New Prairie’s Zdyb wins medalist, Saint Joseph captures title at Leonard Memorial

MISHAWAKA – Saint Joseph can thank its Mishawaka rivals — the Cavemen and Marian’s Knights — for continuing its recent surge on the golf course.

Coach Bret Bajdek’s Huskies shot their lowest 18-hole tournament score of the season Friday, totaling 314 at the par-70 Eberhart-Petro Golf Course to capture the inaugural Benny Leonard Memorial Tournament by two strokes over Marian’s White team.

“Finally this week we’ve put it together in two matches, shooting under 150 in both, which we feel like we’re more than capable of doing,” Bajdek said. “Coming out today, this is the best we’ve shot in a tournament this season, and it was nice to get a tournament win.”

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If not for two of Bajdek’s rival coaches — Mishawaka’s Pat Hahn and Marian’s Alex Stopczynski — the Huskies and the other schools in the small field would have spent this Friday in the classroom and on the practice range. Hahn and Stopczynski got together with  Eberhart-Petro head pro Drew Roop and put together the Leonard Memorial which honors the late Eberhart-Petro long-time professional, when South Bend Riley declined to continue the long-time Flo Troeger Memorial Invitational, honoring the beloved late Studebaker professional.

Both Saint Joseph and Marian fielded two teams in Friday’s event with Mishawaka, New Prairie and South Bend Adams also fielding teams and other individuals. Coach Alex Homann’s Cougars, led by senior medalist Hunter Zdyb’s 75, finished third at 334 followed Saint Joseph’s White team (337), Marian’s Blue team (339), Adams (354) and Mishawaka (378).

Friday’s tournament also served as a final tune-up for the Huskies, who will play in the Concord Invitational Saturday at Bent Oak with the host Minutemen and Marian, Trinity School at Greenlawn, Culver Academy, NorthWood and Fairfield. Earlier this week, Saint Joseph shot 147 at Erskine Park and Wednesday shot 146 at Elbel Park.

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“This should give us some confidence going forward,” continued Bajdek, who got six-over 76s from junior No. 1 Thomas Raster and junior No. 3 Beau Basney and a 77 from sophomore No. 2 Tate Guyton. “If we can have those three guys shooting like that and have a fourth guy shooting around 80, we’re always going to be competitive.”

Stopczynski decided to have his players choose Marian’s two teams which would play Friday, and senior Jacob Padrnos chose sophomore No. 1 player John Hahn for his team. Hahn shot 77 but the low score on the White team belonged to junior reserve Scottie Chakan, who shot 76. Mike Keefer had an 81, one ahead of Padrnos’ 82. Senior Jackson Horvath shot 79 to lead the Blue team.

When the Troeger tournament was suspended, two of the teams in its field — Trinity and La Lumiere — decided at the last moment not to compete.  Riley, Washington and Clay also decided to stay home.

If Stopczynski had used his usual starting five — Hahn, AJ Bishop (82), Keefer, Horvath and Ben Padrnos (82) — the Knights would have totaled 319.

“We were able to field a second team when the others didn’t show up,” Stopczynski said. “So instead of fielding our junior varsity, I told the kids to mix it up and they had fun trash-talking each other coming in.”

Everyone was serious Friday as Eberhart-Petro’s 5,924-yard, par-70 layout, softened by recent overnight rains, held its own. Zdyb, one of the area’s under-the-radar standouts, started his round with three straight bogeys on way to an outward six-over 42. But he shot a one-under 33 coming in with two birdies.

“The front nine here is a lot narrower than the back nine,” Zdyb said. “It’s harder to play. I didn’t get a chance to have some range work this morning, so it was a matter of me getting warmed up. Once I did, my iron shots and tee shots got much better.”

Zdyb’s second-shot wedge from 125 yards on the par-4 13 ^th hole landed six feet away for a birdie putt. He finished his round with a birdie at the 489-yard 18 ^th hole which is bisected by the St. Joseph River.

BENNY LEONARD MEMORIAL INVITATIONAL

MISHAWAKA – Results from Friday’s Benny Leonard Memorial Tournament hosted by Mishawaka and Mishawaka Marian at the par-70 (36-34), 5,902-yard Eberhart-Petro Golf Course:

SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH BLUE (314): Thomas Raster 41-35—76, Tate Guyton 42-35—77, Beau Basney 41-35—76, Jake Hirschler 42-43—85, Joey Borsodi 41-47—88.

MISHAWAKA MARIAN WHITE (316): Ben Padrnos 41-41—82, John Hahn 38-39—77, Mike Keefer 39-42—81, Tony Cataldo 48-44—92, Scottie Chakan 38-38—76.

NEW PRAIRIE (334): Hunter Zdyb 42-33—75, Cole Shelton 43-41—84, Brock Sinka 49-42—91, Owen Chalik 39-47—86, Dakota Anastos 48-41—89.

SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH WHITE (337): Liam Wagner 43-39—82, Joe Kloska 45-43—88, Max German 42-41—83, Owen King 47-38—85, Reyann Ansari 46-41—87.

MISHAWAKA MARIAN BLUE (339): Jacob Padrnos 40-45—85, Jackson Horvath 43-36—79, AJ Bishop 41-41—82, John Giese 47-46—93, Freddie Williams 53-42—95.

SOUTH BEND ADAMS (354): Liam Kinney 42-42—84, Tommy Hornbeck 51-42—93, Atti Hunter 48-44—92, Owen McNally 48-41—89, Leo Sweazy 45-44—89.

MISHAWAKA (378): Brady Fisher 48-42—90, Kaden Smith 53-52—105, Aiden Szeltner 46-41—87, Bren Dickerson 51-45—96, Vincent Lopez 52-54—106.

Individuals: Carter Grontkowski (Mishawaka) 57-54—111, Edward Koszlowski (Mishawaka) 56-57—113, Trenton Williams (South Bend Adams) 45-42—87, Seamus O’Brien (South Bend Adams) 52-50—102, Avery Borders (South Bend Adams) 107.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: New Prairie’s Zdyb wins medalist, Saint Joseph captures title at Leonard Memorial