JUNIOR SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR Patrick Isztwan B Huntingdon Valley Country Club EING A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR amid the COVID-19 pandemic is a bummer. Patrick Isztwan knows the feeling. He spends half the week learning virtually, the other half in person with limited interaction among classmates. An unfortu-nate set of circumstances for such an important chapter in life. But Isztwan’s perspective matches that of his attitude toward a bad lie or an unexpected lip-out on the golf course. “I’m not going to lie; it kind of sucks,” Isztwan, 17, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., said. “But you just have to deal with it. There’s nothing you can do. You can complain about it all you want, but it’s not changing.” Complain isn’t included in the Isztwan lexicon. Commend is more ap-propriate. The carefree, considerate and cordial Huntingdon Valley Country Club member is the GAP Junior Sportsperson of the Year. “It means a lot,” Isztwan, a senior at William Penn Charter School, said. “I’ve always enjoyed playing in GAP events and being out there with a lot of my friends. It’s always been a nice environment. When I’m playing golf, I try not to get too up or down. I think I do a pretty good job of that. I’m just out there having a conversation with someone because I’m trying not to let my golf control my emotions. I’m trying to control my own emotions.” “Although 2020 has been filled with so many uncertainties, one thing that has remained constant is Patrick’s positive attitude and amiable disposition when he competed in our events,” Chris Roselle, GAP Tournament Director, added. “While Patrick did find plenty of success on the course this year, most notably winning our Christman Cup, I will look back on the way in which he handled himself after not qualifying for the Championship Flight of our Junior Boys’ Championship as his most meaningful victory.” Isztwan, a University of Richmond commit, approaches each round of golf with the same mindset. “You go out there, you do your best and if someone beats you, hats off to them. Shake their hand and say, ‘Good playing.’ If they beat you, then they were more prepared for that tournament,” he said. “There’s no reason to be angry at them or angry at yourself. You’re just going out there trying to compete, trying to play to the best of your ability. “You just take advantage of all of the good opportunities given to you and get through it.” – Tony Regina Isztwan www.gapgolf.org 11
GAP Magazine 2020 Winter: Page 11
