6 local golfers handle tough conditions, qualify for PIAA Championships

BLAIRSVILLE – The grip Trent Belleville had on his golf clubs didn’t feel the same as it had the entire season.
The McGuffey High School senior’s hands were having a tough time bending into a favorable position because of both the cool temperatures that moved into the area and the pressure he had never felt before on the golf course.
“When my hands get cold they don’t want to bend and I was really nervous, too,” Belleville said.
That didn’t stop Belleville from shooting 7-over 79 at the PIAA West Regional Golf Championships at Tom’s Run Golf Course Monday to comfortably qualify for the PIAA Championships.
Belleville will join senior teammate Hunter Donahue, Waynesburg senior Aaron Yorio, Bentworth’s Christian Sadler and Carmichaels’ Matt Barrish in Class AA, and Peters Township senior Hunter Bruce in Class AAA, at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York for the two-day PIAA Championships beginning Monday.
“Trent was really impressive,” said McGuffey golf coach Jeff Deems. “For his first time being here he was down the middle, sticking it close to the pins and making putts.”
For Bruce, Yorio, Donahue and Sadler, it was another shot at making the state finals. This time was much harder for each because of the harsh, blustery conditions that encompassed the course throughout the morning.
“I came out here (Sunday) and played a practice round with my dad to get a game plan, or at least find out what clubs I would be hitting on certain holes,” Yorio said. “I had to change that plan all around today.”
“It never really got warm,” Donahue said. “At the beginning of the round, it wasn’t too windy, but once we got out of the valley and onto the back nine the wind affected nearly every shot.”
Yorio finished at 8-over 80 and Donahue shot a 79, both well ahead of the seven players who returned to the course for a playoff to determine the final two qualifying spots.
Barrish, one of the last players to finish, still had to nervously wait to see if his score of 84 would be good enough to advance or if he too would be part of the playoff.
“I didn’t think in my wildest dreams that an 84 would do it,” Barrish chuckled. “(Sunday) I played a practice round for the first time here and it was 80 degrees with wind out of the south. Today, the wind was out of the north and its 50 degrees. My drives were going about two-thirds as far. The playoff would have been disastrous for me because I bogeyed No. 1 (the playoff hole).”
One golfer who avoided disaster was PT’s Bruce, who admitted finishing in one of the 12 qualifying spots and moving on looked bleak after his first few holes.
“I was four-over through my first six,” Bruce said. “I made two birdies in three holes to turn it around. I just kept steady after that and finished it.”
Bruce tied for 6th in Class AAA at 4-over 76.
“The cold, the wind and the wet conditions were all there, but all players had to adjust and handle it,” Deems said. “Last year was the first time McGuffey had even sent two players to states (Donahue and Colin Chapman) in the same year. We’re repeating that this year and it’s awesome. I’m very proud.”