UALR senior Noah Tullos finally got to play alongside his new college teammate for the first time Sunday in Maumelle.
It just so happened it was for the Arkansas State Golf Association Match Play Championship at Maumelle Country Club.
Tullos beat Beau Glover 4 and 2 in a morning semifinal, and he didn't let up against Zach Coats.
A 2-and-1 victory over Coats gave Tullos, a senior from Paragould, his first ASGA championship.
Tulos was so good in Sunday afternoon's final that he would have been 7 under through 17 holes in a stroke-play format.
"The most important thing to me was that I played four matches this week and only made two bogeys," said Tullos, who won the 2014 Maumelle Classic on the same course. "I don't know what it is, but everything but the greens sets up like my home course. It's just something about playing out here that gives me lots of confidence."
Coats, who earned his degree from Arkansas and is continuing graduate classes at UALR, rallied from 4 down on the back nine to defeat Stan Payne in 20 holes in his semifinal.
Tullos didn't walk over Coats, a Springdale Har-Ber graduate. Coats was 4 under for 17 holes, but only won one hole, the par-4, 16th, which left him 2 down. They halved the par-3 17th, giving Tullos the victory.
"I thought I played really well, but Noah played a little better," said Coats, who has one season of golf eligibility remaining. "The last four or five days have just been a very solid experience for me. I'm super pumped to start the college season and play for this team and with guys like Noah."
Tullos birdied the long par-5, second to take a 1-up lead. He was on the green in two, then two-putted from 30 feet as Coats settled for par from of a greenside bunker.
The next six holes were even. Tullos appeared in trouble at the par-4 ninth when his drive went right of the cart path and into the rough. Players on Sunday were allowed to "lift, clean and place" after all-day rains saturated the course Saturday.
That played to Tullos' advantage. He found a good enough spot to punch his second shot hard enough to run to the back part of the green where it curled within 3 feet of the hole for a birdie to go 2 up.
"That was a heck of a shot," said Coats, who was in the center of the fairway with his tee shot but came away with par.
"I had a little gap there and knew I had to make a four to tie," Tullos said. "It came out low and once it rolled over the first hump I knew it had a good chance of getting close."
Tullos maintained his composure after getting hit in the backside by an errant range ball while lining up a tricky third shot out of the greenside rough. His pitch landed softly, and ended up a foot from the hole. The par putt was from conceded by Coats, who managed to an up-and-down par of his own after hitting his third from out of the rough.
Tullos turned to his power game at the par-5 12th. His 300-yard tee shot found the center of the fairway, where he measured off his second at 213 yards. He slammed a 4-iron to the center of the green, and he made a 20-foot eagle putt to go 3 up.
"My range finder battery died and I borrowed someone else's, but I couldn't get it to focus on longer shots," Tullos said of him stepping off his second-shot distance. "I had it at 213 and put a pretty good swing on it."
Tullos and Coats matched pars on 14 and birdies on the par-5 15th, and Tullos was 3 up with 3 to play.
Coats made birdie at the par-4 16th when he stuck his second shot to within 2 feet, drawing applause from his parents and the UALR contingent beside the green. Coats made the putt after Tullos missed his from 8 feet to get to within 2 down.
Each found the green at the par-3 17th but missed long birdie attempts. Coats conceded the hole and the match when Tullos' birdie putt slid 2 feet by the hole.
Tullos played both of Sunday's rounds without a caddie. Coats was supported by fellow UALR senior Tyler Reynolds, who has had his share of success at Maumelle Country Club. Tullos said he was fine without any extra help, saying any added advice probably wouldn't have made a difference.
"Tyler and I lived together the first two years and we're pretty good friends," Tullos said. "I'm glad he was able to give Zach any help. I'm just really excited for school to start and see what we can do as a team."
UALR Coach Jake Harrington was among those watching Sunday's matches and one of the first to greet Coats and Tullos as they walked off the 17th green.
"It's definitely a proud papa moment," said Harrington, who is entering his fourth season as coach. "It's great seeing these guys grow up and fun to see them represent Little Rock golf and what we do. To have three play in the state match play and have two still standing in the championship is a great achievement for our program."
Sports on 08/22/2016