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Danville senior J.B. Williams tied for medalist honors Wednesday after shooting an even-par 71 at the 4th Region Tournament at Lincoln Homestead State park in Springfield. It was Williams¿ third straight state berth, but said he was disappointed he would not be bring his Danville teammates along again this year. (Hal Morris / September 27, 2012) |
SPRINGFIELD — J.B. Williams is heading back to the state golf tournament. He just wishes he was taking his teammates back with him.
The Danville senior used a terrific back nine to fire an even-par 71 Wednesday and tie for medalist honors at the 4th Region Tournament at Lincoln Homestead State Park.
“It was a hell of a 71. I went out in 38, so I was 2 over at the turn,” Williams said. “So I had to bring it home in 2 under, and I shot a 33, which I was really proud of.
“The wind picked it up on the back, which made it harder. The easier holes were into the wind on the back nine. I thought under par would win, but I wasn’t expecting this wind. When I was out there and under par, I was thinking if I could get this back to even, I have good shot.”
But Williams will be making his third straight trip to Bowling Green next week alone. The Admirals, who were second in the region last year, finished third Wednesday with a score of 310. West Jessamine, ranked second in the state, won with a score of 295, while Adair County was second and earned the other state berth with a 305.
“Today, I’d say, is a bittersweet day is the best way to describe it. We had a couple of guys play well and a couple of guys not play so well, but that happens,” Williams said. “Adair played their best today, and they definitely deserved to go.”
The tournament was delayed by a day after rain halted play early into Tuesday’s round. Williams said the delay did not affect him.
“I was mentally prepared and set to go all day yesterday. But the fact of missing school another day got me just as excited,” he said. “It didn’t really affect me.”
And the course showed few effects of the downpour. But the wind picked up, and that is what Danville coach Marc Williams said his team could not handle.
“We just didn’t play the wind well. J.B. made four bogeys in five holes. We were 22 over after 12 holes, so we played even par the last six holes and that was the best we played,”¿Marc Williams said. “The wind died down a little bit, (but) we just didn’t play the wind well and nobody really putted well. There was no evidence of the rain out there, really, so I can’t say it was yesterday. I think the wind today made the difference for us. Once some of the guys got so far behind, it’s hard to see yourself making it up.
“It just wasn’t our day. We’re better than 310, but I don’t know if we could have made up five shots, that’s a lot. But we’ve had a good season, we did well, it’s disappointing not to be able to go back as a team, but there’s other years.”
Williams tied with West Jessamine’s Fred Allen Meyer and went to a playoff hole for medalist honors. Williams ripped his ball way left, but rebounded to save par. However, Meyer birdied to take first place.
“I duck-hooked the tee shot way left, but I actually had a really nice opening to the green,”¿Williams said. And I paced it off to 110 yards, which is where I wanted to land it. I went with a 52-degree wedge and I hit a nice one.
“I had that same exact putt the first time I played it when I teed off, but the putt didn’t break so I played less break and the putt just went left.”
Danville’s Nick Serey provided the highlight of the day, however, when he aced the par-3, 145-yard 17th hole for his first hole-in-one ever.
“It was just kind of undescribable. You just hit it and you don’t ever really think. You say ‘get in the hole,’ but when it does, you just never know,” said Serey, who finished with an 80. “I’m pretty happy with that. It was just one of those cherries on top. I mean, I’d give up the hole-in-one if we could go to state as a team. And to do it here is a big deal, too.”
The Danville senior used a terrific back nine to fire an even-par 71 Wednesday and tie for medalist honors at the 4th Region Tournament at Lincoln Homestead State Park.
“It was a hell of a 71. I went out in 38, so I was 2 over at the turn,” Williams said. “So I had to bring it home in 2 under, and I shot a 33, which I was really proud of.
“The wind picked it up on the back, which made it harder. The easier holes were into the wind on the back nine. I thought under par would win, but I wasn’t expecting this wind. When I was out there and under par, I was thinking if I could get this back to even, I have good shot.”
But Williams will be making his third straight trip to Bowling Green next week alone. The Admirals, who were second in the region last year, finished third Wednesday with a score of 310. West Jessamine, ranked second in the state, won with a score of 295, while Adair County was second and earned the other state berth with a 305.
“Today, I’d say, is a bittersweet day is the best way to describe it. We had a couple of guys play well and a couple of guys not play so well, but that happens,” Williams said. “Adair played their best today, and they definitely deserved to go.”
The tournament was delayed by a day after rain halted play early into Tuesday’s round. Williams said the delay did not affect him.
“I was mentally prepared and set to go all day yesterday. But the fact of missing school another day got me just as excited,” he said. “It didn’t really affect me.”
And the course showed few effects of the downpour. But the wind picked up, and that is what Danville coach Marc Williams said his team could not handle.
“We just didn’t play the wind well. J.B. made four bogeys in five holes. We were 22 over after 12 holes, so we played even par the last six holes and that was the best we played,”¿Marc Williams said. “The wind died down a little bit, (but) we just didn’t play the wind well and nobody really putted well. There was no evidence of the rain out there, really, so I can’t say it was yesterday. I think the wind today made the difference for us. Once some of the guys got so far behind, it’s hard to see yourself making it up.
“It just wasn’t our day. We’re better than 310, but I don’t know if we could have made up five shots, that’s a lot. But we’ve had a good season, we did well, it’s disappointing not to be able to go back as a team, but there’s other years.”
Williams tied with West Jessamine’s Fred Allen Meyer and went to a playoff hole for medalist honors. Williams ripped his ball way left, but rebounded to save par. However, Meyer birdied to take first place.
“I duck-hooked the tee shot way left, but I actually had a really nice opening to the green,”¿Williams said. And I paced it off to 110 yards, which is where I wanted to land it. I went with a 52-degree wedge and I hit a nice one.
“I had that same exact putt the first time I played it when I teed off, but the putt didn’t break so I played less break and the putt just went left.”
Danville’s Nick Serey provided the highlight of the day, however, when he aced the par-3, 145-yard 17th hole for his first hole-in-one ever.
“It was just kind of undescribable. You just hit it and you don’t ever really think. You say ‘get in the hole,’ but when it does, you just never know,” said Serey, who finished with an 80. “I’m pretty happy with that. It was just one of those cherries on top. I mean, I’d give up the hole-in-one if we could go to state as a team. And to do it here is a big deal, too.”
