On the second playoff hole Tuesday at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club, when Georgetown Prep’s Trevor Matese pulled his Cleveland driver from his bag and tried to drive the green on the par-4 hole, his opponent was unfazed.
If anyone knows what Matese can do, it’s Landon’s Andy Gagarin.The two seniors are constant playing partners at Congressional Country Club.
So when Matese pounded his ball over the green on the uphill, 299-yard hole, Gagarin didn’t blink. He played it safe, hitting an iron to the middle of the fairway. But after that, Gagarin hit a wedge over the green and had to settle for a bogey, then watch Matese drill a 6-foot par putt for the victory and his first Interstate Athletic Conference title.
“He’s a great guy,” said Matese who finished second last year. “But I really didn’t want to lose to Andy because I’d have to hear about it all the time.”
It was a perfect day for coach Bob Barry’s Little Hoyas (377), who also won the team title over Landon (380) to virtually clinch a share of the conference title for the 13th time in the last 23 years. Other Little Hoya contributors were senior Conor Murphy (73), junior Dan Hathway (74) and senior Jim Soltesz (78). Murphy recovered after bogeys on the first five holes.
“I missed the first five greens in regulation and I hit the last 13,” said Murphy. “My score could have been better. I didn’t make a putt outside 4 feet until the 16th hole.”
Matese and Gagarin both shot even-par 71, but took different paths to the playoff. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Matese, who will play next year at Georgetown, made three straight birdies to go 3-under par after six holes. After a triple-bogey 7 at No. 12, he rebounded with pars the rest of the way.
Gagarin, who will attend Southern Methodist but has no plans to play there, was 3-over par after three holes but battled back to even by the end of the front nine.
At least one player from every IAC school — including Episcopal junior Zach Kendall (75) and St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes junior David Tuerff (75) — finished in the top 10, thereby earning all-conference honors.
IAC Championship
1. Trevor Matese, GT Prep 71
2. Andy Gagarin, Landon 71
3. J.J. Carbonell, Landon 73
3. Stepehn Weiss, Bullis 73
3. Phil Daniel, St. Albans 73
3. Conor Murphy, GT Prep 73
7. Dan Hathway, GT Prep 74
8. Chris O’Neill, Landon 75
8. Zach Kendall, Episcopal 75
8. David Tuerff, SS/SA 75
Team scores: Georgetown Prep 377, Landon 380, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes 400, Episcopal 406, Bullis 408, St. Albans 415.
