REPUBLIC, Mo. | As Rockhurst golf coach Mike O’Leary lay in bed late Monday night, unable to sleep, he wondered whether any team had ever won a Missouri state boys golf title with just four players.
Tuesday afternoon, at breezy, cloudy Island Green Golf Club, O’Leary’s own team provided him a quick answer.
Rockhurst won its third Class 4 state boys golf championship in the last four years by firing a second-round four-man score of 306. That gave the Hawklets a two-day total of 624, 3 strokes better than runner-up Park Hill South.
The victory returned Rockhurst to the top of the Class 4 boys golf heap after winning back-to-back titles in 2005 and ’06.
“I’m proud of them, to say the least,” O’Leary said. “It’s been a very up-and-down year. We haven’t had a really successful year as far as wins are concerned.
“We obviously have the skill. Thankfully, that skill showed up at the right time.”
Only the team champions at the various district tournaments held a couple of weeks ago were allowed to bring complete five-player rosters to state, allowing those teams to toss out a high score each day of the tournament. Rockhurst was able to compete as a team only because four Hawklets individuals placed among the top 10 not on the winning team at districts.
“We felt very fortunate to get four individuals in so we could play as a team at state,” said Rockhurst junior Matt Ledom. “I knew we had a chance.”
The biggest reason the Hawklets had a chance was because of Ledom’s play. Typically his team’s No. 4 player, Ledom scorched the Island Green course both days, following up his first-round score of even-par 72 with a 75 for a two-day total of 147 and tie for fourth individually.
Springfield Central senior Kevin Kring finished as overall individual medalist, firing two even-par rounds for a 144.
“I played well today,” Ledom said. “I hit my irons very well, had a lot of birdie chances.”
Ledom’s teammate and fellow junior Michael McGee also earned all-state honors by finishing in a tie for 14th. McGee said he played worse after a 40-minute morning delay because of a passing thunderstorm, but Rock’s two other players, Bobby Thompson and Tyler Bernard, flourished.
Thompson started his round by going 6 over on his first seven holes but was 2 under on his next eight after the delay. Bernard made 11 straight pars, shooting his 76.
In finishing second, Park Hill South posted its highest finish at a state golf tournament in school history. The Panthers also had two golfers receive all-state honors — Chris Reinert finished in a tie for eighth, Ben Sumado in a tie for 10th.
Also making the all-state team was John Sievers, a senior at Blue Springs South, who finished in a tie for 14th.
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