Scranton Prep junior golfer Michael Sewack captured the District 2 Class 2A championships with a 3-over 75 in windy conditions Tuesday, then was medalist with a 77 in a win over Lewisburg that propelled his team to their fifth straight PIAA championship tournament.
Age: 17
Family: Mother, Lori; father, Mike; sister, Morgan
Favorite sports teams: Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Boston Red Sox
Athletes you admire: I’ve always loved Larry Bird. I still love Tom Brady. He’s my favorite right now. I always liked Tiger Woods, too.
Any pre-round rituals or superstitions? The only thing I can say is I use the same ball marker, mainly because it’s the only one I keep in my bag.
Who’s been the biggest influence on your golf career? I’ve had many. Definitely my parents, my coach Scotty McAlarney, and Jim “Flash” Gordon.
Are you a pretty good putter? I am. I think it’s the mental approach and I also work on putting a lot. I feel like that’s the biggest thing. I’ve always worked on my setup.
You’re pretty fortunate to play on a team that, on any given day, could have any of your six players shoot the low score. It gives us a lot of confidence because you have to feel like in golf — actually in any sport — you’re not always going to have your best day. We’re at pretty much the same skill level. That’s big.
Who’s your funniest teammate? I’d have to say Michael Lynch. He’s just one of those kids who is going to make a joke out of something. And if he makes a big putt, his reactions are always great.
You’re familiar with the next step. You and Matt Tressler will be playing at team states for the third year in a row. What’s the key to success? All of us need to just take one shot at a time because last year we had a nine-shit lead through the first nine holes and weren’t able to come up with the victory. We just need to go in there, have confidence and try to approach each shot at a time.
Three Prep players will see the course next Monday in the individual state tournament. How much help is that? It helps a lot. Heritage Hills is a unique course, firm greens and spotty rough, so you have to be able to hit the fairways, which are very narrow there. Try to hit as many greens as possible and make putts. Past experiences, I used to get nervous at times when fortune wasn’t on my side. Hopefully when I get in a bad situation I can limit my score to bogey at worst.
Other than sports, do you have something you’d like to do someday? Maybe travel around the world. That would be a cool thing to see different cultures.
What’s your best subject in school? Math. I’ve always enjoyed math. It’s one of those things where you have to be somewhat intuitive. It’s one of those things where you have to be able to figure out the correct answer when there are so many variables involved.
In that regard, it’s kind of like golf. For sure. You’re always trying to figure out what variables will make your golf swing better or worse, or will have a negative affect on how you play.
Three people you would like to have dinner with. Tom Brady, Tiger Woods and Larry Bird.
What is the one dish served in your house that you can’t live without? Probably penne a la vodka. My mom and dad both make it.
Is college in your future, and do you plan to play golf? I’d probably go for a major in finance or business. I’m not sure about golf, but I’d like to play in the future.
Is there one person on the PGA Tour right now who has something you’d like to be able to emulate? Bryson DeChambeau. I wish I had his distance. He’s actually making golf practically stupid at this point the way he’s tearing up courses.
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Marty Myers began his career as a sports writer at The Wayne Independent in Honesdale, where he served as sports editor and later managing editor. After 10 years there, he joined The Times-Tribune in 1994 and has spent the ensuing years reporting on high school sports, local and professional golf. An award-winning journalist, he also enjoys his duties as a copy editor for The Times-Tribune, editing stories and designing pages. A native of Williamsport, Marty resides in Clarks Summit. Reach him at mmyers@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100 x5437 or @mmyersTT.
