By Staff reports
The McPherson Sentinel
Wed May 27, 2009, 11:12 AM CDT
Emporia, Kan. -
When McPherson High junior Treg Fawl walked off the 18th green at Emporia Municipal Golf Course Tuesday, he was almost certain he had won the Class 5A state championship.
And why not? All Fawl had done was play the perfect storm of all golf rounds.
In 18 holes, Fawl had no bogeys. None. Nada. He putted for a birdie on nearly every hole, making four. He had no 3-putts. He finished with a 4-under-par 67, thought to be the best-ever MHS score.
But in the group right behind Fawl, defending 5A champion Joe Winslow of Aquinas was crafting together a Picasso round of his own. The sophomore, who shot a 68 last year at Turkey Creek to win the 5A crown, was torching the defenseless course. And when he finished, Fawl got the news that his best-ever effort was one stroke short as Winslow posted a 5-under 66.
“It was disappointing,” Fawl said, adding that he thought his last birdie on No. 18 would put him at the top.
Fawl, who said he had shot a pair of no-bogey rounds before at Turkey Creek, parred his first eight holes before making a birdie on No. 9 to make the turn in 1-under 35. But once he reached the back, he went pin-seeking. He made birdies at Nos. 10 and 12, then parred his way around until No. 18, when he bombed a drive on a par-4 to leave himself just 50 yards. He stuck his wedge and made the putt to complete a side of 32.
Fawl said he had told his teammates before the tournament that if he could get the putter rolling he could shoot a 65.
“I think I hit 15 of 18 greens. It seemed like I had 15-footers (for birdie) all day,” Fawl said.
Fawl and the Bullpups had everyone buzzing after nine holes. Coming off a third-place regional finish, MHS was in second place at the turn, trailing Kapaun by two shots.
But several teams made a charge while the Bullpups fell back, though their 308 would have won about any other meet this year.
Kenan Warren shot a 77 for the Bullpups, two strokes from earning a medal as it took a 75 to make the Top 20 on a day golfers tore it up. Audrey Yowell, who will play at KU next year, shot 80, while Graham Yowell (84), Brady Sherman (84) and Layne Johnson (87) completed the scoring.
Andover Central shot a dazzling 290 for the team title, while three teams tied for second with 293, with Hutchinson winning the tiebreaker and Aquinas winning the other plaque. Kapaun was the odd team out.
The Bullpups, who had finished fourth in the state each of the last two years, should make another run next year, as Fawl, Warren, Sherman and Graham Yowell all return, while the JV team was unbeaten.