Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
With a two-day total of 159 Sidney's Taylor Barton tied for 13th and medaled for the second consecutive year at the NSAA Boys Class B State Golf Tournament.
Michael Hadden of Scottsbluff is the 2013 Class B champion with an agregate score of 148. Hadden led the tournament wire-to-wire as he managed a 75 under the challenging conditions of Tuesday. Hadden finished the job with a one-over par 73 on Wednesday in a round that included five birdies.
Brian Carmody of Omaha Skutt Catholic finished second (151) and Hadden's teammate Andrew Holloway was third at 152. Holloway finished his tournament with a 74 playing in Barton's group.
"I think I've played with (Holloway) in just about every match we've had this year," Barton said.
Scottsbluff was the winner of the team competition for the second year in-a-row with a 634 total. Blair was second with 643 and Beatrice third at 646.
Barton opened up on Tuesday with a six-over par 78 amid winds which streamed consistently in the mid 20s and gusted to over 30. The winds laid down some on Wednesday but were still tormenting golfers with a steady mid teens.
"It was much worse yesterday," said Sidney coach Chuck Christensen on Wednesday.
For the most part Sidney's Barton hit the ball beautifully for two days. After day one he was in solid position. His 78 left him in a tie for fourth, three strokes behind leader Hadden.
On Wednesday Barton played the first seven holes in even par. He opened up with a perfect drive the first but put his approach shot in the front bunker. His "fried-egg lie" led to a bogey.
He rebounded on number two with another set-piece drive. He put his second shot on the back of the green about 30 feet from the pin. Barton made the putt which was puntuated by a loud, "Yes," from his grandmother Elanor Plummer watching from the gallery.
From there Barton was rock steady hitting six consecutive greens-in-regulation. The first signs of trouble came at the 410-yard dogleg eighth hole. Barton appeared to hit another perfect drive cutting off the dogleg. Instead he outdrove the bend in the fairway and ended up under a tree. He was forced to punch out and settle for bogey.
"I caught a bad break on eight, but I was just stupid on nine," Barton said after his round.
On the ninth, Barton made his first bad swing with the driver. He ended up left under trees and took two to get out perhaps trying to be too greedy. He went on to make double bogey.
"Other than a couple of holes I hit the ball well today," Barton said.
On the holes he did not hit the driver well, Barton paid the price.
Though his biggest troubles came on the back nine, he played 10 through 13 in even par. For the second consecutive day he birdied the 12th hole. On 13 he made a tough par save after pushing his drive right.
"There was a tree in my line there," Barton confirmed.
Barton punched a low shot that went a little long and left. He saved par with a chip to about four feet and sank the putt.
On 14 Barton doubled with a three putt from short range. On 16, there was doubt as to whether his drive stayed in bounds. After hitting a provisional, he found his original ball in a bad lie which led to triple bogey.
"I'm going to try and get on as a walk-on at the University of Wyoming," Barton said of his future plans.
Barton, already enrolled at UW, say's he plans to travel to Laramie in early August. He expects to meet with Wyoming's Director of Golf Joe Jensen shortly thereafter.
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