Gallery by Heather Belcher
Whatever the sport, the main goal for every team is to be playing its best when the postseason rolls around.
With regional action less then two weeks away, Beckley is playing its best golf of the season at just the right time.
Wednesday afternoon in a nine-hole match at Bridgehaven Golf Club the Flying Eagles tallied a three-person score of 112 to beat Class AAA rivals Princeton (123) and Oak Hill (127).
Leading the way for Beckley was Jonah Willson who overcame a slow start to shoot even par for the day. His round of 36 was good enough for another low medalist honor.
Willson was joined by teammates Ian Thompson and Tyler Stover who both shot 38 on the day.
“I have been striking it really well lately,” Willson said. “The key for me has been putting and today I scrambled better than I have in a while.”
Putting and chipping were definitely the keys to Willson’s success because distance control was an issue most of the day for the Beckley senior.
“I was hitting the ball absolutely phenomenal. I stroked it well, but I just flew every green by 30 yards almost,” Willson explained. “I hit shots right at the pin, but flew the greens. I think it was because I switched balls recently. I hit the ball really well, I just struggled to hit the greens.”
Playing in the same group as Oak Hill standout senior Ian Maynor and Princeton’s top golfer Dylan Canterbury, the match was a back-and-forth slugfest.
After the threesome all made par on the first hole, Maynor took the early lead with a well-played birdie on hole No. 2.
Willson went long on the same hole and was forced to take a penalty stroke, but did rebound to save a bogey, while Canterbury made par.
Maynor’s first dose of trouble came at the difficult par-3 fourth hole. An errant tee shot left of the green left him blocked by trees, leading to his first bogey of the day.
Canterbury and Willson both made par which moved the Princeton standout into a tie and pulled Willson within one shot.
After bogeys on No. 5 by Maynor and Canterbury, the group was tied at even-par heading to the par-3 sixth hole which appeared to be the separation that Maynor needed in the round.
Willson again went long and this time could not get up and down, while Canterbury suffered through a double-bogey. Maynor on the other hand, hit a dart and knocked in the short putt for a birdie giving him a two-shot cushion.
Down the stretch however, it was Willson that took advantage of the two par-5 holes remaining.
A birdie on hole seven moved Willson within one shot of Maynor’s lead before he drew even on the par-3 eighth hole.
Once again over the green on his tee shot, Willson made the crucial up and down to save par, while Maynor missed his par attempt to pull the two standouts even.
Needing a good drive on the par-5 finishing hole, Willson ripped a bomb that finished in the middle of the fairway.
“I did not know where we stood,” Willson said. “I just hit the ball down the left side with a little fade. I hit it really good and had 130 yards in (to the green). I flew it over the pin, but I still two-putted. I scrambled really well today.”
Unfortunately for Maynor a tee shot down the right side of the fairway bounced farther right into the penalty area leading to an eventual bogey.
“A couple of those bogeys really hurt me today,” Maynor said. “There was just some inconsistency on some of my shots. On No. 9 right there, going to it we were tied and I just messed up that tee shot. The pressure got to me a little bit I guess.”
Maynor ended the day with a round of 38. Canterbury played the final three holes at even par and finished with a 39.
“I have really progressed tee-to-green, but I had a bogey and a double-bogey today just because I missed a couple of short putts,” Canterbury said. “I still have a lot of work to do with putting and chipping.”
Beckley, Oak Hill and Princeton will see each other again Tuesday when they battle in the Coalfield Conference Tournament on the Cobb Course at Glade Springs.
Individual Results:
Beckley: Willson 36, Thompson 38, Stover 38, Chase Tolliver 41, Blake Nixon 44, Colton Blankenship 49, Alley Denny 53, Sarah Hatfield 53
Princeton: Canterbury 39, Joe Flanigan 42, Eli Bailey 42, Kaden Davis 45, Blake Blankenship 46, Virgil Ellison 47, Gavin Stover 47, Fin Bailey 47
Oak Hill: Maynor 38, Tyler Scott 43, Max Lopez 46, Jameson Swafford 49, Caleb Compton 49, Garrett Smith 49, Aiden Smith 51 Jordan Adkins 52
