A-C Valley/Union golfer Joe Rapp rallies for 5th at District 9 championships, makes PIAA tournament
Joe Rapp was motivated for nearly a year.
He failed to qualify for the District 9 Class 2A Boys Golf Individual Championships second round as a freshman, and it left a sour taste in his mouth.
On Saturday, the A-C Valley/Union sophomore golfer avenged himself with a strong back-nine in the District 9 tournament, shooting a 36 to finish with a second-round 78 at Clarion Oaks Golf Course. His two-day total of 158 placed him in a tie for fifth and one of six qualifying spots for the PIAA tournament Oct. 21-22 at Penn State Golf Course.
“It felt good,” Rapp said on the phone Sunday. “I always had the mindset of making states this year, especially last year after the way I (missed).”
Clarion’s Kameron Kerle won the 2A district title with an impressive 143 over two days, eight strokes clear of second place. Taylor Allderdice’s Liam Gedris won the 3A title with a 168, six strokes ohead of second.
His first-round score of 80 on Sept. 30 comfortably advanced him to Day 2. But his start to the second round — a 42 on the front nine that included multiple three-putts, he said — left him frustrated, particularly with his putting and short game, and unsure he still had a chance to make states.
“I’m coming into No. 10, I was a little angry. And then I started making some putts and started climbing back up there,” he said. “That kind of kept it going.”
Rapp said he made a good put on the 10th hole, but it wasn’t until another solid par putt two holes later and realizing one of the top golfers one hole behind was also struggling that he realized he still had a chance to qualify for states.
“I felt like my putting and just my game left a lot of strokes out there,” Rapp said. “I would’ve liked to play better to qualify for states.”
With two weeks until the PIAA Class 2A championship, Rapp said he plays to spend a lot of time practicing his short game.
A relative, University of Central Florida women’s golf head coach Emily Marron, will be in the area and help with Rapp’s mental game, he said. As will another cousin.
“I didn’t give up (Saturday), and that’s always a positive thing,” Rapp said.
