Adams prevails in one-hole playoff

Published in Sports on June 2, 2005 1:53 PM

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So, it never rains on the golf course, eh?

A record 49 golfers dodged the elements Wednesday afternoon and morning during the fifth installment of the Wayne County Junior Amateur golf tournament at Lane Tree.

"You can really see how the sport is catching on in the county," said Jack Crane, tournament administrator. "With so many successful high school programs, along with 'Tiger Woods syndrome,' it's just exploding."

That perception was amplified by Parker King, head pro at Lane Tree.

"Take a look at some of the scores and the ages of the players," he said. "Don't be surprised if there aren't a number of potential Division I players, following in the steps of Clarence Rose, who were out there today."

Play was competitive in virtually every flight.

Tyler Huetter and Nicholas Adams picked right up where they finished last year in the boys' 8-9 bracket. Last year, Huetter won in a playoff.

This time, it was Adams' turn. In the comeback story of the day, the fourth grader from Rosewood Elementary found himself six shots back with only three holes to play. His birdie-par-birdie finish earned him a tie with a 44 for nine holes.

Playing the ninth hole again, he won with a bogey. Not a bad effort for someone who started the game at three, and never has taken a lesson.

The Kelli Forbis-Kristen Freeman contest in the girls' 13-18 division, came down to the 18th hole. Tied going to the final hole after Forbis took a double bogey, Freeman, the number No. 3 player at Mt. Olive College, found a sand trap. Her 82 was eclipsed by Forbis, a junior at C.B. Aycock, who shot 39-41 for an 80.

Two brothers, from a school that doesn't even have a golf team, finished 1-2 in the boys 12-13 pairings. Jackson Shearin defeated his fraternal twin brother Will, 75-77.

It took a two-hole playoff for Aycock's Will Vinson to edge Wayne Christian's Mathew Davis. Vinson was sailing along at 4-under par, when he doubled the fifth and bogeyed the eighth. Otherwise, his 37-34 would have been two subpar nine's.

By his own admission, Davis missed far too many birdie opportunities. In the playoff, on number 11, he found the water, leading to a bogey. Vinson won with a par.

Another Aycock Golden Falcon, Ryan Campbell (36-35) won the boys' 16-18 flight. Jonathan Burke (38-35) bested Shane Ogburn (38-35), and Clark Rose (37-36) for second place.

Other winners were Cierra Harris, girls 8-9, and Christopher Wilkens, boys' 10-11.