Sam Penecale Scoring Average

Sam Penecale was born in Abington, Pennsylvania in 1923. He learned to play golf as a caddy at the North Hills Country Club. Penecale served in the U.S. Army as a medic during World War II and then spent ten years in the business world. He was one of the leading amateurs in the Philadelphia area before turning pro at the age of 31. After one year of playing tournament golf as an unattached pro he took a job in golf as the assistant at the Bala Golf Club in 1955. Three years later he left Bala to become the head professional at the Whitemarsh Valley Country Club where he served for 27 years before retiring in 1984. After turning pro he was one of the leading playing professionals in the Philadelphia Section for thirty years. Beginning with his first year as a pro in 1954 he qualified for the U.S. Open eight straight times and he finished tied for 26th in 1957. He wasn’t eligible for the PGA Championship until 1960 but once he became a PGA member he qualified for the PGA Championship five of the next six years. He never won the Philadelphia Open, Pennsylvania Open or the Philadelphia Section Championship but he had a total of eight second-place showings in those tournaments. As the professional at Whitemarsh Valley he hosted the PGA Tour’s tournament, which was played under several different names, eighteen times. His passion was junior golf and he ran an outstanding junior program at Whitemarsh Valley each year, free of charge to all.  He had the enviable distinction of never having charged a junior for a golf lesson.  As an assistant at Bala he gave Jay Sigel his first golf lessons and he continued to counsel him on his game for many years. Penecale was inducted into the Philadelphia Section’s Hall of Fame in 1998.

Same Penecale

Sam Penecale

Sam Penecale Scoring Average Leaders

The Boy 16-18, Boy 13-15, Girl 16-18, Girls 13-15 and 12 & Under Divisions with the season’s lowest scoring average are recognized by the Philadelphia Junior Tour in memory of Sam Penecale. To be eligible to be the Sam Penecale scoring average leader, a junior must compete in a minimum of 10 rounds played where each of those events has a par 70 or higher for 18 holes. At the end of each season, the Scoring Average Leader is awarded 100 points in each division.

To visit the current Scoring Average Standings, please click here.

Please be aware that a minimum of 10 rounds is required to be eligible for the Sam Penecale Scoring Average Award for Boys and 12 and Under. The scoring average award for the girls divisions will be determined based on at least 5 rounds.

Boys 16-18

YearNameScoring Avg.
2023Ethan Legarda75.91
2022Justin Forman75.50
2021Matthew Vital72.67
2020Ryan McCabe74.50
2019Ryan McCabe75.61
2018Caleb Ryan75.80
2017Caleb Ryan74.16
2016Jack Halleron73.71
2015Zachary Barbin73.17
2014Tom Fisher74
2013Drew Taylor73.86
2012Braden Shattuck71
2011Ben Cooley73
2010Austin List73.3
2009S. Louis Kelly72.8
2008Tucker Koch72.17
2007Matthew W. Smith70.5
2006Matthew W. Smith73.8
2005Luke Vargo
2004Matthew Raudenbush
2003Christopher Gold
2002Logan Terry
2001Greg Hostetter
2000Joe April
1999John Michael Pelet
1998Michael Schall
1997T. Eliot Ross, Jr.
1996Eric Fonner
1995Kris Wells
1994Kris Wells
1993Brian Gillespie
1992Mark Jules

Girls 16-18

YearNameScoring Avg.
2023Kiran Bagga82.57
2022Sophia DeSantis85.18
2021Kate Roberts82.17
2020Olivia Strigh85.14
2019Isabella McCloskey87.08
2018Christina Carroll84.00
2017Grace Hickey88.50
2016Esther Park 78.60
2015Morgan Frazier75.2
2014Madeline Sager79.29
2013Erin DiDonato81.83
2012Madeline Silverman82.88
2011Isabella DiLisio76.2
2010Ellen Ceresko77.6
2009Christina Vosters74.57
2008Alli Weaver81.67
2007Alli Weaver79
2006Lara Poletajev81
2005Ashley Szewczuk
2004Victoria Arena
2003Jaclyn Pearlman
2002Megan Schaeffer
2001Julie Fetterman
2000Melissa Crognale
1999Julie Fetterman
1998Sarah Godwin
1997Jennifer Rhee
1996Meghan Adams
1995Meghan Bolger
1994Chrissy Caramma
1993Collette Matthes
1992Bobby Boyle

Boys 13-15

YearNameScoring Avg.
2023Ian Larsen75.20
2022Ethan Martin74.08
2021Tyler Debusschere75.64
2020Nathan Guertler78.52
2019Eli Shah76.40
2018Win Thomas76.65
2017Stephen Lorenzo76.00
2016Carson Bacha75.64
2015Austin Barbin72.83
2014Kyle Vance72.38
2013Kyle Vance75.21
2012Kyle Vance77.2
2011Vinay Ramesh75.29
2010Jesse Hazam73.8
In 2010, the Boys 13-18 Division was split into 2 divisions, Boys 16-18 and Boys 13-15

Girls 13-15

YearNameScoring Avg.
2022Katherine Liu85.00
2021Kayley Roberts84.27
2020Rhianna Gooneratne81.60
2019Kayla Maletto79.92
2018Angelina Tolentino81.38
2017Elizabeth Beek79.55
2016Haley Quickel82.20
2015Caprian Kan81.6
2014Kaitlyn Lees80.5
2013Esther Park83
2012Annika Vandayar80.57
2011Cara Basso83.83
2023Meredith Finger79.60
In 2011, the Girls 13-18 Division was split into 2 divisions, Girls 16-18 and Girls 13-15

12 & Under Division

YearNameScoring Avg.
2022Dane Mohap39.41
2021Anthony Proud39.93
2020Davis Conaway40.83
2019Hank Kancher42.58
2018Nicholas Gross38.04
2017Matthew Normand40.64
2016Joshua Ryan38.63
2015Ryan D'Ariano38.18
2014Case Hummer40.75
2013Jennifer Cleary40.67
2012Luca Jezzeny41.3
2011Kyle Vance38.27
2010Davis Mitchell41.08
2009Ryan Rucinski37.9
2023Rayan Shah40.26
In 2009, the Sam Penecale award was added to the 12 & Under Division (Boys & Girls 10-12)