By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The game of golf came a lot tougher for Washburn Rural and Washburn University product Hayden Beck on Sunday than it had on Saturday when Beck set a Lake Shawnee course record with a sizzling 62 en route to opening up a four-stroke lead in the Topeka Golf Association City Stroke Play tournament.
Former Washburn Rural and Washburn University golfer Hayden Beck rolled in a birdie putt on the first playoff hole Sunday at Shawnee Country Club to win his first TGA City Stroke Play championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But Beck, who will take over as Washburn Rural girls head coach this fall after serving as a Junior Blue boys assistant this past spring, battled through an up and down day to get the job done at Shawnee Country Club, draining a long birdie putt on the first playoff hole to top former Santa Fe Trail standout and Washburn Ichabod Blake Buessing to earn his first city championship.
Hayden Beck reacts after sinking his tournament-winning putt in Sunday's TGA City Stroke Play tournament at Shawnee Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"Being a coach now and getting to help out with the team this spring, I was always telling the guys, 'You're not always going to play perfect every single time. Even on your best rounds you could do some things better,' '' Beck said.
"I look back on yesterday and maybe I missed a couple of putts and got lucky a couple of times and it all kind of evens itself out. You've just got to stick in there.''
Beck carded a final-round 73 while Buessing shot a 69 Sunday and rallied from his four-stroke deficit at the start of the round to briefly take a one-shot lead.
Beck battled back to regain a one-stroke lead before Buessing pulled even on hole No. 17 and both players remained even on the final hole with a 54-hole total of 209 to force sudden death.
Buessing narrowly missed a birdie putt before Beck came through with his biggest shot of the day to end the tournament.
"I would have liked to win it in regulation, but rolling in the putt on the playoff hole was pretty sweet,'' Beck said. "It was nice to finally get one there at the end when it counts the most.''
TGA City Stroke Play champion Hayden Beck (left) exchanges congratulations with runnerup Blake Buessing Sunday at Shawnee Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Although he came up just short of the title, Buessing was pleased with his overall performance.
"It was fun, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way,'' Buessing said. "It was back and forth all day.''
Beck said that a highlight of the tournament for him was having his high school coach, Jared Goehring, serve as his caddie. Goehring is turning over the Rural girls coaching reins to his former standout while Beck will continue to serve as a boys assistant under Goehring.
"It was awesome to have coach on the bag,'' Beck said. "That was so cool just to have him out here and do that again. It kind of took me back to high school, just having him there keeping me level-headed. That was a huge help.''
Recent Rossville graduate Jack Donovan carded the low round of the day with a 66 to tie four other players at 214 and finished third on a scorecard playoff.
"I played really well today,'' Donovan said. "I was real happy with my round.''
Adam Head finished fourth, followed by Andrew Poling, Gavin Wilhelm and Jeremiah Nelson to close out the top seven.
Alex Valdivia finished eighth at 218, while Aaron Rethman was ninth at 219 and Justin Jacquinot rounded out the top 10 at 220.
