‘It feels amazing.’ Golfer’s first win of the season is a region title.
The plan was for Lexington Christian’s golfers to take advantage Kearney Hill Golf Links’ more “gettable” early holes and maybe take some of the pressure off the Region 9 boys’ high school golf tournament.
After back-to-back bogeys to start, LCA senior Alexander Bassell got himself right and did just that — birdieing four of the next six holes and throwing an eagle in to boot — a scorching rally on a scorching October day that helped him and his team to regional titles.
“When I was coming into it, I knew there were a ton of birdie holes. My game plan was just to try to make as many birdies as possible,” said Alexander, who got his first tournament win of the season. “I knew the wind was going to pick up and I had to start off pretty fast.”
Bassell’s front-nine 33 (with an incredible three bogeys) and a back-nine 35 gave him a score of 4-under par on the day and a one-stroke win over teammate and 2018 Region 9 champ Jansen Preston and Lafayette’s Henry Lane.
“It feels amazing,” said Bassell, who played in the next to last group in front of Lane and Preston. “I knew (a win) was coming. It was just getting closer and closer.”
Preston had a long chip for eagle from the back of the 18th green that could have tied it, but it rolled just past the hole. Lane had a birdie putt lip out on the 16th green and just missed a potentially-tying eagle putt of about 15 feet on 18.
“It was really tough to dig that one out, but luckily I putted really good,” said Preston who bogeyed holes 3 and 4, to put himself in an early bind as well. He birdied 13, 14, 15 and 18 on the backside to get himself back in contention.
As for losing out to his teammate, Preston, who won the state title in 2017, said, “I can deal with it. As long as we get to state and we can compete at state now. I’m looking forward to it.”
LCA Coach Eric Geldhof said he didn’t worry much about Bassell’s slow start.
“You get a little nervous, but I’ve been with him six, seven years and he’s got the ability to bring those rounds back. He’s just a closer,” he said.
Altogether LCA’s team brought home a round of 290, just 2-over par, to earn the region’s lone bid to next week’s state tournament in Bowling Green. This is LCA’s second straight region title. They’ve won the state title three times, the last in 2017.
“At the start of the year, I didn’t think this would be possible, but the freshman really did what they had to do and then having the seniors pull it through at the end — it was nice,” Geldhof said.
The LCA boys’ win came a day after the school’s girls won the team and individual (Laney Frye) region titles, too.
Madison Central’s boys finished second, three strokes back Tuesday. With the changes made to the boys’ and girls’ state golf tournaments this year, region runner-ups no longer make the state tournament. Madison Central golfers Clay Pendergrass and Cooper Eberle advanced as two of the seven individual state qualifiers.
“I look at as a team sport, and we’re bummed to fall three shots short, but you’ve got to give it to LCA,” Madison Central Coach Kyle Congleton said. “We haven’t really contested them all year. We gave them a run (today). … We’ll hold our head high. We’ll learn from it and I’ve got everybody back next year. … Today was our best team score of the year by four shots. I’m thrilled.”
Region 9 boys’ golf
At Kearney Hill Golf Links
Top individual finishers (par 72): Alexander Bassell, Lexington Christian Academy, 68; Jansen Preston, LCA, 69; Henry Lane, Lafayette, 69; Parker Clarke, Henry Clay, 71; Clay Pendergrass, Madison Central, 71; Cooper Eberle, Madison Central, 72; Jason Wang, Dunbar, 72; Carter Schuck, Henry Clay, 73; Sawyer Hulette, Franklin County, 74 (won playoff for final individual state spot); Hayden Adams, Sayre, 74; Gavin McKune, Madison Central, 74.
Top teams (team par, 288): 1. Lexington Christian Academy, 290; Madison Central, 293; Henry Clay, 307; Lafayette, 307; Dunbar, 315; Scott County, 326; Franklin County, 327; Lexington Catholic, 331; Sayre, 333; Great Crossing, 334.
