Seneca Falls teen win NYS Junior Golf Title

John Sandlas of Seneca Falls was a two-shot winner at the 2010 NYS Junior Amateur Championship held at the Country Club of Mendon on Wednesday. Sandlas posted a two-day total of 147 on rounds of 74 and 73 at CCM.He entered the second day two shots behind first round leader Danny Drummond, who was one of the top finishers in last year’s Boys Championship as a 13-year-old.However, Drummond struggled in the early going and was 4-over-par after the first five holes. He made a costly double bogey on the par-4 second after flying his second shot over the green and into tall grass that featured poison ivy. Drummond consulted NYSGA President Dick Dorgan, who was the rules official at that hole, and eventually decided he did not want to find the ball because he hit it in such a poor location that he wouldn’t be able to play it.Two more bogeys over the next five holes from Drummond was all Sandlas needed to overtake the lead for good. The 14-year-old Sandlas birdied the 309 yard par-4 fourth hole and added a birdie on the par-5 sixth to move to 2-over for the tournament with 12 holes to play.By the 14th hole, Sandlas’ lead had swelled to four shots after Drummond doubled the 14th and he made par. Drummond then birdied the 16th while Sandlas bogeyed the par-3 17th, cutting the lead to two shots with one final hole slated to play. However, Sandlas recorded his eighth par of the back side to ensure the victory.”I knew I had a chance, but this is just unreal,” says Sandlas, on his accomplishment. “This is something special that I will definitely remember.”http://nysga.org/