July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Jay misses title by one (05/17/05)
JCHS boys golf
Jay misses title by one (05/17/05)
By By RAY COONEY-
PORTLAND — Every Jay County player went home with a ribbon Monday. But the trophy still eluded the Patriots.
Nate Holm led the Connersville boys golf team to the Olympic Athletic Conference title with a top score of 75 as the Spartans edged the host team 311-312.
Anderson Highland was a distant third with a score of 352, and Muncie Southside shot 373.
“It was just kind of disappointing. These kids are seniors,” said JCHS coach Butch Gray after the tournament at Portland Golf Club. “Getting to play it on our own course and then not getting it done (was tough).”
The Patriots trailed by five after the front nine, but made up their deficit with outstanding play on the 13th and 14th holes. However, the 18th came back to bite them.
Jay County’s four scoring players combined to play the 178-yard final hole at 6-over par. Alex Hunt and Adam Foster each turned in bogeys, and then came Ben Freeman and Nathan McClung.
Freeman and McClung each left their first shots at the bottom of the hill to the left side of the green. Freeman’s second shot went to the right fringe, and he three-putted for double bogey.
In the meantime Connersville’s Ian Weber birdied the 18th, leaving McClung in need of a par to win the tournament outright and a bogey to tie the score.
McClung chipped his second shot to the top of the green, leaving himself about 10 feet downhill for a par. However, his par putt rolled about six or seven feet past the upper left pin placement.
His bogey putt missed to the left side by about an inch, and he tapped in for double-bogey.
The play on the final hole left the Patriots one stroke shy of the championship. Had any of their top four players picked up just one more stroke during their round they would have won the title thanks to the fifth-score tiebreaker — Jay County’s Tyler Johnston had an 84 while Zach Fow shot 92 for the Spartans.
“The kids played well, really, to shoot a 312,” said Gray. “I know they’re sitting there saying ‘I could’ve done this, I could’ve done that,’ but you can’t do that or you’ll drive yourself crazy.
“This is a funny game. You can play six holes great and three or four holes will just blow your score up.”
Even with the rough finish McClung, who shared the tournament high with three birdies on the day, finished just one stroke behind Holm for match medalist honors with a 76.
Every one of Jay County’s players finished in the top 10. Hunt was fourth with a 77, Foster took sixth with a 78, Freeman was eighth with an 81 and Johnston placed 10th with an 84.
“That’s been the strength of our team all year is that we have five kids who can score,” said Gray. “Hopefully when we go to sectional we can have four of five of them and we can be right there.”
But, Connersville’s top four players all took home ribbons as well, with Ian Weber placing second with a 76, Chris Bell fifth at 78 and Paul Ott ninth at 82.
McClung, who lost a playoff to Weber to finish third, and Hunt each earned all-conference awards for their play. Foster lost a playoff to Bell for the final all-conference spot as he bogeyed the first hole.
The Patriots’ two favorite holes of the day were Nos. 13 and 14, with Foster and Freeman turning in great shots for birdies on the 150-yard, par-3 13th.
Foster left his drive short of the green and just to the right, but made up for it by chipping in for his birdie. Freeman knocked his drive on the green and then drained a 40-foot putt to play the hole at 1-under.
Foster and Freeman each went on to birdie the 520-yard, par-5 14th hole, as did McClung. The rest of the Patriots parred both 13 and 14 as they combined to play the pair at 5-under.
But, “The front nine is what really got us,” said Gray, whose team shot 159 on the front nine and 153 on the back. “We were down five and we made up four shots, we just couldn’t get over the hump.
“I think it was just nerves. I’ve watched these kids for four years get up on this first tee and hit the ball down the middle. I had a feeling about how the day was going to be because we sprayed off the first tee.”[[In-content Ad]]
Nate Holm led the Connersville boys golf team to the Olympic Athletic Conference title with a top score of 75 as the Spartans edged the host team 311-312.
Anderson Highland was a distant third with a score of 352, and Muncie Southside shot 373.
“It was just kind of disappointing. These kids are seniors,” said JCHS coach Butch Gray after the tournament at Portland Golf Club. “Getting to play it on our own course and then not getting it done (was tough).”
The Patriots trailed by five after the front nine, but made up their deficit with outstanding play on the 13th and 14th holes. However, the 18th came back to bite them.
Jay County’s four scoring players combined to play the 178-yard final hole at 6-over par. Alex Hunt and Adam Foster each turned in bogeys, and then came Ben Freeman and Nathan McClung.
Freeman and McClung each left their first shots at the bottom of the hill to the left side of the green. Freeman’s second shot went to the right fringe, and he three-putted for double bogey.
In the meantime Connersville’s Ian Weber birdied the 18th, leaving McClung in need of a par to win the tournament outright and a bogey to tie the score.
McClung chipped his second shot to the top of the green, leaving himself about 10 feet downhill for a par. However, his par putt rolled about six or seven feet past the upper left pin placement.
His bogey putt missed to the left side by about an inch, and he tapped in for double-bogey.
The play on the final hole left the Patriots one stroke shy of the championship. Had any of their top four players picked up just one more stroke during their round they would have won the title thanks to the fifth-score tiebreaker — Jay County’s Tyler Johnston had an 84 while Zach Fow shot 92 for the Spartans.
“The kids played well, really, to shoot a 312,” said Gray. “I know they’re sitting there saying ‘I could’ve done this, I could’ve done that,’ but you can’t do that or you’ll drive yourself crazy.
“This is a funny game. You can play six holes great and three or four holes will just blow your score up.”
Even with the rough finish McClung, who shared the tournament high with three birdies on the day, finished just one stroke behind Holm for match medalist honors with a 76.
Every one of Jay County’s players finished in the top 10. Hunt was fourth with a 77, Foster took sixth with a 78, Freeman was eighth with an 81 and Johnston placed 10th with an 84.
“That’s been the strength of our team all year is that we have five kids who can score,” said Gray. “Hopefully when we go to sectional we can have four of five of them and we can be right there.”
But, Connersville’s top four players all took home ribbons as well, with Ian Weber placing second with a 76, Chris Bell fifth at 78 and Paul Ott ninth at 82.
McClung, who lost a playoff to Weber to finish third, and Hunt each earned all-conference awards for their play. Foster lost a playoff to Bell for the final all-conference spot as he bogeyed the first hole.
The Patriots’ two favorite holes of the day were Nos. 13 and 14, with Foster and Freeman turning in great shots for birdies on the 150-yard, par-3 13th.
Foster left his drive short of the green and just to the right, but made up for it by chipping in for his birdie. Freeman knocked his drive on the green and then drained a 40-foot putt to play the hole at 1-under.
Foster and Freeman each went on to birdie the 520-yard, par-5 14th hole, as did McClung. The rest of the Patriots parred both 13 and 14 as they combined to play the pair at 5-under.
But, “The front nine is what really got us,” said Gray, whose team shot 159 on the front nine and 153 on the back. “We were down five and we made up four shots, we just couldn’t get over the hump.
“I think it was just nerves. I’ve watched these kids for four years get up on this first tee and hit the ball down the middle. I had a feeling about how the day was going to be because we sprayed off the first tee.”[[In-content Ad]]
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD