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The 2009 Etowah County Championship concluded Friday with
the Champions Shoot-Out held at Silver Lakes Golf Course. Glencoe’s Zach Keener
was able to outlast Gadsden
City’s Amanda Richey in a
tremendous battle that took two extra holes to determine the winner. The top ten players in the 13 – 18 year old
divisions were invited to participate in this unique event where one player is
eliminated each hole until only one is left after the nine hole
competition.
It all began as Glencoe High’s Keener, Trey Irwin, Brittney
Watkins, Gadsden
City’s Richey, Nick Thrower, Tanner
Roberts, Cameron Dowling, Etowah’s Brett Garrard, Ashleigh Whisenant and
Southside’s Andrew McDonald teed off on the Heartbreaker Course. Irwin was the first to be eliminated as he
hit his tee shot into the woods and finished with a triple bogey. Hole two took down Nick Thrower as his drive
found the rough and he struggled to make double bogey.
Excitement began to
build on the third hole as a sudden death playoff was held between four
players. Dowling bowed out as his putt
from about 50 feet was left the greatest distance from the hole. Hole four eliminated
Andrew McDonald as he made bogey while the remaining competitors made
pars. The par three fifth also had a playoff. This time three players tied and were forced
into a “chip-off” and Brett Garrard’s shot was left well short and he was
eliminated. Ashleigh Whisenant was
eliminated on the sixth when her second shot went over the green and she was
unable to save par. Tanner Roberts’
drive went into the woods on hole seven and he soon
was eliminated.
Keener, Richey and Watkins were the only three left going
into the par three eighth hole. They all made bogeys, but Watkins was
eliminated due to her stroke total for the eight holes being the highest among
the remaining players. That left Keener
and Richey to battle for the title. Both
players played the ninth hole to perfection by hitting precise drives, good
approach shots and making par saving putts.
The first play-off hole was played on the same hole and provided the
same results. Richey and Keener both
made clutch putts to save par and force a second play-off hole. This time the hole was number nine on the
short course. The tee shot called for
play of about 150 yards to a green that is surrounded by water on three sides
and bunkers on the fourth. Keener hit an
excellent approach about fifteen feet right of the flag. Richey’s shot hit the back of the green and
went into the water. She took a double
bogey on the hole and Keener made par to take home the title.
On Thursday night the awards banquet was held. The Dr. Robert Graves Sportsmanship Award
went to Brett Garrard. The Chad Harcrow
Most Improved Player Award went to Tanner Dixon and the Isaac’s Award went to
Kyle Johnson.
All the junior golfers and their parents also wanted to
express their thanks to Larry Oliver, President of the Gadsden Junior Golf
Association, for making this event so special to those involved
