Waynedale senior and Ohio State recruit Grant Weaver survives a double-bogey six on the 17th hole and some aggravating weather to defeat defending champ Augie Ward by three shots.
AKRON, Ohio — It went down to the final two holes, and that should surprise no one.After all, this was the Good Park Junior golf tournament -- the 73rd annual -- and rarely has the event had a runaway winner in the boys competition.
Waynedale senior and Ohio State recruit Grant Weaver survived a double-bogey six on the 17th hole -- the 429-yard eighth hole on the reversed nines -- and some aggravating weather to defeat defending champ Augie Ward by three shots Friday in the Championship Flight with a 36-hole score of even-par 142.
It was a day in which the field of about 270 played under varying weather conditions. It was humid and overcast in the morning before a steady rain fell for nearly two hours in the early afternoon.
The sun was shining and the humidity had decreased by the time the leaders made the turn. By tournament's end, it was actually pleasant.
Still, many players said it was tough playing in the rain.
"I had a hard time getting anything going," said Weaver, who opened championship play Thursday with a blistering 5-under 66 and came in with a 76 on Friday. "I was just trying to make pars."
He made 12 of them to go with one birdie, four bogeys and the aforementioned double bogey when it appeared he was about to see a two-shot lead disappear.
"I was thinking it was going to be a one-shot lead," he said. It could have been a tie.
Ward, a Walsh Jesuit graduate and Kent State recruit, began the day four shots behind Weaver. He eventually pulled even but fell behind by two shots on Good Park's front nine (his back nine).
Weaver had a two-shot lead when he pulled his drive too far left into the rough on the eighth hole and was blocked from reaching the green in two. His second shot took a nasty bounce and kicked into the greenside bunker on the right. His sand shot flew the green and he eventually three-putted.
Ward was on the green in two but four-putted from about 30 feet for six. Instead of cutting into Weaver's lead or maybe even pulling even again, he let Weaver off the hook.
He also suffered a distraction when one of his playing partners inadvertently dropped his ball as Ward stood over his second putt from about 8 feet. Ward backed off but missed the putt.
"Yeah, it bothered me a little," said Ward, who finished in 70-75--145. "But that's no excuse. I should have taken more time. I couldn't find the speed of the greens all day, but I should have adjusted."
Alliance's Tiana Jones shot 71-73--144 to win the girls championship flight by six shots over Hudson's Natalie Goodson (72-78--150).
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: trogers@plaind.com, 216-999-5169