WINDSOR – A year ago, Bradley Weinmaster sank a putt on 18 that gave Riverdale Ridge the Class 4A boys golf team championship. His hat was off before the putt reached the cup.
This year, the putt he had on 18 was for solo honors and this time he watched it drop before he celebrated.
“It wasn’t that long of a putt,” Weinmaster said. “But I did let out a pretty big scream.”
Everyone on the grounds at Pelican Lakes could hear his emotional roar as he captured the individual state championship. The team title eluded the Ravens this go around and went to Cheyenne Mountain for the second time in three years.
More on that in a minute.
Drama made an appearance in the individual leaderboard. Ponderosa’s Zane Aiken had found himself tied for the lead both on Monday and in Tuesday’s second round. After missing a putt on the par-5 11th, he lifted the putter over his and put it on his shoulders in frustration. The unmistakable sound of a snapped shaft stopped everyone in their tracks.
USGA Rule 4.1 states that “a player is allowed to keep using and/or to repair any club damaged during the round, no matter what the damage and even if the player damaged it in anger.”
It also states that “A player is not allowed to replace a damaged club, except when it is damaged during the round by an outside influence or natural forces or by someone other than the player or his or her caddie.”
Aiken could have his putter repaired but not replaced. He managed to shoot even par on the day which when all was said and done, put him into a four-man playoff for the individual title.
That’s right, four players got to play 18 again as they were all tied at even par for the tournament. Those four were Weinmaster, Aiken, Denver North’s Sawyer Klein (the Day 1 leader) and Windsor’s Kellen Ball (one shot back to start the day).
(Dan Mohrmann/Colorado Preps.com)
Sudden death. The 18th hole. As many times as it took to crown a champion.
Luckily for Weinmaster, he just needed one par. He finished his day going bogey on 17 and bogey on 18.
“Not the ideal way to finish,” he said.
When he made his bogey on 18 to get back to even par, like all golfers would, he wished he had a chance to do it all over again. Luckily, that wish got granted. He, Klein and Ball were all in the fairway while Aiken was in the right fairway bunker.
Weinmaster was the only player to hit the green. Aiken was short and his pitch shot didn’t quite carry the shelf where the pine was placed. The good news for him was that a playoff means a fresh round and he was then able to replace his putter. His first putt with the new putter was dead at the center of the cup, just with a touch too much speed. It popped out and left the door open for Weinmaster, who two-putted for par.
“I’ve been in a four-person playoff before and it didn’t end the way I wanted it to,” Weinmaster said. “Today it did and it was great.”
He held off a talented field of golfers, which included Cheyenne Mountain senior Thomas Herholtz. The Red-Tailed Hawks needed a strong effort from all four players to claim a team title and they came out ready to play.
“We knew that we’ve always had that advantage,” Herholtz said. “We had four players that could shoot under par. That’s been the case all year. We’ve had our top three and then our fourth is always right behind.”
Sophomore Charlie Doyle shot the low round of the day with a 2-over-par 74. Carter Surofchek shot 75, Kale Parthen shot 77 and Herholtz rounded out the effort with 78. Herholtz and Doyle finished for a tie for ninth in the individual leaderboard.
The effort of the team as a whole was a priority after watching the Ravens claim the team crown last year at City Park.
“This is a testament to the Cheyenne Mountain athletic department and the Country Club of Colorado,” coach John Carricato said. “But most of all the players who after last year’s state tournament, dedicated themselves to get in the weight room and really just to get better.”
As a team they got better. As a team, they became the best.
