MANSFIELD, Ohio — Thirty-six holes weren’t quite enough for Claire Korbas and Amanda Ruminski.
The Shelby duo needed a playoff to decide the championship of the girls 15-16-year-old division during the final round of the Richland County Junior Golf Tournament on a scorching Tuesday afternoon at the Woods at Possum Run.
A rising eighth-grader playing up a division, Ruminski parred the first playoff hole for a one-stroke victory over Korbas. Both players posted identical two-day totals of 162.
“In the car (on the way to The Woods) we were talking about how we didn’t want to be in a playoff. I think we jinxed ourselves,” said Ruminski, who followed Monday’s opening-round 78 at Twin Lakes with an 84. “We’re really good friends and I didn’t want me to beat her and I didn’t want her to beat me.”
Both players hit their tee shots to the left of the green at the 175-yard, par-3 10th. Ruminski, the daughter of Shelby Country Club PGA pro and high school golf coach Brad Ruminski, chipped to within two feet of the hole.
Korbas, who qualified for the high school state tournament last fall, chipped onto the green but her 20 foot putt for par was off target. Ruminski took a deep breath, then tapped in for par.
“I was a little bit nervous,” Ruminski said.
Career Day: Marc Wilkins Jr. didn’t just shoot the round of the tournament. The Ontario junior-to-be fired the round of his career.
The son of former big league pitcher Marc Wilkins carded a career best 4-under 67 to win the boys 15-16-year-old division by nine strokes over Dalton Whitmore.
The 16-year-old Wilkins, who shot an opening-round 80 Monday at Twin Lakes, finished with a two-day total of 147. His previous low round was a 72 at Oak Tree earlier this summer.
“I was hitting it pretty well off the tee and my approach shots were OK, but what really saved me was my putter,” Wilkins said. “I made so many putts today.”
Wilkins’ round included five birdies and just one bogey, at the seventh.
“Honestly I didn’t really think I had a chance after shooting 80,” Wilkins said. “My dad gave me a pep talk and I felt confident going into today.”
Consistently Inconsistent: Recent Clear Fork graduate Dakotah McClain won the boys 17-18-year-old division with a two-day total of 146. McClain followed up Monday’s 74 with an unorthodox 72.
“It was one of the craziest rounds today. I had seven birdies and only four pars,” McClain said. “I was all over the place. It was bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie all day.”
McClain, who didn’t start golfing until his freshman year of high school, will play college golf at the University of Northwestern Ohio. The Racers advanced to the NAIA national tournament last spring.
“Our first tournament is later this month,” McClain said. “I guess I’ll have some momentum going into it.”
Going Away: Jenna Messner, a rising senior at Madison, shot a two-day 184 for a 23-stroke victory over Paige Johnson in the girls 17-18-year-old division. Messner had a 14-stroke lead over her nearest pursuer going into Tuesday.
“I didn’t play the way I could have, especially today, but that means I still have so much room for improvement,” said Messner, who missed out on a trip to the district tournament last fall by two strokes. “I had some pretty awful shots, but I was able to laugh it off and continue on.”
Rising Star: Kira Moore won the girls 13-14-year-old division with a two-day total of 161. Moore had the lowest round of any girl in the tournament. Brooklyn Adkins was second with a 197.
Dialed In: Trevor Dials won the boys 13-14-year-old division with a two-day 165. Braedon Oakes was second with a 177.
