Beating the Salesianum School golf team is a tall order, even if it’s a home match at Rehoboth Beach Country Club.

The Wilmington Catholic prep school enrolls more than 900 boys from four states. Many of them golf at private clubs in the area. Head coach Bill Fitzpatrick said the Sallies golf team is the hardest challenge for would-be varsity members to earn a spot. This year, 44 tried out for 13 openings. 

Currently ranked second in the state golf rankings behind Archmere Academy, another Wilmington Catholic prep school, Sallies was 13-0 before the May 4 match with Cape, currently fourth in the same ranking. 

Led by medalist Joseph Kelly’s two-under 34, Sallies beat the Vikings 147-154. 

Kingston Davis played best for Cape with his even-par 36, with Ryan McNett two strokes back at 38. Chad Hughey and Jack Tunnell posted a pair of 40s. 

The Vikings’ 154 was four strokes above the team’s best this season, a pair of 150s made April 23 and April 27. It also helped reduce Cape’s average match score to 158.4 for 2026.

Sallies’s 147 was four-and-a-half strokes lower than the team’s 151.5 match average. 

This is how tight things are at the top. 

Sallies played Archmere May 5 at DuPont Country Club and tied 151-151. Hannah Webb of Archmere also tied for co-medalist with Sallies’ Grant Burkhart and Luke LaScala with one-over 37s.

The Sallies-Cape match featured a few breaks in the action, courtesy of the club’s irrigation system. The sprinklers came on and doused several greens (and some surprised high school golfers) for several minutes. The spray created a tiny rainbow mist over the eighth green and a short game delay.

The Vikings’ Senior Day home match against Delmarva Christian and Woodbridge is set for Monday, May 11, at RBCC.

Seahawks v. Seahawks

The Delaware Military Academy Seahawks traveled down from Wilmington May 4 to face the Sussex Academy Seahawks on the back nine at Kings Creek CC. 

We don’t often see golf matches with matching mascots.

The host team won 160-166. Players from both teams earned co-medalist honors in yet another improbable circumstance. Sussex Academy's Jordan Green led his team with a 37, while DMA’s Brayden Hughes did the same thing for his squad.

Ryan Kline’s 39, Bodhi Williams’ 40 and Nicholas DeEmedio’s 44 made up the rest of the Georgetown team's total.

In other action, Sussex Academy played Sussex Tech at Heritage Shores May 6, winning 158-207 on the front nine.

Green won medalist again with a one-over 37. DeEmedio finished one stroke back with a 38. Ryan Dostal contributed with a 40, and Gino Magliano added his 43 to the team total.

The Seahawks previously hosted the Delmar Wildcats April 30 on the front nine of Kings Creek CC, winning the contest 157-165.

Delmar’s Grayson Throm won medalist with a one-under 34. DeEmedio led Sussex Academy with his 37, with Williams two strokes back. Green’s 40 and Kline’s 41 completed the scoring.

Delmarva Christian faces Knights and Quakers

The Delmarva Christian Royals played the Sussex Central Golden Knights and the Quakers of Wilmington Friends May 4 at Baywood Greens. 

Central’s 164 defeated Friends by a single stroke and the Royals by 15 strokes.

Quinn Marshall of Friends won medalist honors with an even-par 36. Joseph Neumann scored best for Sussex Central with his 39. 

Nicholas Gipko’s 41 led the Royals, with Donavan Balback’s 42 and a pair of 48s by Avery McCoy and Cole Parker completing the team scoring.

Midway Par 3 fundraiser 

The annual Walt Jones Memorial Golf Outing takes place Friday, May 15, at Midway Par 3 in Lewes. 

Fundraiser proceeds support Sussex County Habitat for Humanity. 

The $85 per player or $320 per foursome entry fee includes a pre-round putting contest, meals and awards. Morning and afternoon tee times are available, as are sponsorships. Go to sussexcountyhabitat.org to register.

Making the best of it

Spirit Airlines shut down completely May 3 , leaving customers stranded.

The airline’s sudden demise created an immediate and tiny bump in the Cape Region economy. I met three Spirit refugees for an 8:03 a.m. tee time May 4 at The Rookery.

Three very pleasant gentlemen from Massachusetts had flown Spirit to Myrtle Beach, S.C., last week for a golf vacation. They played Long Bay and other courses, but were rained out of a round at Arrowhead Country Club. On Saturday night, they received the email notice there would be no plane home. They decided to rent a car, drive north, find a hotel and play golf in Delaware, and then head home thereafter.

We met at the first tee and had a fun round. I gave them my best chamber of commerce spiel about the area and recommended they take the Cape May-Lewes Ferry home.

I think they did.

Local club competition results

The Mulligan’s Pointe Ladies played a 5 Club/Net game May 5.

Tammy Findlay won the first division, with Sue Brady in second and M. L. York in third. Donna Dolce won the second division, followed by Jackie Adams in second and JoAnn Foster in third.