parkside WOSSAA Boys Golf Champs
Stampeders Gryp beats teammate Bosma and Mitchell's Watt in a playoff for the individual title
UNION, Ont. - This is definitely the year for Parkside Stampeders boys golf.
Not only did Preston Gryp and Jacob Bosma finish one-two in the individual standings, their scores of 76 over 18 holes, lifted the Stampeders to the WOSSAA team title Tuesday at St. Thomas Golf and Country Club.
Parkside, with Damon Fish (88) and Van McVeigh (89) completing the team, advances to OFSAA, October 14-15, at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor.
"We didn't really know what to expect coming in. There were a lot of great teams," Gryp said. "We're so happy to get the chance, since we're all in Grade 12. This is our last chance to get it done. I'm glad we're going as a team to experience OFSAA."
It took two playoff holes to determine the medals, after Gryp, Bosma and Mitchell District's Oliver Watt, tied a top the leaderboard after 18 holes, each carding a four-over 76.
On the second playoff hole, Bosma came close to claiming gold, as his shot from the fairway hit the flag, but didn't drop. Bosma then two-putted.
After watching his teammate almost grab gold on a highlight reel effort, Gryp dropped an incredible chip shot from the bunker in the hole for the win.
"I knew I had to do something special for me to at least tie it. I was not expecting to have a shot to win it," said Gryp. "I was not planning for it to go in. I got lucky with the way it rolled."
Gryp's card displayed three birdies, nine pars and five bogeys over 18,
"I got off to a hot start. I started on 13 and I was one under after the 18th hole," Gryp said. "I knew I had a stretch of eight hard holes that I had to battle through. I had tough stretch from one to four, then I bounced back and made a birdie on the 12th."
Bosma had a pair of birds, 12 pars and three bogeys.
"I started on one and I parred and birdied. I was two over after 15 holes," recapped Bosma. "I had a rough finish, but managed to go birdie, birdie, par, to finish."
Gryp and Bosma shared the excitement and relief winning as a team. That cut the stress level during the playoff, as both teammates were heading to OFSAA, not one about to eliminate the other.
"We were talking about it before," Gryp said. "We were hoping that we could qualify as a team, so we weren't battling it out to see who went to OFSAA."
Watt finished third in the playoff, but moves on as the top individual not on the winning team.
Dorchester Beavers Chase Grayson posted a 77, to grab the second individual berth for OFSAA, with line that included three birdies and eight pars.
"Amazing. It's great to be going (OFSAA)," said Grayson. "I started the round real nice with three birdies. I never went too deep over par. My putting. The course was in great condition so it made putting real easy. Everything rolled really smooth."
Andrew Sudicky from Dutton, with Saunders tied fifth with Oakridge's Clark Powley, both with 78s, while Strathroy's Parker Van Hoof had a 79.
St. Joe's Rams Zack Clark (81), Kohen Walkers (82), were eighth and ninth respectively.
Tied 10th carding 83s, were WCI's Grant Hamulecki, Medway High's Canon Laye and St. Joe's Finn O'Sullivan.
It's been 15 years since Parkside has appeared at OFSAA boys golf. The Stampeders had a stretch of five appearances in nine years during the 2000s. The best result a bronze medal in 2008.
Medway was sixth (257) and the Dorchester Beavers seventh (258).