ROGERS -- Garrett May entered Tuesday's final round of the ASGA Junior Boys Stroke Play Championship knowing he had to play a bit of catch-up to have a chance. He trailed leader Ryan Spurlock by five strokes.
Eighty strokes and three playoff holes later, May tipped his hat to the crowd as junior boys state champion.
ASGA Stroke Play
At Shadow Valley CC, Rogers
Final Round
Boys
Golfer^Rd.1^Rd.2^Total
T1. Garrett May^74^68^142
T1. Ryan Spurlock^69^73^142
Kyle Covington^74^70^144
Matthew Cole^70^75^145
Whit Parker^72^75^147
Jackson Marseilles^71^78^149
Peyton Wilhoit^76^75^151
T8. Taylor Harvey^76^76^152
T8. Jack Robertson^72^80^152
T8. Dane Kemp^71^81^152
Girls
Elizabeth Moon^79^77^156
Kirsten Garner^79^78^157
Hannah Bakalekos^86^81^167
Camryn Parsons^83^85^168
T5. Josie Roberson^85^84^169
T5. Katelyn Dunstan^84^85^169
- Christian Barrett^85^85^170
T8. Hanna Brauburger^88^83^171
T8. Allie Weiner^87^84^171
T8. Alexa Goodlow^85^86^171
"This is a great win for me," May said. "Happy to get some confidence with it and kind of springboard me into the summer."
May rallied with a blistering 68 through 18 holes and took a tie for the lead into the turn. It was the best round of the day among all competitors. But he had to wait for Spurlock's round to finish, not knowing -- with no hole-by-hole scoring -- the final outcome. Spurlock returned to the clubhouse after a round of 73, forcing the playoff.
The two each parred the first two playoff holes before Spurlock's three-putt left him needing a May miss from two feet to force a fourth.
May sank it and obliged the applauding crowd.
"I wanted to get off to a hot start. I wanted to keep the birdies rolling," May said of his comeback. "They didn't have hole-by-hole scoring, but I wanted to try mentally to put as much pressure on him as I could."
Elizabeth Moon, 14, captured the girls state title with a one-stroke, 156-157, victory over 18-year-old Kirsten Garner.
The two entered the round tied for the lead before Moon eagled No. 16, the longest hole in ASGA Junior golf history, to provide the winning margin. She holed out from 106 yards with 9-iron to highlight the round.
"I go out there and just play my game. I don't really worry about (the age difference)," Moon said. "Ever since I was a little girl, I always played with older girls. It didn't really bother me. They'd outdrive me 50 yards and I didn't really care."
Bailey Dunstan, 11, captured the Young Junior state championship. The entry is normally for just 12- and 13-year-olds, but Dunstan was granted an exemption for entry and her 198 through the two rounds was enough to win.
Josie Roberson won the 13-year-old division with a 169, Hannah Bakalekos won the 15-year-old division with her 167, Christian Barrett captured the 16-year-old title shooting a 170 and Camryn Parsons shot a 168 for the 17-year-old crown. Garner, the only 18-year-old among the entrants, won that division.
Boys winners were Josh McNulty (13), Fayetteville's Palmer Hays (14), Whit Parker (15), Spurlock (16), May (17) and Rogers' Jack Robertson (18).
The day, however, belonged to the playoff participants, as those remaining after the awards ceremony raced back out to the course to watch the finalists.
"I knew there was probably going to be a playoff," May said. "I wasn't at all surprised. I wasn't at all mad. I just wanted to go out there and make as many pars as I need to to win."
Sports on 06/25/2014