Michael Jensen chips onto the 14th green during Warsaw’s 314 peformance at the Warsaw Regional. (Photos by Nick Goralczyk)

WINONA LAKE – Golf fans that left the Warsaw Regional at the Stonehenge Golf Club early on Thursday really missed out, and any Warsaw Tiger fans that may have tried to beat the traffic should certainly be kicking themselves because the best was saved for last…very last.

Sam Yeager

After all the final scores had rolled in and teams, parents and fans gathered to watch Fort Wayne Dwenger be crowned regional champion with a 303, followed by additional state qualifying teams Columbia City and Homestead, the real fun could begin. Eight players went into two separate playoffs, four to determine the round’s medalist and four others to fill the final individual qualifying spot for the IHSAA State Finals.

Warsaw had already seen its final score posted, a solid 314, and it was not low enough to get the team through to state. But senior Jonny Hollar still had a fighter’s chance as one of the four golfers alive in the playoff for the final state spot. Storm clouds started to gather, the wind picked up little by little and the pressure mounted with every passing second. But none of it mattered.

Hollar had ice water in his veins, he was as cool as they come. He carried himself with the confidence that is seldom seen in a prep athlete. Stonehenge was his course, it was his last stand as a senior and all of that meant it was his playoff to lose.

Ryan Cultice

The senior hit a 275-yard drive to start the playoff on par four No. 1, placing him on the right side of the fairway. The next three players followed and peppered their shots around Hollar’s, with only one drive going further. Of the second shots, three made it on the green while one was just onto the fringe, above the pin. Hollar, however, put the pressure on by placing his second shot seven feet from the hole.

Spectators gathered around as the players continued their effort for the final spot. Hollar was the last to putt. He watched as his three competitors attempted for birdie. Miss. Miss. Miss. One finished out with a par. The other two would have a par putt coming if the kid from Warsaw missed his putt but Hollar never gave them the chance. It was a slow-rolling putt, one that seemingly took minutes to complete its journey. The ball dropped in, Hollar had punched his ticket.

“My day wasn’t looking too good after my first nine, I tried to remain optimistic,” Hollar began, “and I came back shooting one-under on the front and got into the playoff. So, in my mind, if you think about it, I’m not even supposed to be in the playoff. I was all smiles, I was ready to go. I was ready to attack and that’s what I did and it worked out for me.”

Hollar finished his round of 18 with a 75 before going into the playoff against competitors Zach Watterson (Kokomo), Ashby Drummond (Leo) and Blaine Brutus (Northwestern). Hollar’s score was the low of the day for the Tigers.

Brandon Eckert

Warsaw fared well in the field finishing fifth overall, two strokes behind Northern Lakes Conference foe Northridge (312) for fourth. Senior Ryan Cultice shot a 36 on the back nine and would sign for a 77. Senior Brandon Eckert posted a 76 for the Tigers. Freshman Sam Yeager turned in an 86 and sophomore Michael Jensen shot a 93 to round out the scores for Warsaw. It was a valiant team effort that fell just a little short of qualifying, but Warsaw head coach Ben Barkey was happy with the fight his boys gave.

“Our players worked their butts off today,” said Barkey. “They battled, they fought hard, they played with class. We had guys play better than their average and that’s the kind of thing that you can ask for.”

“Jonny is a great guy, he has worked really hard. It’s great to see him go through to state. This senior class will now be represented in three state finals and has won a regional title, two sectional titles and three conference titles. You can’t ask anything more, plus they’re outstanding students in the classroom.”

Warsaw made it to state finals as a team in 2012 and 2013.

While Hollar won the second playoff, it was Northfield’s Braydon Schinder that won the playoff to earn medalist honors. Joining Schinder in the playoff after shooting rounds of 73 were Tyler Green (Columbia City), Spencer Klimek (Columbia City) and Pat Allgeier (Dwenger).

Joining Hollar as individual qualifiers at state will be Schinder, Michael Brothers (Canterbury), Riley Tomlinson (Western) and Jonathan Wallisch (Mishawaka Marian).

The 2015 IHSAA Boys Golf State Finals will be held over the course of two days at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel. Day one is Tuesday June 16, day two is Wednesday June 17.

Atwood Sees Career Draw To A Close

Tristen Atwood

As far as other area golfers were concerned, Wawasee’s Tristen Atwood did not have the final round that he had hoped for as he finished with an 82.

“He hit the ball great today, I’m being honest, he shot it really well,” said Wawasee head coach Steve Coverstone. “He had an 82 but had eight three putts. On a course where the greens are fast like this, you can’t miss short putts. He had too many missed short putts today.

“He doesn’t realize it now but he turned around a disastrous day and turned it into a respectable round.”

Atwood rebounded from a rough front nine where he tallied just one par with a 38 on the back. That back nine included four pars and a birdie on No. 16 set up by a beautiful tee shot. Atwood has been a consistent player for the Warriors all season and the definition of senior leader. His absence will be a big one for Coverstone’s team.

“It hurts a lot to lose him,” Coverstone said. “He’s a hard guy to replace. Somebody will need to step up and fill that void and that’s a tall task to ask of someone. We’re really going to miss Tristen.”

Wawasee will return just two players from this year’s sectional roster in Jeffrey Moore, a regional qualifier in both 2013 and 2014, and No. 3 golfer Cal Heinisch.

Jonny Hollar is congratulated by his mother after clinching a spot for next week’s IHSAA State Finals.