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AKRON – When an oversight threatened to derail Columbus Academy senior Ethan Baker’s final round of high school golf, he remembered one lesson coach Craig Yakscoe consistently teaches the team.
And if that wasn’t enough, Yakscoe delivered a reminder before Baker played his last five holes Tuesday in the Division II state tournament.
After being assessed a two-stroke penalty on No. 12 for not replacing his marker while others putted, Baker finished 2-under par on Nos. 14 and 18 at chilly, windy Firestone Country Club and helped seal a sixth-place finish for the Vikings.
“I found a way to battle through,” Baker said. “Midway through, I found a groove. That two-stroke penalty on 12 was a big hit to my mental game, a hit to my morale, but I finished the next hole and my coach just told me to have swagger. That really helped me finish.”
Baker’s six on No. 12 turned into an eight after he moved his marker to allow others to putt, but forgot to move it back.
Senior Alex Stein’s two-day total of 13-over par 157, including an 81 Monday, placed him 14th and paced Academy (661). Baker was 21st (162), followed by senior Gavin Munster and junior Krish Bakhru (both 171, tied for 45th).
“I played well (Sunday) but today was brutal,” said Stein, who was eighth (76) after the first round. “It was mentally hard standing over a shot when your hands are cold.
“My strength was definitely my driver. It was so good both days.”
Kettering Alter repeated as champion (598), 26 shots ahead of runner-up Ottawa Hills.
“We just tried to embrace (the conditions) and tell our kids it’s the same for everybody,” Yakscoe said. “The guys have really bought into the philosophy of if you have a bad hole, take your 10 steps and move on. It took two or three holes for some of the other guys to do that (besides Baker and Stein), but they did.”
Sophomore Brendan Biegler’s 76 on Monday, right on his season average but 10 shots better than his first-round score, paced Westfall to 10th place (689) in its first trip to state since 2018.
Senior Jacob Hicks (166, 22nd), sophomore Colton Brungarth (177, 58th) and junior Dalton Bush (184, 67th) also scored for the Mustangs.
“The boys came in knowing they could just go out and shoot, play their best and have fun,” Westfall coach Jacob Rankin said. “They had nothing to lose. They let loose and had fun.”
Fairbanks senior Cole Eger led central Ohio individually, shooting a 75 Monday and tying for ninth (154) in his first trip to state. Eger had 11 pars and three birdies in the final round.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: OHSAA boys golf: Columbus Academy battles wind, cold at state
