Keller leads JC in split

Justen Keller didn’t go home after Saturday’s Winchester Invitational was halted because of rain.
Instead, he went to Portland Golf Club to work on his game.
He was back out on the course again Sunday.
That extra work paid off.
With Jay County hosting the Bluffton Tigers and undefeated Bellmont Braves Thursday, Keller was the best golfer on the course. He posted his low score of the season — 37 — to earn medalist honors as the Patriots turned in their best score of the year with a 172.
“He just didn’t take the days off when the weather was a little inclement,” said JCHS coach Butch Gray of the senior. “Putting in that extra time instead of just relying on practice time, that makes a difference. That clearly shows with him tonight.”
Bellmont stayed perfect by winning the event with a 159, and Bluffton finished third at 193. After falling to the Tigers by three earlier this season at Timber Ridge Golf Club, Jay County defeated them April 21 at the South Adams Invitational and again on Thursday.
“We came back and avenged a loss to Bluffton,” said Gray. “Bellmont is a very good team. They’re solid from top to bottom. When you have a No. 6 who shoots 39, that’s a pretty good golf team.”
Keller’s round started a bit slow as he took bogeys on three of the first four holes. But he said he felt like he corrected some things on the 12th hole at PGC, and then he caught fire on No. 14.
After hitting his third shot into the rough near the green on the 520-yard par-5, Keller chipped in for his first birdie of the day.
He chipped in again for birdie from just off the green on the 168-yard, par-3 15th hole and then drained a 30-foot birdie putt on the 354-yard, par-4 16th.
“The golf Gods are with you,” said Gray of the streak. “It gives you all the confidence in the world. … You’re sitting there going , ‘Wow, I’ve got it cookin’ tonight.’”
Keller took a break from his birdie run on No. 17 before landing his tee shot on the 178-yard, par-3 18th on the green. He finished his day by nailing the 15-foot birdie putt for his 37 as he played the final five holes at 3-under-par.
“It started off bad, but I came back and it was great,” said Keller of his round. “It feels great.”
Zach Wetzel, Chase Ellsworth and Nick Faurote all shot 39 for Bellmont, which improved to 11-0 with the double win. Ethan Kitt had the low score for Bluffton with a 46.
The match marked the first time since Keller shot 94 at the season-opening Yorktown Invitational that anyone other than sophomore Evan Mathias had posted the low score for the Patriots.
“I think maybe that will help Evan,” said Gray of Keller’s low score. “He won’t think that he’s got to shoot a low number every time.”
Mathias had three pars for the Patriots, playing even on the 498-yard, par-5 12th hole, the 16th and the 18th.
His only big mistake of the night came when his drive on the 344-yard, par-4 17th hole bounced into the pond along the right side of the fairway. He managed a double bogey on the hole and then came back to close his round with a par.
“Evan had a good round going until he had the double on 17,” said Gray. “He was doing pretty well.”
Adam Alfont’s pars came on the his first and last holes of the evening, 17 and 16 respectively, as he carded a 46. Richie Carducci posted a 47 to round out the team score.
Mitchell Rigby added a 48, and Dylan Friddle finished at 49.
“I think it’s a situation where we are hopefully starting to do the little things,” Gray said. “The kids are using our time as quality time in practice. … Hopefully we can just keep building on this. Hopefully we can just keep improving.”

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