'Generational player': Shore high school boys golf star makes season-opening statement

NEPTUNE – It was one of those legacy-building individual performances, and the first big statement of the spring high school boys golf season in New Jersey.

As the cold, windy conditions pushed scores higher at the season-opening Wall Invitational, it was Wall senior Pat Scenna chipping in for birdie on his first hole of the day before grinding out 17 straight pars, his 1-under-par 71 good for a two-shot victory over Princeton’s Brooks Cahill-Sanidas, and a deep field at Jumping Brook Country Club Monday.

Scenna, a Monmouth University commit, had been tied at 1-under-par through 10 holes with Morristown’s Liam Pasternak, a Notre Dame commit playing in the same group. But Pasternak carded three straight bogeys, while Scenna holed back-to-back par-saving putts to take an insurmountable three-shot lead.

It’s Scenna’s second win at the Crimson Knights' home tournament, having taken home the hardware as a sophomore in 2022, when he closed the season placing third at the NJSIAA State Championship. A three-time Asbury Park Press All-Shore first team selection, Scenna led Wall to NJSIAA Group 2 championships in 2021 and 2023, and has been top-3 or better individually the last two Shore Conference and Monmouth County tournaments, winning MCT last year and finishing second at the SCT.

“He’s a generational player,” Wall head coach Matt Stefanski said. “What does that entail? We won (Group 2) in 2021, his freshman year. We won in 2023, his junior year. We don’t know what the narrative is going to be for 2024, but if he is leading your team, it looks pretty good to me.

More: 2024 Shore high school golf: Boys, girls preview, top players, rankings, schedule

“I never won a Group title as a coach and I had some great teams. Until Pat Scenna came along. He ignited seniors on that 2021 team and made them better.”

A good start

Pasternak finished tied for third with teammate Cormack Meldrum. Middletown North’s Andrew Schrager finished fifth at 75, while the group at 77 included Southern Regional freshman Paul Reilly, son of Rams’ long-time head coach Jeff Reilly.

“You want to get off to a good start to the year,” Scenna said.

“You have to hit so many different types of shots here, especially with these small greens. If you miss a green here it’s usually a tough up-and-down - I missed in the right spots because I know the course so well.”

Princeton took the team title with a four-man total of 318, three shots better than Morristown. Wall, which won the Monmouth County and Shore Conference tournaments a year ago, was third at 323.

“I’m not displeased today,” Stefanski said. “If we shoot 323 with a brand new starter from a state championship team, that’s pretty damn good.”

Turning point

Beginning his round on the 10th hole, Scenna missed his approach shot short-right, but his chip shot found the bottom of the cup.

The key sequence came early on the second nine. After Pasternak bogeyed No. 3, his second straight bogey, Scenna was able to knock in a five-footer to save par and take a two-shot lead. On the next hole, Scenna missed the green on the par-4 short-right, but chipped to 10 feet below the cup and sank the putt, taking a three-shot lead.

“The par-saves are big, especially at that point, later in the round when it matters more,” Scenna said.

RESULTS

Team: 1. Princeton 318; 2. Morristown 321; 3. Wall 232; 4. Mainland 329; 5. Manasquan 332; 6.  tie, Middletown South, Holmdel 333; 8. Southern 335; 9. tie, Point Boro, Ranney 338; 11. tie, Freehold Twp., Moorestown 344. 13. Middletown North 346; 14. Pinelands 347; 15. Toms River East 349; 16. Marlboro 349; 17. Ocean City 350; 18. Rumson 351; 19. Monmouth 358; 20. St. Rose 363.

Individual: 1. Pat Scenna (Wall) 71; 2. Brooks Cahill-Sanidas (Princeton) 73; 3. tie, Cormack Meldrum (Morristown), Liam Pasternak (Morristown) 74; 5. Andrew Schrager (Middletown North) 75; 6. tie, P.J. Foley (Mainland), Paul Reilly (Southern), Walter Gumbinger (Princeton) 77; 9. tie, Will Ross (Rumson), Dylan Mattessich (Manasquan), John Welch (Ranney) 78; 12. tie, Keller Tannehill (Mainland), Christian Klemanowicz (Freehold Twp.), Billy Laudien (TR East), Ryan Quigley (Holmdel) 79; 16. tie, Blake Nitche (St. Rose), Brandan Tyhanic (Pinelands), Daniel Cassidy (Middletown South) 80; 19. tie, Robert Badenhausen (Manasquan), Jack Nolan (Point Boro), Patrick Sharpe (Holmdel) 81; 22. tie, Zach Freed (Mainland), Jackson Bodony (Southern), Ansel Patel (Freehold Twp.), Jack Hennelly (Monmouth) 82; 26. tie, Kevin Ostrander (Point Boro), Noah Weiss (Ranney), William Welsh (Middletown South), Bowen Liu (Marlboro), Alex Henbest (Southern), Benji Tarter (Princeton), Boden Pepe (Wall) 83.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: 'Generational player': Shore high school boys golf star makes season-opening statement