BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
Pat DiLeo may be a sophomore, but he hardly plays like an underclassmen on the golf links.
Thanks to his years of competing on the Junior Golf America circuit founded by his mother and father Chuck and Gina DiLeo, the Manalapan golfer is anything but a novice still learning the ropes.
“I do have a lot of tournament experience,” he said.
That experience came in handy last week for DiLeo when he finished fifth at the Shore Conference Tournament held on par-72 Sea Oaks Golf Club in Little Egg Harbor. He had the low round of the day among Freehold Regional District golfers, carding a 79 (41-38), two strokes behind the winner, Christian Brothers Academy’s Tom Gilozzo, 37-40-77, who won on a match of cards after teammate Brendan O’Brien had matched his score with a 39-38-77.
Key for DiLeo was the way he handled early adversity. He was 6-over-par through his first five holes. A less experienced tournament golfer would probably have panicked and his score would have continued to escalate.
“I didn’t concentrate,” he said of his poor start, which included a four-putt on one hole. “I was able to save myself and was 1-over-par the rest of the round.
“It was when I made a par 5 on the ninth hole [his eighth] that I started to settle in,” he added.
By holding his ground over the final 13 holes on a course made trickier by a strong wind, DiLeo can make a strong case for himself as one of the best young golfers in the Shore. Earlier in the season, he was sixth at the Monmouth County Championships at Colts Neck’s Hominy Hill Golf Course.
“It feels pretty good,” he said of his Top 5 finish.
Defending SCT champion Mike Desero of Marlboro, who won the Monmouth County Championship last month, tied for ninth place, carding a 40-41-81 and was thus denied in his bid to win both titles in the same season.
Desero was the low scorer for the Mustangs, who finished second behind CBA, 322-334. Marlboro had won the county championship for the first time in school history in April.
Dan Nitutomo shot an 82 (40-42) and tied for 12th, while Keith Markowitz was one stroke back at 83 and tied for 20th. He had a 42-41 card.
Colts Neck was third (338). The Cougars were led by Nick Polvino, who tied for 12th after a 40-42-82. John Edwards (39-46) and Andrew Schonholz (43-42) both carded an 85 and tied for 26th.
Colts Neck was second to Marlboro at the county tournament.
Jimmy Mokracek’s 45-40-85 led Howell to a ninth place (359).
Ricky Morgan, who became the first Colonial to qualify for the SCT individually because of his 29th-place finish at the county championships, and did quite well in his debut. He tied for 12th with Polvino and Nitutomo, carding a 38-44-82. A freshman, Morgan, like DiLeo, is one of the up-and-coming underclassmen in the conference.
Also qualifying individually from the county championships was Manalapan’s Rob Perrone. He shot a 44-41-85 putting him in the logjam at 26th place.
On May 10, Bamm Hollow Country Club in Middletown hosted the Girl’s SCT.
Freehold Borough and Marlboro tied for sixth (113) with Colts Neck tied with Manchester (116) for eighth. Everyone played the first nine holes of the course. The field was then whittled down to the Top 4 individual players and Top 2 teams, and they played the final nine holes. Toms River North would win the team title (186).
Sam Small of Freehold Borough was the low scorer from the Freehold District. She carded a 51 and was in a two-way tie for eighth.
Marlboro’s Lindsey Silvestri finished in a three-way tie for 13th (54), while Colts Neck’s Arianna Hatchett tied for 16th (56).
Marlboro’s Catherine Kim shot a 59 and was 22nd, while Colts Neck’s Deanna DiChirico was tied for 23rd (60). Freehold Borough’s Laura Porth was 27th (62).