Shallat brothers lead Friends Academy to LI boys golf championship
Brothers Zachary Shallat, left, and Sean Shallat of Friends Academy stand near Bethpage Black after leading the Quakers to victory over Ward Melville in the Long Island boys golf team championship on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Credit: James Escher
It wasn’t his best hole of the day, but Friends Academy’s Sean Shallat sure did stop a skid on the difficult par-4 15th hole on Bethpage Black Tuesday afternoon. The sophomore was reeling from a double-bogey on the par-3 14th when a par-saving putt at 15 saved his round.
“I hit a putt from the back of the green that went straight downhill, and I left it to an inch,” Shallat said. “I think that kind of got me going again and got me more confident in my putting . . . It was really big. I wasn’t hitting the ball well, I wasn’t hitting greens and, after hitting that green and hitting two really good putts, it really brought back my confidence with my ball striking and the greens speed. I kind of lost my feel for them and that got it back for the rest of the round.”
Shallat shot a 13-over-par 84 on the Black Course, helping Friends Academy to a 7-2 win over Ward Melville in the Long Island boys golf championship match. Friends Academy’s team of six shot a total of 427, while Ward Melville carded a 432.
It was the third time Shallat had played the historically difficult course.
“I feel like it didn’t play as hard as it did last time,” Shallat said. “The rough wasn’t as thick. But I made a few mistakes with a couple of double [bogeys], which kind of made my score a little higher.”
Shallat birdied the fourth hole, a 517-yard par 5.
“I think I hit the best drive of my life,” he said. “I probably [hit it] 285 yards. I didn’t hit the best second shot, but left it in a good spot, just right of the green. I chipped on and made a two-footer for birdie.”
Sean’s older brother, Zach, shot the best round of the championship, a nine-over-par 80. He said playing the Black Course requires a player to not waste easier shots.
“You’re going to lose shots, just off the difficulty of the course,” Zach said. “You don’t want to lose the stupid shots where you shouldn’t. That was the focus, limit bad mistakes and mental errors and let the course punish you as much as it wants to.”
Great Neck District Wins Girls LI Title: Great Neck District beat Smithtown West, 445-513, in the girl’s golf Long Island championship at Smithtown Landing. Lia Huang made four birdies and shot a four-over-par 76. Caylin Wong shot a 12-over 84 and Andrea Zhou shot a 15-over 87.
