totals of 217 (+4): Davis Conaway (Fieldstone GC), Nicky Nemo (Merion GC), and Carson Kittsley (Oakmont CC).

The Junior Boys’ Team Championship, which was determined after yesterday’s first round, was won by Hannastown GC (Turowski, Jack Sacriponte, Braden Riley, and Luke Sikora), who outdueled Oakmont CC (Fuhrer, Kittsley, and Barron Bitar). Hannastown finished with a combined total of 224 (+11), five strokes clear of Oakmont’s 229 (+16).

Next up on this summer’s PAGA schedule are a trio of qualifiers for the 111^th Men’s Amateur Championship, which takes place on July 29. The qualifiers include one in the West at Connoqueness CC and two in the East: at Coatesville CC and LuLu CC, with all rounds scheduled for Monday, July 1.

The Pennsylvania Golf Association would like to thank the staff and membership of Hershey Country Club for the hospitality shown during this week’s Championship, with additional thanks going to DICK’S Sporting Goods for sponsorship of the event.

Bryan Kast