COLUMBUS — The Class C boys golf state tournament turned into a sprint, not a marathon. And by quickly getting out of the starting blocks, Pierce’s Travis Emory crossed the finish line of his high school career in fine fashion. Storms on Tuesday canceled the first round of play at Elks Country Club, leaving the Class C competition to be decided by 18 holes on Wednesday.
Emory made the most of the shortened tournament, firing a 3-over par 75 to finish tied for fourth place. St. Paul’s Sam Wells beat Kearney Catholic’s Nash Malone in a playoff for the gold medal after they finished regulation tied with 73s.
Emory entered the day with a different mindset then if he was playing the scheduled 36 holes over two days. First there was overcoming the sitting in the clubhouse for much of Tuesday waiting until the first round was canceled. “I hit some range at Fair Play and had to do a reset,” he said.
“Today, I was a little more aggressive than I would have been yesterday just because it’s an 18-hole shootout. If you can attack pins and make birdies, you’re going to put yourself into contention to medal or even win.” Emory did that right from the beginning of his round.
“I started out great,” he said. “I made a 30-footer downhill for birdie on hole No. 1.
That started everything. “I was shaky off the tee all day. I hit four fairways.
But I got off to a great front nine with a 35. I struggled to start the back. I had a three putt and another par putt lip out .
