Romeo shoots 65 in junior golf event

Erie's Austin Romeo, playing what he called the best round of his young life, shot a 7-under-par 65 in the second round to help propel him to a fifth-place tie in the International Junior Golf Tour Tournament of Champions over the Memorial Day weekend at Grand Cypress Resort.

Playing in the 16-to-19 division, Romeo, 16, a sophomore at McDowell, had rounds of 76-65-70 for a 5-under-par 211 total, five shots behind winner Rodolfo Cazaubon of Tampico, Mexico.

The field of 92 played on the North-South Course on Saturday and Monday, while Romeo shot the low round of the tournament on the New Course on Sunday.

"I hit the ball solid on the first day, and I could not make any putts, but I still built some confidence,'' he said. "In the second round, I made a lot of putts and obviously I played very well. That was the best round of golf I've played in my life. It carried into the last round, where I played really solid.''

A Kahkwa Club member, Romeo finished 48th out of 132 players at an American Junior Golf Association Mizuno junior tournament in April at Innisbruck Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla.

Romeo credits working out and teacher Dave Smith for his strong play this spring.

"I worked real hard during the winter to build myself up and worked on my swing,'' Romeo said. "Dave Smith is an excellent teacher, and he's helped me with a lot of the little things.''

The top-five finish in the IJGT event earned Romeo three exemptions for AJGA tournaments this summer.

-Former Gannon University star Dave Patronik shot a 1-under-par 71 at Beechmont Country Club in Cleveland in a local U.S. Open qualifier to advance to a Sectional qualifier, likely in Columbus, Ohio, on June 8.

The U.S Open is scheduled for June 18-21 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. Tiger Woods is the defending champion.

-At Salamanca, N.Y., Dwayne Randall, head professional at Peek'n Peak Resort, shot a 4-under par 68 to finish second Tuesday at the WNYPGA Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel Pro-Am at Elkdale Country Club.

David Wedzik of Harborcreek tied for third with a 70, while Kahkwa Club assistant Shawn Adamczyk tied for seventh with a 73 and Tom Keenan of Dick's Sporting Goods and Erie's Pat Damore, head pro of Conewango, Country Club, tied for 11th with 75s.

Keenan's and Randall's five-player teams finished tied for second in the pro-am.

-At Gibsonia, Erie's Ron Coleman finished tied for 16th place at the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association's 24th Mid-Amateur Championship at par-72 Pittsburgh National Golf Club.

Coleman, a multiple EDGA champ, shot 76-80-156, 12-over par.

Fairview's Scott Simonsen had 81-83--164, and Erie's Marty Simonsen shot 87-79--166.