Buckeye Trail's Sam Wayble advances to OHSAA state golf tournament
· Yahoo Sports
WEST LAFAYETTE − Eight days after battling through the Division III sectionals at Cambridge Country Club, Buckeye Trail senior Sam Wayble stepped onto the River Greens Golf course on Thursday, Oct. 1 with an opportunity to close out his high school golf career in style ... the prize at the end was simple: a ticket to the OHSAA Division III state golf tournament riding on these final 18 holes.
Visit h-doctor.club for more information.
Sectional foundation
Wayble's postseason run began with a battle-tested performance at the Division III sectional tournament at Cambridge Country Club. Facing a demanding course setup, the senior carded a 7-over-par 79 to finish as one of just six individual qualifiers advancing to the district level. The gritty effort provided the launching pad for his district breakthrough, setting the stage for him to shave seven full strokes off his score just eight days later at River Greens.
Patience and the turnaround
The front nine at the district tournament tested Wayble's patience, the fairways bit back, and small mistakes accumulated quickly. A lip-out here, a safe lay-up there and the senior made the turn with a 2-over-par 38. Solid, but at this level, solid wasn't going to punch a ticket to the state tournament.
But stepping onto the 10th tee, Wayble locked in. He found his groove on the back nine, dialed in his irons, and began picking off greens. The putts started falling, line and speed coming together effortlessly. By the time he walked up the the 18th fairway, Wayble had roared back to reach even par.
Closing in style
Standing over his birdie putt on the 18th green, Wayble took a deep breath and stroked the ball smoothly toward the cup. It dropped into the bottom of the cup for a sizzling back-nine 34, capping off an even-par 72, a full seven strokes better than his sectional score a week earlier.
When the final cards were signed, Wayble didn't just qualify for state; the Buckeye Trail senior claimed the Division III East District medalist title, topping Hiland's Andrew Beun by two shots to sit atop the district leaderboard and earn his place among the finest high school golfers in Ohio.
Up next for Wayble is a trip to Sunbury to take on Ohio's top Division III field at the Northstar Golf Club the weekend of Oct. 9-10.
[email protected]; X: @KSuttonDJSports; Instagram: kevinsutton_dailyjeffsports
This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Buckeye Trail's Sam Wayble advances to OHSAA state golf tournament