It was a good day for the guys and gals from the Times News coverage area on the golf course Monday.

Four golfers in the District 11 qualifier at Old Homestead Golf Course advanced to Wednesday’s District 11 tournament in Bethlehem at the tough Steel Valley Golf Course.

With the stakes and the barrier set high, Palmerton’s Derek Rea, Lehighton’s Jack Lorenz, Weatherly’s Maddie Von Frisch and Pleasant Valley’s Mary Scully all earned themselves a berth in the district’s championship tournament.

This qualifying event had no room or margin for error. And golfing is all about errors and missed shots. Rea and Lorenz were both part of a team championship at their respective schools and leagues last week, but they both had to dig deep on this link’s style course to find another day to play.

Ditto for Frisch and Scully. Though neither golfer was part of a league crowning, they wanted to find a way to keep their scholastic seasons alive.

Rea - who won his spot in the Class 2A field - helped to forge the Blue Bombers to a Colonial League divisional title this season, and came up strong yesterday when he posted an 80.

“The front is tough on this course,” Rea said. “I went off early (8:39) and the course was a little wet. The big problem was in the rough; it was high and tough to get out of if your shot landed in that stuff.”

After the slow start that included a double-bogey seven on the opening hole, Rea at one point registered five straight birdies en route to a solid back nine.

“It wasn’t my best score here,” Rea said, “But I did shoot my average. My best score here is a 75. I didn’t putt well, or I could have shot a better round.”

For his efforts, Rea finished tied for second overall with Allentown Central Catholic’s Aaron Janis. Janis’ teammate, Charlie Long, finished first in the Class 2A - one stroke better than Rea and Janis.

Mike Brennan, Palmerton’s co-coach, said it was a bonus for Rea in this, his senior year.

“I’m really happy for him; this is the first time he was in the district qualifier,” Brennan said. “I know he was disappointed not getting a better score. But all of our kids on the team have high expectations. Today, an 80 for the conditions is a real good round.”

Lorenz makes the cut

A bundle of nerves was the way Lorenz, a junior from Lehighton, said he felt when he started his round in the Class 3A portion of the even

“I guess I just wanted to make the cut and compete in districts for a chance to win an individual championship,” Lorenz said after shooting a solid 80.

Lorenz did it by overcoming a slow start that saw him go bogey, par, bogey, triple bogey on the first four holes.

“After that I just said to myself I needed to relax and get myself together,” said Lorenz.

He did exactly that, finishing the front with five straight pars and then shooting three-over par on the back nine.

“Under these conditions and the competition I was playing with, I felt good about my round,” Lorenz said.

His coach Mike Maholick was pleased.

“After starting rough, Lorenz played strong,” Maholick said “He really straightened himself out with all those pars.”

Good day for ladies

Scully may have had the best shot of the day when she recorded an eagle on the par-4 sixth hole. Using a hybrid, she nailed her shot from the fairway. It certainly was the key shot that propelled her to the lowest score of the day in the girls field.

Scully shot a 92, two strokes less than Maddison Salter and Natalie White, both of whom shot a round of 94 in Class 3A.

Scully was 160 yards out when she got her eagle, which helped her to a front nine score of 44. It was the second eagle of her career for the senior.

“I got tired on the back,” Scully said, explaining that during the regular season she is allowed to use a pushcart while she must carry her bag in postseason play. “It’s a tough course because it’s hilly. But it’s also a really nice course the way everything is laid out.”

Frisch had a round of 109 to come in one stroke under the cutoff to advance to Wednesday’s District 11 Tournament.

Frisch was happy with her effort since she is only a sophomore, and is looking forward to the Class 2A championships.

“I was happy because I was able to get under 110, even if it wasn’t the best I could shoot,” she said.

“She’s been golfing pretty good all season,” said her coach Brian Kaminsky. “I’m so happy she made it.

“I think she’s the first girl from Weatherly to make it to districts since Alison Hough - which was over 10 years ago.”

PUTT, PUTT, PUTT … Certainly the axiom putt for dough was the reason for Lorenz’s strong outing. It surely helped him with confidence, saying afterward that the putter was the best club in his bag yesterday. The Indians play at Old Homestead during the season, where Lorenz averaged a 76 on the course.

LEADER BOARD … Lorenz finished tied for 7th overall in Class 3A. The low posting belonged to Liberty’s Mike Vital, who shot an even par 72.