Joe Sclafani enjoyed a sensational round of nine holes that most golfers can only dream about. The Huntington High School sophomore notched four birdies and shot an even par 36 at the Huntington Crescent Club in the Blue Devil team’s victory over John H. Glenn.
“I’ve been playing golf for a good amount of time,” Sclafani said. “I started at about six years old. I’ve always been pretty decent. Over this summer, I feel like I got a lot better and wanted to be consistently shooting low 40s or high 30s and be very beneficial for the team. I was No. 5 last year and got up to No. 4 this year with the same kids on the team.”
Sclafani was simply sensational as he moved around the course from hole-to-hole. The birdies came on the first, sixth, seventh and ninth holes.
“Joe has improved by leaps and bounds,” said Michael Marinello, the Blue Devils’ longtime head coach. “His competitive drive and his work ethic has his game in a great spot. Four birdies in nine holes is incredible. It is a feat I have not seen 20 years of coaching.”
The sophomore said he “started off well” with a birdie on the first hole, “so I knew it would be a decent round.” But how could Sclafani have imagined just how special it would become.
“I was one over through five holes,” Sclafani said. “On the sixth hole, I threw a dart to around six feet from the pin and hit the birdie putt. So I’m even now. The next hole I hit a very good drive in the fairway and bombed my second shot just short of the green on a par five. Then hit a nice chip and made a putt to be minus one. Next hole I hit a good shot in the fairway and then another on the green. I ended up blasting a few putts that passed the hole and four putted for a double bogey. I almost couldn’t maintain myself. I was very angry.”
But the teenager pulled it together and hit a good drive on the ninth hole and then followed it with another solid shot and a decent third shot that landed about 20 feet from the pin.
“I had a hard putt from there and told myself ‘just two putt for a par and walk away with a 37,’ but I hit a perfect putt,” Sclafani said. “It was a little fast and caught the edge of the cup and dropped in for a birdie.”
A par 36 with four birdies is a round that Sclafani, Marinello and the rest of the Blue Devil team will remember for a long time.