SF’s Lestini, PT’s Ascencio ‘grind out’ finishes, advance to regional
By Luke Campbell
South Fayette’s Luke Lestini looks in disbelief as his eagle putt on the No. 18 hole is short. Lestini birdied the final hole to advance to the PIAA West Regional.
Luke Campbell/Observer-Reporter
Peters Township’s Ellian Ascencio watches a putt in the WPIAL Class AAA Boys Championship Tuesday at Fox Chapel Golf Club.
By Luke Campbell
South Fayette’s Luke Lestini makes contact on his tee shot on the No. 9 hole at Fox Chapel Golf Club in the WPIAL Class AAA Boys Championship.
Luke Campbell/Observer-Reporter
Luke Lestini of South Fayette tries to read a putt in Tuesday’s WPIAL Class AAA Boys Championship at Fox Chapel Golf Club.
By Luke Campbell
Ellian Ascencio of Peters Township hits his approach shot on the hole No. 15 in the WPIAL Class AAA Boys Championship Tuesday at Fox Chapel Golf Club.
Luke Campbell/Observer-Reporter
Golfers can tee it up and return to the courses in Pennsylvania starting Friday.
PITTSBURGH – Like he did all day, South Fayette golfer Luke Lestini checked the wind by reaching down with his FootJoy black golf glove, grabbing a few blades of grass and tossing them up in the air.
Trudging along Fox Chapel Golf Club throughout a steamy Tuesday afternoon, as temperatures flirted with 90 degrees, the wind Lestini felt on his back at the 18th tee box was confirmed when he pinched and tossed grass in the air.
The time for dinking and dunking around the golf course that gave him troubles most of the day was over.
“I needed to make a four,” Lestini said of the par-5 No. 18, the longest hole on the course at 574 yards. “I thought a par would miss (the cut). I just swung as hard as I could.”
After blistering a drive into the middle of the fairway, Lestini grabbed his 3-hybrid, almost swung out of his shoes again, put the ball on the front of the green and two-putted for birdie to finish at 6-over 76 and tied for 12th place at the WPIAL Class AAA Boys Golf Championship.
The birdie prevented Lestini from entering a playoff with five other golfers, which all were forced to go back into the heat and play for the final qualifying spot. The top 14 advanced to the PIAA West Regional at Tom’s Run Golf Course in Blairsville Oct. 15.
Scott Bitar of Fox Chapel was the runaway winner, finishing at 4-under 66. No other golfer in the 36-player field finished under par. Penn Trafford’s Alex Turowski was second at 2-over 72. Ellian Ascencio of Peters Township was the only other local golfer to advance to the regional, shooting 5-over and tying for 10th place.
It was a narrow escape for Lestini, who had a two bogeys and a double bogey in his first four holes to quickly find himself at 4-over. After climbing back to 2-over par after the front nine, four consecutive bogeys, on Nos. 11 through 14, again put him in jeopardy of missing the cut.
“It was weird because I felt pretty good,” Lestini said. “I started to play better and then it just got bad again. It was painful because it wasn’t like I made one bad swing and got a six. It was just bogey after bogey. I just knew if I could make a few pars, stop the bleeding and steady myself, then I would be OK.”
A left to right, uphill five-foot putt – similar to the one he made to end his round – was missed as he bogeyed No. 16. Lestini, however, was one of only three golfers to shoot under par on the last two holes.
“It’s not the first time I had a bad start,” he said. “I’ve been there before, even though that’s not where I wanted to be. When you are four or five over, you start to feel the heat. It stinks.
“I’m just happy that, even though I didn’t play very good, I grinded it out and got through.”
A strong finish also kept Ascencio from having to play in a playoff or miss the top 14 completely. He finished even over his final five holes, which included a birdie on No. 14 and a bogey on No. 17, to shoot 36 on the back nine. He shot 39 on the front, a number that 16 golfers either did better than or matched.
“I was hitting the ball great,” Ascencio said. “My short game could have been a little better. I missed a lot of birdie putts. Overall, it was pretty solid.”
It is the first time Ascencio, a junior, reached the WPIAL championship. He remained on the practice green for most of the 10 to 15 minutes during which he did not know his fate, contemplating whether or not if his score would hold up and avoid a playoff.
“After the first 10 to 15 minutes after I came in, I thought I was pretty safe,” he said. “The wait is pretty difficult, though. I tried not to think about it. I think it’s best not to.”
Notes
Peters Township’s Christian Schreiber tied for 19th at 78, Andrew Poon and Belle Vernon’s Jake Caldwell tied for 26th at 82, South Fayette’s James Cavrak shot 83 and Peters Township’s Mason Takacs carded an 86. … Six of the top eight finishers were underclassmen.