Butler senior Swidzinski comes from 7 strokes down to capture PIAA 3A boys golf title
STATE COLLEGE — All Hunter Swidzinski wanted to do was post a score lower than the day before.
He wound up doing so much more.
The Butler senior carded a sizzling 8-under-par 64 in the second round of the PIAA Class 3A Boys Golf Championship on Tuesday on the Penn State Blue Course, making himself part of a three-golfer playoff to determine the champion.
He wound up beating Nick Turowski of Penn-Traffiord on the third playoff hole to win the championship.
“I believe he’s the first Butler golfer to win the state golf title,” Golden Tornado coach Travis Shingleton said. “In all my years of playing golf, coaching golf, I’ve never seen anbody play such a clutch round of golf.
“Getting up and down, clutch fairway shots, putts, tee shots — Hunter was doing it all out there.”
Swidzinski carded a 1-over-par 73 during the first round of the two-day tournament on Monday. He trailed co-leaders Aidan Farkas of St. Joseph’s and Wes Lorish of Plum by seven strokes entering the final round.
“After that first day, all I wanted to do was shoot a better round,” Swidzinski said. “I wasn’t thinking I could get back in it at first, but I was hoping to move up (the leaderboard) a little bit.”
Then he shot 4-under-par on the first five holes Tuesday.
“That was the momentum boost I needed,” Swidzinski said. “I still didn’t think I could win, but I thought I might be able to sneak into the top three or so.”
“The difference (Tuesday) was in his putting,” Singleton said. “Hunter hit 16 of the 18 greens in regulation today. He did pretty much the same thing on Monday. But today, he was sinking his putts.”
Approaching the tee box on No. 18, Swidzinski did not know where he stood on the leader-board.
“Honestly, I didn’t think I had a chance to win at that point,” he said. “Just finish strong.”
He did exactly that, sinking a putt for eagle on the par-5 hole. That put him into a three-golfer playoff with Turowski and Lorish.
While warming up for the playoff on the putting green, Swidzinski said he thought of the fact that all three golfers were from the WPIAL.
“That shows how strong WPIAL golf us,” he said.
The first playoff hole was the par-4 No. 10. Lorish’s drive sailed right and into a tree area while Turowski and Swidzinski stayed on the fairway. The latter two parred the hole to eliminate Lorish.
Swidzinski and Turowski both parred the par-3, No. 14 hole, bringing them back top No. 10 for a third playoff hole.
“Competing in a playoff is a dfifferent feel,” Swidzinski said. “You can’t help but be a little nervous. It’s hard to feel relaxed. I just wanted to hit the ball straight and avoid a mistake.”
Playing the No. 10 hole for the second time in the playoff, Turowski’s drive sailed right this time. Swidzinski was able to put himself in position for a 12-foot birdie putt while Turowski recovered and had a 10-foot putt for par.
“It was tricky because I didn’t want to hit it too hard and go too long past the hole, just in case Nick made his putt,” Swidzinski said. “At worst, I wanted a tap-in for par.
“I lightly tapped the ball and it had just enough to roll in.”
And make him a champion.
“Just an incredible round,” Shingleton said. “Hunter deserves every bit of this. He earned every bit of it.”
“This is hard to believe right now,” Swidzinski said. “I’m still trying to let what happened sink in.”
