Penn-Trafford’s Nick Turowski has record-breaking day at Manor Valley

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Tuesday, August 24, 2021 | 10:52 PM

Nick Turowski drove the first green Tuesday, ripping a 300-plus-yard drive to about 20 feet to open his nine-hole high school match.

He then dropped a birdie putt into the cup and, “I was off to the races.”

The sophomore from Penn-Trafford had a day to remember at Manor Valley Golf Course in Export as he pounded drives and followed a hot putter to a 7-under-par round of 29 that included seven birdies and two pars.

The score is a school record, breaking his brother Alex Turowski’s total of 33 from a year ago. Penn-Trafford beat Indiana, 182-202, adding to the record-breaking afternoon with a new team mark as four players broke 40, including Chase Chrissman, who shot a 2-under 34 in the shadow of Turowski.

“Every shot was solid,” Penn-Trafford coach Andy Rizzardi said of Turowski’s round. “Every aspect of his game was clicking.”

Indeed, it was.

So much, in fact, that Turowski decided to play the back nine for fun. All he did was shoot 34 for a 9-under 63, breaking the course record set by Brian Machen in 2009.

Turowski made 11 birdies, five pars and two bogeys. He had 29 putts.

Confidence radiates from the 10th grader who hones his game playing against high-end college players like Mark Goetz and Palmer Jackson at Hannstown Golf Club, where he is a member.

“Every time I walk onto a course, I know there isn’t a single person there who works harder than me,” Turowski said. “I want to beat the crap out of opponents.”

And, in this case, the course.

Six straight birdies had him chasing a goal he set at the start of the season.

“Leading into the high school season, I said my goal was to shoot a 29 in a match,” Turowski said. “I just wanted to do it once.”

He drove it greenside on No. 2, chipped and made a short putt. He ripped a drive over a tree on an aggressive line to within 20 yards of the green at No. 3 and with a chip and a putt moved to minus-3.

On the uphill, par-3 fourth, he nestled his 8-iron tee ball to within 15 feet and made the breaking putt.

“When that one went in, I knew I had it,” he said.

The par-5 fifth saw him hit driver, 9-iron over the green, and he hit a tough chip, but it rolled out and he still made a 5-footer for birdie.

On 6, he hit 3-wood up the hill, right of the green, chipped on and made a three from 8 feet.

A par followed on No. 7, which had a tough right pin, and he made par on the tricky par-3 No. 8.

So, for 29, he would have to birdie No. 9, a 518-yard par 5.

“I hit a squirrely tee shot left,” he said. “I had 219 yards to the green. I hit a 6-iron to about 20 feet. I wanted 28 at that point, so I hit the (eagle) putt 4 or 5 feet by. I had 5 feet left and hit a good stroke and it went in.”

Turowski wasn’t done.

“I signed my card and went into the clubhouse and I saw (owner) Vince DeAugustine,” Turowski said. “The first thing he said was, ‘Yes.’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean?’ He told me I could play the back nine.”

Armed with the information that 64 was the coveted number to beat, Turowski and his good friend, Bryce Williams, headed out to see if this special round could be even better.

After a par at No. 10 and a birdie at 11, Turowski made his first bogey, at the 185-yard, uphill par-3 12th.

After a par at the par-5 13th had him kicking himself, he bounced back with a birdie on 14 and made par on 15.

He only had 70 yards left into 16 and knocked a wedge to 15 feet. But he three-putted for another bogey to fall to even on the back.

As the twosome caught league play and found themselves impatiently waiting between shots, Turowski eventually drove the downhill par-4 17th. He unintentionally lagged the eagle putt and made the tap-in birdie.

The home hole had to be birdied to get his score on the wall in the clubhouse, and Turowski didn’t disappoint.

A good drive to a back-right pin left him a short chip, which he scurried to about 10 feet, the distance he had left for a 63 — visions of Johnny Miller came over Manor Valley.

“I was so nervous,” he said. “I hit a bad chip. I had about 10 feet and 3 feet of break. But I made it and we went crazy.”

Turowski and Williams disrupted the early evening silence with screams of, “Let’s go!” as they hugged each other.

“It was just crazy,” Turwoski said. “My putter was on fire today. It was so much fun.”

Colt Kaminski added a 38 in the match for Penn-Trafford, while David Newsom had a 39.

This story — and round — gets better.

Turowski played the back nine and carded a 34.

He broke course record by a shot — 63.

Made 11 birdies, 5 pars and 2 bogeys. Took 29 putts.

"I birdied the first six holes," he said. " I was off to the races."@PTWarriors @TribLiveHSSN https://t.co/MscLXKlmij pic.twitter.com/HJnIIRfpQz

— Bill Beckner (@BillBeckner) August 25, 2021

Turowski played back nine with his bud, Bryce Williams, who filmed the birdie on 18 for 63.

"Let's go!" echoed throughout Manor Valley as the putt trickled in.@PTWarriors @TribLiveHSSN pic.twitter.com/e5ZP3VAIEP

— Bill Beckner (@BillBeckner) August 25, 2021

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn-Trafford