Daniel Boone sophomore Chase Yenser wins BCIAA boys individual golf tournament

Sep. 27—Underclassmen shined Wednesday as Daniel Boone sophomore Chase Yenser shot a 3-over 108 over 27 holes to win the BCIAA boys individual golf tournament at Blackwood Golf Course.

Yenser bested runner-up Cameron Peffel, a freshman from Fleetwood, by four strokes.

"(It felt) so good," Yenser said after making the final putt of the tournament. "I was looking at my mom and she was crying. It was crazy; I was so happy."

Peffel earned sole possession of second place after defeating teammate, defending champion and reigning Berks Male Player of the Year Ryan Hromiak in a playoff.

After Yenser held a one-shot lead at 1-over 71 over Peffel after 18 holes, Hromiak, who finished the first 18 at 4-over 74, wound up being the closest to catching Yenser on the final nine holes.

Yenser made a bogey on the 376-yard par-4 12th, the 437-yard par-4 14th and the 411-yard par-4 15th to go to 4-over, while Hromiak made birdie on the 377-yard par 4 1oth, before bogeying 11 and 12.

A birdie by Hromiak on No. 15 put him level with Yenser, but the 332-yard par-4 16th proved to be the decisive hole.

Yenser birdied No. 16 while Hromiak made double bogey to again give Yenser a three-shot lead over Hromiak and a four-shot lead over Peffel.

Yenser and Peffel parred both remaining holes, and Hromiak bogeyed the 414-yard par-4 18th.

"I did (know he was tied with Hromiak), that was going through my head the whole time," Yenser said. "I think that really helped to calm me down and know I just needed to make two pars and I would win.

"He's a good guy," Yenser said of Hromiak. "We talked a lot, talked some smack. It was a lot of fun. We had a lot of fun and it feels good to win, it really does."

Yenser battled through an injury he sustained outside of golf earlier in the season throughout the round. Having to wear a brace on his knee did not make playing 27 holes in one day easy for him, but he persevered.

"I was playing soccer in gym (class) and the tendon pulled off part of my kneecap in the bottom," Yenser said. "So ever since, I've been wearing this brace and haven't been able to bend to a certain degree.

"When it first happened I thought I was out for the season. Honestly, it hurt so bad, I didn't think I was ever gonna get back here. Going down hills was tough, going up hills was tough, but I battled through."

Wednesday's win adds to Yenser's resume as he won the BCGA Junior Amateur Championship over the summer. He said his practice over the summer helped prepare him to have a strong season and helped him work on limiting his three-putts.

Yenser did not have double bogey Wednesday.

"Over the summer I started lining my ball up and working with my own uncle, Andy Miller," Yenser said. "I've worked with him a lot, and yeah that (the summer training) has helped so much.

"Today, I don't think I had a three-putt, which was really big. So just getting rid of the big numbers, I think I'm pretty good at."

Moving forward, Yenser is hoping to add to his list of accomplishments with a strong showing at districts and beyond.

"(Being a) district champion would be really cool," Yenser said. "(Being a) state finalist, that'd be really cool and then hopefully play college golf. There are some really good players in our district, but it's possible if I play my game."

Rounding out the medalists from Wednesday were Berks Catholic's Braeden Stringer, fourth an 113; Gov. Mifflin's Nate Radwanski, fifth at 114; and Twin Valley's Shane O'Doherty, sixth at 116.

The top nine Class 3A golfers and the top nine Class 2A golfers qualified for the District 3 tournaments on Oct. 6-7. The Class 3A event will be at Honey Run GC and Class 2A at Briarwood, both in York.

In Class 3A, Yenser, Peffel, Hromiak, Radwanski, O'Doherty, Conrad Weiser's Ethan Miller (119), Wilson's Gavin Siravo (119), Twin Valley's Nevan Graham (121) and Twin Valley's Nate Shaffer qualified.

In Class 2A, Stringer, Tulpehocken's Ethan Beidler (118), Hamburg's Austin Zweizig (120), Berks Catholic's JT Krynock (120), Wyomissing's Chase Maggs (121), Tulpehocken's Zach Neuin (122), Tulpehocken's Lewis Dieffenbach (125), Kutztown's Colin Hamm (127) and Brandywine Heights' Patrick Taylor (128) qualified.