Mann rebounds in Jay win

It was far from the best start of his career.

Griffin Mann, playing in his final home match as a Patriot, was 4-over-par through three holes.

Then he made par. He got a stroke back on a newly converted par-5. Then he shot even the rest of the way.

Mann fired a 3-over 39 to lead the Jay County High School boys golf team past the Daleville Broncos, 174-193, on Tuesday at Portland Golf Club.

“Very bittersweet,” said Mann of his last home 9-hole round. “I love this sport and this team and I’ve had some great experiences as a Jay County golfer.

“However, I’m really looking forward to sectional (Monday) as well as the next chapter of my life following high school.”

After making par to start his round, Mann had a 15-foot par put on No. 2 miss to the left by 6 inches and stop a foot away from the cup. He had to settle for bogey.

On the 385-yard, par-4 third hole, Mann’s tee shot went out of bounds down the left side of the fairway. His third stroke was low, yet still to the left. He chipped to about 20 feet from the pin just off the fringe, and then his chip for bogey was about 4 feet short.

Hoping to have a double bogey on the hole, his 4-foot putt lipped out the left side of the cup.

From there, however, it was all smooth sailing for the senior.

“I was just really able to hold my composure tonight,” he said. “I’m very experienced when it comes to having a big number on the scorecard early in a round and letting it ruin me.

“Lately I’ve just been really working on staying mentally tough, forgetting the bad shot or bad hole and moving on to the next one. And that’s what I had to do tonight after the triple on (No. 3).”

Caleb DeRome also birdied the par-5 fifth hole, which had the tees moved back and converted from a par 4. He ended his round with a birdie on the par-4 ninth hole as well.

Kyle Sanders shot 47 as the No. 3 score for the Patriots, and Simon Pryor shot 48 to complete the team score.

Brock DeHoff also competed, but his round of 50 did not factor into the Patriots’ team total.

On May 28, Jay County shot a season-low 157, so the Patriots are trending in the right direction heading into the sectional tournament Monday at Hickory Hills Golf Club in rural Farmland.

“I feel like we’re playing pretty well as a whole,” Mann sad. “There’s three very talented teams in Monroe Central, Delta and Yorktown that we’re going to have to try and keep up with.

“With that said, if three or four of our guys can go out and play some of their best golf I truly believe we have a shot at sneaking into the top three and advancing to regionals.”