FORT COLLINS | Tyler Zhang transferred to Regis Jesuit because he thought he had the best chance of winning a state championship there.
Little did the junior, formerly of Highlands Ranch, know how key of role he would play in making that come true.
Zhang’s clutch birdie on the par-4 Hole No. 18 at Fort Collins Country Club in Tuesday’s second round lifted the Raiders out of a logjam with Coronado and Lakewood and held up when senior Andrew McCormick birdied the final hole as Regis Jesuit won the Class 5A boys state golf championship for the fifth time in the past six seasons.
“It’s hard to come up with words thinking about it; we all played really well,” said Zhang, who shot an even-par 71 to finish in a tie for fifth-place individually.
That’s what was particularly satisfying for Regis Jesuit coach Craig Rogers, who saw his players come through in the clutch, but also enjoyed the fact that players from Coronado and Lakewood — as well as individual winner Hunter Paugh of Fort Collins — played their best until the final hole.
It wasn’t until a putt by Lakewood’s Griffin Barela on the 18th green went just past the cup and McCormick sank a clinching par putt that the Raiders could breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the title.
“It was incredibly exciting finish,” Rogers said. “Nobody three-putted or hit one OB at the end of the day…Even though it came down to one shot, it’s a big shot, it’s the difference between second and first. I’m happy for the boys.”
With sophomore Cal McCoy and senior Bennett Rogers already in the clubhouse with their scores, Zhang and McCormick decided the title with their clutch play as part of the final groups.
On 18, Zhang consulted with Craig Rogers about the team standings and when he found it was tied, he decided to pick driver off tee instead of going more conservative with an iron.
His drive flew nearly 300 yards straight down the middle of the fairway and he followed it with a chip to within seven feet of the hole and subsequently drained the putt.
“Some people say it adds more pressure (to know it was tied), but I think it gives me a little bit more confidence to know I just have to go execute…Walking up to it, I knew I could make the putt. I put the best stroke on it and it was just dead center.”
Craig Rogers called Zhang’s drive “tour-quality” and enjoyed watching the execution of each shot on the pivotal hole.
“It was three beautiful shots that were just incredibly clutch,” he said.
McCormick made the lead Zhang gave his team hold up by making par on the final two holes.
He struggled on Hole No. 15 when he finished with a double bogey, but put it out of his mind and made a big birdie on No. 16 when he stuck his second shot within five feet of the hole and made his putt.
“Those two doubles kind of hurt me and it made the team competition interesting to say the least,” said McCormick, who also had a double bogey on No. 11, but finished with a 1-over 72 to tie for third individually.
“Seventeen was probably the most nervous I got, but I stroked it in and 18 felt good the whole way.”
The Raiders’ winning total of 441 included McCoy’s 75 in the first round, as well as Bennett Rogers’ 79 in the second round. Both had their struggles, but grinded through the tough stretches to give Regis Jesuit the scores needed to reclaim the championship after a second-place finish in 2014.
“It feels really good; obviously I didn’t contribute that much — thank you Andrew and Tyler — but it felt darn good to hoist that trophy, especially after last year,” Bennett Rogers said.
“It was tight and came down to the wire. Coronado blew us out last year, so it was cool to be in the mix and find a way to come out on top.”
Eaglecrest sophomore Davis Bryant came in with a goal of a top-10 finish and very nearly accomplished it, despite the fact that very few putts fell for him.
Bryant shot a 1-over 72 in the second round to finish in a tie for 12th, just two strokes behind Coronado’s Isaac Petersilie in the 10th spot. Bryant said he learned a lot from the experience, which came on the heels of his trip to California to play in the First Tee Open at venerable Pebble Beach.
Cherokee Trail senior Ji Woo Jang came into the season believing he was mentally tougher and prepared to better his state performance from 2014 and he did.
Jang opened with a round of 77 and carded a 74 in the second round to end up in a tie for 21st, a full 37 places better than he came in a year ago. Junior teammate Bradley Scalia rebounded from an 84 on the first day with a 75 in the final round to finish in a tie for 49th.
Smoky Hill senior Paul Cleveland just missed a birdie putt on his final hole, which left him with a plus-2 73 that helped him finish in a career-best tie for 26th. Freshman teammate Christopher Kennedy, who earned his way into state through a playoff round Sunday, finished in a for 63rd.
The Grandview duo of senior Mason Jowsey and junior Danny Taggart finished tied for 52nd and 66th, respectively.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2015 CLASS 5A BOYS STATE GOLF TOURNAMENT
Team scores: 1. REGIS JESUIT 441, T2. Lakewood 442, T2. Coronado 442, 4. Fossil Ridge 445, 5. Arapahoe 457, 6. Heritage 460, 7. Highlands Ranch 461, 8. Grand Junction 463, 9. Mountain Vista 463, 10. Rock Canyon 470, 11. Monarch 474, 12. Fairview 475, 13. Cherry Creek 478
Top 10 individuals (par 71-71 — 142): 1. Hunter Paugh (Fort Collins) 67-71 — 138; 2. AJ Ott (Fort Collins) 71-70 — 141; T3. ANDREW MCCORMICK (REGIS JESUIT) 71-72 — 143; T3. Trevor Olkowski (Grand Junction) 74-69 — 144; T5. TYLER ZHANG (REGIS JESUIT) 73-71 — 144; T5. Josh Caridi (Fossil Ridge) 72-72 — 144; T5. Griffin Barela (Lakewood) 71-73 — 144; T5. Austin Hardman (Mountain Vista) 71-73 — 144; 9. Chadd Vasquez (Doherty) 74-71 — 145; 10. Isaac Petersilie (Coronado) 74-72 — 146
Aurora individuals: T3. Andrew McCormick (Regis Jesuit) 71-72 — 143; T5. Tyler Zhang (Regis Jesuit) 73-71 — 144; T12. Davis Bryant (Eaglecrest) 76-72 — 148; T21. Ji Woo Jang (Cherokee Trail) 77-74 — 151; T26. Paul Cleveland (Smoky Hill) 79-73 — 152; T38. Cal McCoy (Regis Jesuit) 75-81 — 156; T42. Bennett Rogers (Regis Jesuit) 78-79 — 157; T49. Bradley Scalia (Regis Jesuit) 84-75 — 159; T52. Mason Jowsey (Grandview) 78-82 — 160; T63. Christopher Kennedy (Smoky Hill) 79-85 — 164; 66. Danny Taggart (Grandview) 80-85 — 165
