St. John’s six all break 80 at Pleasant Valley, capture another Central Mass. Division 1 golf title

SUTTON — Among the many wonderful golf memories etched in history here at Pleasant Valley Country Club occurred in 1965, when the great Arnold Palmer finished second to champion Tony Lema in the Carling World Golf Championship and collected $17,000.

On Monday at PV, the 2023 St. John’s golf team cashed in on a priceless, lifelong memory of its own, winning the Division 1 Central Mass. Championship and advancing to Monday’s state tournament at Greathorse in Hampden.

With a four-player best total of 306, and all six Pioneer golfers scoring sub-80 rounds, led by senior Nic Gebhardt’s 74 and sophomore Cael Duggan’s 75, St. John’s captured their fourth consecutive CMass crown and ninth in the last 10 years.

Senior Veer Bhasin, along with juniors Ronan Mooney and Savar Bhasin each shot 77, and senior Curtis McDonald added a 79 to vault St. John’s into a three-shot victory over runner-up Westford Academy.

Concord-Carlisle (312) and Westborough (314) finished third and fourth and also qualified for the states at Greathorse.

“We have a deep team, all shooting in the 70s, and that’s not easy here. Everyone stayed really positive,” said St. John’s coach Sean Noonan, who praised the PV staff and the new ownership for opening the course to the high school teams. “We’re so grateful that Pleasant Valley hosted this. All the kids will remember playing here for the rest of their lives.”

Gebhardt was one of three left-handers in the Pioneers’ lineup, along with Savar Bhasin and Mooney. After four holes, with a bogey and double bogey in the mix, Gebhardt quickly turned it around with birdies on holes five and the par-5 sixth after just missing a 15-foot eagle putt.

“Pro Pat McDole at Wachusett has helped me a lot and his advice helped today,” Gebhardt said. “He always says that golf is a game of misses, and you have to narrow down the misses. I was missing mostly to the right side, and I was able to correct that.”

Duggan, who had played PV for the first time last Friday in a practice round, birdied holes 2, 6 and 14 and carded par 35 on the back nine.

St. John’s had a terrific regular season at 16-1, losing to Xaverian by a single shot.

Westborough qualified for the state championship thanks to strong performances from seniors Brendan Estaphan (75), James Kaminski (78), and Aaron Schwartz (79), along with junior Brendan Martel (82).

“This was really a great surprise,” said Estaphan. “I really didn’t think we would make it, but I’m so glad we did.”

After a rough beginning in the shotgun start, beginning on the fifth hole with three bogeys in his opening six holes, Estaphan steadied his solid left-handed swing and played even par over the next 12 holes, including birdies on 14 and 17, and an eagle on the par-5 second. Kaminski added three birdies, keeping the Rangers within the top four teams.

On a brisk, sunny and comfortable fall day, PV was set up at 6,200 yards, and all 106 golfers drove from the white tees. Algonquin, the third area team in the field, finished at 328, led by Liam Dunn and Eddie Wen, both carding 78.

Presenting the team and individual awards at the end of the tournament was Pleasant Valley CC head professional Paul Parajeckas, who congratulated all the players in the field and gave them some valuable advice.

“Remember, the most important shot in golf is your next one,” said Parajeckas. “The last one is history.”

For the Pioneers and Rangers and Shrewsbury’s Syed Noorwez that all-important next shot comes Monday at Greathorse.

Carding a par 72, Noorwez easily qualified for the state individual tournament at Greathorse and was only shot shy of tying for medalist honors, won by Mike Boland of Walpole and Parker Winn of Hopkinton, who both fired a 1-under 71. The individual qualifying cut was 75 and below.

Joining Noorwez and seven others who made the individual tournament cut were Gebhardt, Duggan and Estaphan.

“This was my lowest score in any tournament I’ve ever played,” said Noorwez, who made a birdie on the par-5 sixth hole and another on the par-3 ninth, draining a 50-foot putt.

“Syed served as our captain as a junior this year and had our best scoring average,” Shrewsbury coach Jack Gale said. “He’s also one of the top students in his class.”

Even after qualifying as an individual as his team’s sole entrant, Noorwez, who carries a 1-handicap at his home course, Cyprian Keyes in Boylston, was thinking ahead to 2024.

“I think we’ll be here as a team next year,” Noorwez said. “We have a lot of young players coming back.”

—Contact Jay Gearan at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: St. John’s six sizzle at Pleasant Valley, capture another Central Mass. Division 1 golf title