ONTARIO — Eighteen holes of golf weren’t enough for Lexington’s Joey Zahn and Crestview’s Bryce Lutz. Zahn birdied the second sudden death playoff hole to claim medalist honors over Lutz at the 14-team McLean Invitational at Oak Tree Golf Club on a scorching Friday afternoon.
Lex won the team title with a 307. Wooster and Crestview both finished at 309, with the runner-up trophy going to the Generals based on fifth man scores.
Both Zahn and Lutz shot 2 over 74 on the sun baked 6,408 yard championship layout, forcing a sudden death playoff. Both players parred the first playoff hole, the difficult 449 yard par 4 eighth, then headed to the tee box at the 380 yard par 4 seventh.
Zahn hit his approach shot from 100 yards to within inches of the hole. Lutz’s second shot landed safely on the back of the green, leaving the Crestview senior with a 20 foot putt for birdie. The putt was wide to the left and rolled past the hole, meaning all Zahn had to do was tap in for birdie and the medalist plaque.
“After Joey’s approach, I knew I had to get close and give myself a chance,” Lutz said. “He hit a great shot.”
As he stood over the putt, Zahn had to steady himself.
“I was still shaking over it. It didn’t matter how close it was,” Zahn said. “I was relieved when it went in.”
Zahn’s father, Lexington coach Ryan Zahn, was relieved, too.
“It’s nerve-racking, but it was neat to see him come through and hit some clutch shots,” Ryan Zahn. “From where we were standing behind the green, it looked like his approach shot was going in.”
The elder Zahn is an accomplished golfer who regularly battles for the Richland County Men’s Golf Association championship each September. So is it harder to stand over a pressure putt or watch his son do it?
“Any parent will tell you it is way harder to watch your child do it than to actually do it yourself,” Ryan Zahn said. “When you are the one playing, you have more control over what is happening. When you are a parent, all you can do is watch.
“It’s fun, but it gets you.”
Bounce Back: The Minutemen lost a dual match on their home course (Pebble Creek) to Wooster on Thursday. Lex shot a team total of 173.
“That was a little bit of a wake-up call,” Ryan Zahn said. “It showed what can happen if you aren’t thinking your way around the course like you should.
“Sometimes it takes a night like that for the kids to understand they need a better approach on the golf course.”
The loss was Lexington’s first dual loss in three years.
“We had a team meeting after that and kind of decided that we lost because we didn’t pay attention to details and do all the little things you do when you are playing well,” Joey Zahn said. “Nobody played well. Wooster beat us and they didn’t even have a great score. They are better than what they shot.
“We just tried to come out and grind it a little bit.”
Caleb Smith backed Zahn with a 76, followed by Spencer Stierhoff (77) and Charles Mikeait (80).
Bounce Back Part 2: Clear Fork finished fifth with a team total of 321. Devon Shortridge led the way with a 77, followed by Luke Watson (78), ,Dakotah McClain (80) and Jake Helinski (86).
“We struggled at West Holmes on Tuesday and didn’t play well against Mansfield Senior at Twin Lakes on Wednesday,” coach Jeff Gottfried said. “It was nice to see three solid scores today. This is the first tournament where all three of them have done that.”
Swinging 70s: All four of Crestview’s scorers shot in the 70s Friday. Lutz led the way with a 74, followed by Michael Staniford carded a 77, while Ben Olewiler and Joe Stimpert each had 79.
“We played pretty well,” Lutz said. “It was a solid effort to have four guys in the 70s.
Aces: The shot of the day belonged to Sandusky’s Davin Jacobs. The Blue Streaks’ No. 1 player shot a hole in one on the par 3 second hole. Jacobs used a 6-iron from 176 yards out.
“It was my first hole in one ever. It was pretty crazy,” Jacobs said. “I was speechless. It was really cool to walk up to the green and see it in the cup.”
“I was still shaking over it. It didn’t matter how close it was,” Zahn said. “I was relieved when it went in.”
