June 10, 2023 at 1:23 a.m.
DeRome breaks 80
Jay County junior reaches goal at regional tournament
DeRome breaks 80
By Andrew Balko-
YORKTOWN — Caleb DeRome set out with the goal of shooting under 80 strokes at the regional tournament.
He was on pace with only one hole to go.
If he was able to shoot par on the 400-yard, 4-par 18th hole, he would finish with a 79.
The pine tree off the right half of the fairway wasn’t going to make it easy for DeRome.
Despite having a run in with the tree and facing a 15-foot putt, DeRome was able to make par and achieve his goal.
DeRome’s 7-over-par 79 earned him a tie for 23rd-place in the IHSAA regional golf meet at The Players Club at Woodland Trail on Thursday morning. Mattingly Upchurch of Hamilton Southeastern and Maverick Conaway of Tipton tied for first place at 70.
“One of my goals was to break 80,” DeRome said. “That was probably the only goal I had and I did it.”
It was the junior’s third straight appearance in the regional meet. He shot an 89 last season after carding an 84 as a freshman. After a troublesome start, JCHS coach Dave Haines reflected on DeRome’s growth and how close he could have been to the winning regional if he was consistent on the front nine.
“He shot even on the back at Yorktown and right now 2-under is winning this tournament, so if he could have repeated the same thing on the front he’s there,” Haines said. “He’s that caliber of player. It’s just a matter of honing some things in and playing the game.”
On the first six holes, DeRome struggled with the speed of the greens according to Haines, leading to some rough putting.
His biggest setback came on hole No. 4 When DeRome teed off of the 559-yard, par-5, his ball landed 4 inches out of bounds, costing him an extra stroke. DeRome ended with a triple bogey on the hole.
Despite the early struggles, DeRome was in position to achieve his goal on the 18th hole. His drive landed underneath a pine tree. After tossing some pinecones out of the way of his ball, he put his back into the tree to create space for him to swing. He then hit a low liner that bounced on the golf cart path and into a clearing where he could see the green about 80 yards from the hole.
Having overcome the tree, DeRome hit the ball onto the green. All that stood between him and his goal was a 15-foot putt.
He walked up the ball, lined up his putt as usual, tapped it forward and watched as it slowly rolled to the cup and fell in, bringing cheers from his parents and coaches watching.
“I just had to focus on that putt and not worry about anything else that happened prior in the day,” DeRome said. “Just had to look at the line and it was straight. Make sure I hit through the ball and got the putt.”
The 18th hole wasn’t DeRome’s only save of the day. On the 419-yard, par-4 11th hole, he didn’t squarely catch the ball off the tee, sending it only about 100 yards.
He saved the hole by hitting his irons well and sinking an uphill putt to get par.
DeRome made the next three holes look easy, shooting for par on all three.
Approaching the 15th hole, Haines predicted that DeRome would birdie it.
“I knew it was a par 5, the wind wasn’t hurting him and because he’s gained some distance off the tee, I knew he could get up there, close in three (strokes),” Haines said. “A good chip gave him a good chance for birdie and he did that.”
A solid start off the tee and a second shot with his iron placed him in front of the bunker on the right side of the fairway. A chip onto the front half of the green allowed the ball to roll near the cup so he could easily tap it in for birdie.
DeRome’s only bogey on the back nine came on the 17th hole. After a solid drive, he hit his second shot into the bunker in front of the green.
“When I landed in the bunker, my ball sank in the sand and it was only half exposed, so I had to scoop it out,” DeRome said. “When you scoop it out of sand it’s hard to make it go forward so the lie in the sand got me there.”
DeRome scooped the ball out of the sand, but it rested on the front of the green for a long putt. His first attempt came up short before he made the second for bogey.
He finished the match with one birdie, 11 pars, five bogeys and one triple-bogey.
“He had a great recovery,” Haines said. “That’s something to really take with him to next year.”
He was on pace with only one hole to go.
If he was able to shoot par on the 400-yard, 4-par 18th hole, he would finish with a 79.
The pine tree off the right half of the fairway wasn’t going to make it easy for DeRome.
Despite having a run in with the tree and facing a 15-foot putt, DeRome was able to make par and achieve his goal.
DeRome’s 7-over-par 79 earned him a tie for 23rd-place in the IHSAA regional golf meet at The Players Club at Woodland Trail on Thursday morning. Mattingly Upchurch of Hamilton Southeastern and Maverick Conaway of Tipton tied for first place at 70.
“One of my goals was to break 80,” DeRome said. “That was probably the only goal I had and I did it.”
It was the junior’s third straight appearance in the regional meet. He shot an 89 last season after carding an 84 as a freshman. After a troublesome start, JCHS coach Dave Haines reflected on DeRome’s growth and how close he could have been to the winning regional if he was consistent on the front nine.
“He shot even on the back at Yorktown and right now 2-under is winning this tournament, so if he could have repeated the same thing on the front he’s there,” Haines said. “He’s that caliber of player. It’s just a matter of honing some things in and playing the game.”
On the first six holes, DeRome struggled with the speed of the greens according to Haines, leading to some rough putting.
His biggest setback came on hole No. 4 When DeRome teed off of the 559-yard, par-5, his ball landed 4 inches out of bounds, costing him an extra stroke. DeRome ended with a triple bogey on the hole.
Despite the early struggles, DeRome was in position to achieve his goal on the 18th hole. His drive landed underneath a pine tree. After tossing some pinecones out of the way of his ball, he put his back into the tree to create space for him to swing. He then hit a low liner that bounced on the golf cart path and into a clearing where he could see the green about 80 yards from the hole.
Having overcome the tree, DeRome hit the ball onto the green. All that stood between him and his goal was a 15-foot putt.
He walked up the ball, lined up his putt as usual, tapped it forward and watched as it slowly rolled to the cup and fell in, bringing cheers from his parents and coaches watching.
“I just had to focus on that putt and not worry about anything else that happened prior in the day,” DeRome said. “Just had to look at the line and it was straight. Make sure I hit through the ball and got the putt.”
The 18th hole wasn’t DeRome’s only save of the day. On the 419-yard, par-4 11th hole, he didn’t squarely catch the ball off the tee, sending it only about 100 yards.
He saved the hole by hitting his irons well and sinking an uphill putt to get par.
DeRome made the next three holes look easy, shooting for par on all three.
Approaching the 15th hole, Haines predicted that DeRome would birdie it.
“I knew it was a par 5, the wind wasn’t hurting him and because he’s gained some distance off the tee, I knew he could get up there, close in three (strokes),” Haines said. “A good chip gave him a good chance for birdie and he did that.”
A solid start off the tee and a second shot with his iron placed him in front of the bunker on the right side of the fairway. A chip onto the front half of the green allowed the ball to roll near the cup so he could easily tap it in for birdie.
DeRome’s only bogey on the back nine came on the 17th hole. After a solid drive, he hit his second shot into the bunker in front of the green.
“When I landed in the bunker, my ball sank in the sand and it was only half exposed, so I had to scoop it out,” DeRome said. “When you scoop it out of sand it’s hard to make it go forward so the lie in the sand got me there.”
DeRome scooped the ball out of the sand, but it rested on the front of the green for a long putt. His first attempt came up short before he made the second for bogey.
He finished the match with one birdie, 11 pars, five bogeys and one triple-bogey.
“He had a great recovery,” Haines said. “That’s something to really take with him to next year.”
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