The Patriots varsity golf team brought the 6A state title back to Homewood on Tuesday, capping off a record season decorated with various tournament wins and podium finishes.
Led by senior Jonathan Peters, this team has had plenty of success despite its young core of golfers. Coach Rick Baguley believes that the young guys’ amount of experience may be the driving force behind this year’s success.
“We have guys like Jack Lowery, Kaman Rouse, Andrew Woods, and Alex Wahl who have experienced the pressure of big tournaments and are ready to shine on the big stage,” Baguley said.
Sophomore Jack Lowery proved this point by playing the best golf of the tournament, claiming the 6A state championship MVP, a first for a Homewood golfer.
“This is a moment all of us have been preparing for all year,” Lowery said. “We have had a great past few weeks and were trending at the right time.”
The Patriots had a commanding lead of 7 strokes over the rest of their opponents after the first round of play, giving them an incredible, early advantage.
“It was definitely the most nerves I’ve ever felt on a golf course,” Lowery said. “Just knowing that every single shot could dictate the outcome of this tournament made it nerve-wracking.”
This focus and preparation were two of the three major contributing factors to the Patriots success. Peters believes that their third was their desire to win.
“We had something to prove,” Peters said. “No one would have thought that we would be in this position at the beginning of the season. I think it was clear we wanted it the most.”
Similarly to Lowery’s point of their positive trend, the boys continued their brilliant form on the second day of the tournament.
Lowery shot 3 under par on day two to pair with his 8 under par from day one, to total 11 under par. This led the charge for the rest of the team to follow.
For Lowery, the final successful putt triggered both joy and relief.
“After making the last putt knowing that we won, I felt the most satisfaction that I think I’ve ever felt,” Lowery said. “We could finally relax. We had put all the hard work in, and we won.”
The Patriots wrapped up their amazing year with a birdie on the final hole to seal the deal, crowning them 6A boys golf state champions.
This is the second state title for Homewood High School this week after the boys varsity soccer team brought home the blue map after defeating Spanish Fort on Saturday.
