Jimmy Gillam, Thad Westley and Derrick Soellner traveled to Hollidaysburg’s Scotch Valley Country Club on Monday to play in the District VI Golf Tournament on Monday.
The Tyrone trio came home with gold and Gillam qualified to continue on to the state tournament next Monday.
The team trophy was a first ever for Tyrone, which shot a 238 to beat out the field.
Gillam shot a 40 on the front nine and then came back with a 36 on the back nine for a 76 that tied the Tyrone sophomore for second place with Mike Braniff of Bald Eagle Area. Gillam parred the one-hole playoff to earn the second spot overall to Harvin Groft of State College.
Groft, who shot a one-over par 73, is from Arizona originally and has also lived in New Jersey and Virginia and has a great deal of experience playing many different courses.
“Winning a team title is something amazing,” said Tyrone Area Athletic Director Tony Yaniello. “It is an individual sport, but you are competing against State College, Hollidaysburg. The boy who beat Jimmy is a transfer from Arizona. He is one of these kids who takes a month off from school to play in the junior tour. Jimmy is not that far away from him. This kid certainly is a class golfer, but so is Jimmy Gillam. He has proven himself and continues to do more.”
Gillam recorded 14 pars and four bogeys on the Scotch Valley course on a beautiful fall day for golf.
“I just wanted to do as well as I could, shoot around 75, to finish in the top four,” said Gillam, who acknowledged he has been playing the Scotch Valley course about once a month. “The conditions were pretty good, although it started to get a little windy. It was great to qualify for states. We are happy to be the first time champs for Tyrone.”
Thad Westley carded a 79, double bogeying the final two holes to just miss qualifying for the state tournament and Derrick Soellner shot an 83.
Bishop McCort was second in the team scoring with 240, followed by State College with 246, and Westmont-Hilltop was fourth with 252. Hollidaysburg and Indian Valley both shot 259 and Somerset had a 288.
Gillam has a special situation in his father being the Tyrone coach. “I just try to go out and do my best every time I play,” said the younger Gillam. “There isn’t any pressure with my dad being my coach. Everytime I have played golf since I was little, he has been there to help me out.”
The State Golf Tournament will be played Monday, Oct. 20 and Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Heritage Country Club in York.
Gillam, Braniff and Groft will be joined by Dennis DeGol of Hollidaysburg, who finished fourth with a 76 and Bishop McCort’s Tony Piskurich and Huntingdon’s Matt Wagner who will be the first alternates.
