|
Waubonsie Valley senior Thomas O'Bryan (left) and Crystal Lake South junior Nick Robles walk toward their next shots during a playoff on the 18th hole at the Class 3A boys golf state finals (William DeShazer, Chicago Tribune / October 16, 2010) |
BLOOMINGTON -- The first time Thomas O'Bryan and Nick Robles embraced on the 18th green Saturday they were celebrating a 37th hole of golf.
It took 38 to separate them.
O'Bryan, a Waubonsie Valley senior, outlasted Robles, a Crystal Lake South junior, on the second playoff hole to capture the 3A state boys golf tournament Saturday at The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course.
Both birdied the first hole of sudden death after carding matching 4-over-par 148s in the two-day tournament. O'Bryan won with a bogey after Robles lost his tee shot.
"I made a lot of key putts. I want to thank my instructors," O'Bryan said. "I struggled with my putting quite a bit during the season, all the way up to regionals. When you're struggling you have to keep working and fight through it.
"I wish I didn't win it like that. Nick is a great kid and a great player. I wish one of us would have won it with a long putt."
Five players spent time on top of the leaderboard in a wild, windy final round, but O'Bryan and Robles were one shot ahead of the other members of their foursome (Deerfield's Bennett Lavin and Buffalo Grove freshman Doug Ghim) heading into the 36th hole.
With the wind straight at his back, Robles drove to the back corner of the green on the 405-yard 18th hole. But he three-putted from about 50 feet, leaving the door open for O'Bryant to bury a pressure-packed 5-footer and force sudden death.
O'Bryant made par on the final five holes of regulation to finish with a 76 (38-38), including a clutch 10-footer on 17 and a 7-footer on 15.
"Tom made a bunch more putts than I did," Robles said. "At the end of the day, he played better than I did. He deserved to win. Me and Tom are really good friends. It makes it easier losing to him.
"I had a good round. I have nothing to be sorry about."
Lavin, the first-round leader and 2009 runner-up, and Ghim tied for third. Lake Forest won its third team championship by four strokes over runner-up New Trier (617-621).
It took 38 to separate them.
O'Bryan, a Waubonsie Valley senior, outlasted Robles, a Crystal Lake South junior, on the second playoff hole to capture the 3A state boys golf tournament Saturday at The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course.
Both birdied the first hole of sudden death after carding matching 4-over-par 148s in the two-day tournament. O'Bryan won with a bogey after Robles lost his tee shot.
"I made a lot of key putts. I want to thank my instructors," O'Bryan said. "I struggled with my putting quite a bit during the season, all the way up to regionals. When you're struggling you have to keep working and fight through it.
"I wish I didn't win it like that. Nick is a great kid and a great player. I wish one of us would have won it with a long putt."
Five players spent time on top of the leaderboard in a wild, windy final round, but O'Bryan and Robles were one shot ahead of the other members of their foursome (Deerfield's Bennett Lavin and Buffalo Grove freshman Doug Ghim) heading into the 36th hole.
With the wind straight at his back, Robles drove to the back corner of the green on the 405-yard 18th hole. But he three-putted from about 50 feet, leaving the door open for O'Bryant to bury a pressure-packed 5-footer and force sudden death.
O'Bryant made par on the final five holes of regulation to finish with a 76 (38-38), including a clutch 10-footer on 17 and a 7-footer on 15.
"Tom made a bunch more putts than I did," Robles said. "At the end of the day, he played better than I did. He deserved to win. Me and Tom are really good friends. It makes it easier losing to him.
"I had a good round. I have nothing to be sorry about."
Lavin, the first-round leader and 2009 runner-up, and Ghim tied for third. Lake Forest won its third team championship by four strokes over runner-up New Trier (617-621).