Congratulations to Hannah Lydic of Ocean View, who tied for second place at the inaugural First Tee National Championship tournament, held at Clemson University’s Walker Course June 22-24. The incoming senior at Sussex Academy played the three-round contest in one-over par, three strokes behind Symran Shah of Carrollton, Texas.
Lydic’s sister Sarah, the 2021 Delaware state high school champion, tied for seventh place with her six-over par total. She will be a 10th-grader this fall at Sussex Academy.
The championship was originally scheduled to take place last year, but the pandemic pushed the tournament to 2021. The event included First Tee participants from all over the United States, with 24 players each in the boys’ and girls’ categories selected from among 180 applicants.
Clemson is a 10.5-hour drive from Ocean View and in the upland portion of South Carolina, making its Walker Course a very different challenge from the Lydics’ home base Bear Trap Dunes layout. Sarah said, “It was really hilly.” Zoysia greens also gave the sisters a few challenges at first, but Hannah also admitted to later making several 30-foot putts.
The sisters have been active First Tee participants for many years. This summer they are also giving back by serving as junior coaches at First Tee Delaware sessions. “We act as mentors and show the kids how much we love the game,” Hannah said. “They see us and it inspires them to be us. It’s really cool.”
The fact that the National Championship players were all First Tee kids made a difference. The sisters said it didn’t feel as cutthroat as they have experienced at other national tournaments, and the participants’ First Tee background gave them something to talk about.
Leslie and Garrett Lydic, the proud parents of these talented junior golfers, praised the tournament operation. Participants and their families stayed in a hotel adjacent to the course, with opportunities to meet and greet the others. There were also group dinners with guest speakers.
Hannah said, “It was run great. In addition to the tournament, we also had putting games and got to know each other.”
The family’s First Tee experience is worth celebrating. Leslie and Garrett are physical education teachers at Laurel Elementary School, and they run in-class and after-school First Tee programs there. COVID issues blocked some of their planned initiatives last year, but they plan to start over again this fall.
Bob Norris, executive director of The First Tee Delaware, said, “We are proud of all [Hannah and Sarah] have accomplished, and how they have embraced our programs and now help coach the girls in our programs. They are such good role models.”
Delaware Amateur
Congratulations to Michael Brown of Maple Shade Township, N.J., for his 11-under par performance to win the Delaware State Golf Association Amateur Championship, held June 21-23 at Newark Country Club.
Jay Whitby of Rehoboth Beach Country Club was the best Cape Region participant in the four-round contest with his sixth-place finish. Nick Torrance of Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club tied for 14th, while Ed Brown tied for 23rd.
Other Cape Region golfers participated but missed the cut, including Tanner Leonard of Bear Trap Dunes, Jack Redefer of Rehoboth Beach CC and Patrick Gogarty, Steve Morgan and Tim Marvel of Cripple Creek Country Club.
Local club competition results
The Mulligan’s Pointe Ladies 18-hole group played a Two Women team game June 29, won by Retta Rose Frampton and Carrie Lambertin. Linda Snader and JoAnn Zork came in second.
The Rehoboth Beach CC Ladies 9-hole group played a Member/Guest Scramble June 29, with Marilyn Martens, Charlotte Samans, Renee Simonton and Shae Sear taking first place. Jenn Barrows, Mary Ann Veitch, Maura Lindsay and Allison Avary took second, with Joyce McCoy, Anna Hansen, Suzanne Rowland and Sharon Covington in third.
The Kings Creek CC Ladies 18-hole group played an Odds In/Evens Out game June 24, which counted the scores on odd-numbered holes on the front nine and the even-numbered holes on the back nine.
Judy Wetzel won first-place gross in the first flight. Lynn Sweeney won first net on a match of cards, with Erin Reid in second and Sally McGovern in third.
Lori Guitson won first-place gross in the second flight, with Tricia Ritthaler taking first-place net. Dawn DuPre finished second on a match of cards against Ana Dittel in third.
Anne Farley won first-place gross in the third flight, with Yona Zucker winning first-place net. Debbie Grant took second on a match of cards against Linda Eicher in third.
The Kings Creek CC Ladies 9-hole group played an Evens In game June 22, counting only the scores on even-numbered holes.
Lesley Corydon won first place in the first flight, with Tina Brown winning first net. Rosemarie Schmidt took second on a match of cards against Sandy Neverett in third.
Stephanie Roash won first place in the second flight, with Fran Sneider winning first net. Patty Davis took second on a match of cards against Deb Chase in third.
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Fritz Schranck has been writing about the Cape Region's golf community since 1999. Snippets, stories and anecdotes from his columns are included in his new book, "Hole By Hole: Golf Stories from Delaware's Cape Region and Beyond," which is available at the Cape Gazette offices, Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, Biblion Books in Lewes, and local golf courses. His columns and book reviews are available at HoleByHole.com.
Contact Fritz by emailing fschranck@holebyhole.com.
