4A boys state golf: Richland’s Underwood wins title, Bombers third in team race
Richland High School had had a 12-year drought without a boys state golf champion.
Everything is lush and green again as junior Carl Underwood won a five-hole playoff to win the Class 4A state title Wednesday with a two-day, 1-over-par 145 at Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland.
“I’m just stoked,” Underwood said after accepting his first-place medal. “That our team finished third is just as great.”
The last state champion for Richland was Zach Bixler in 2004.
Underwood drained a 30-foot putt on the fifth playoff hole to beat RJ Manke of Bellarmine Prep, whose 10-foot putt was just off the mark.
“I canned that 30-footer on 14 — that was an unbelievable feeling,” Underwood said. “I’m excited. He took a great look, but it just slid past.”
Manke, who finished fifth last year at state, still had a smile on his face despite the loss.
“I had fun,” he said. “I had a 10-footer downhill and just missed it.”
Bellarmine Prep won the team title with 122 points, followed by Eastlake with 90 and the Bombers with 68.25.
Underwood earned the majority of the points, but Evan Hattori’s 15th-place finish (152) helped put the Bombers on the medal stand.
Tommy McCoy of Eastlake, the first-day leader with a 70, shot an 81 in the second round and finished 13th.
Underwood trailed by one stroke heading to the 18th hole. He had just made par on No. 17 with a short putt to pull into a three-way tie for second, with Sean Kato of Redmond leading by one.
Underwood and two of his playing partners made par on No. 18, and Kato was left with the final shot — make the 6-foot putt and the title is all his. But the ball stopped on the lip of the cup, and he finished with a bogey to force a four-man playoff.
The group of Underwood, Kato, Manke and Bellarmine Prep teammate Joe Highsmith started the playoff on the 10th hole, but by the end, only Underwood and Manke made par, while Kato and Highsmith carded bogeys and were done for the day.
The second playoff hole also saw Underwood and Manke shoot par, but the third hole added a little drama.
Manke hit a shot over the green and cart path, while Underwood missed a 2-foot putt for the win as the ball hit the lip and rolled out. Both finished with a double bogey.
The fourth hole looked to be all Underwood as Manke’s tee shot was lost and officials deemed it had gone into the water on No. 13. Manke took a drop and again worked his way back into the game as Underwood’s putting game was sub-par. Both finished with a bogey on the hole and move onto to the fifth and final hole.
“I never really thought I was out of it,” Manke said. “I always thought there was a chance. I believed my game would allow me to stay in it.”
Much to Underwood’s dismay.
“When he made that bogey, I had a 10-footer for par to win,” Underwood said. “It was nerve-wracking going into the 14th hole. He had so much momentum.”
4A boys final results
At Meadow Springs Country Club
Team scores: Bellarmine Prep 122, Eastlake 90, Richland 68.25, Kentwood 58, Redmond 54.25, Olympia 52, Snohomish 51.5, Inglemoor 49, Kamiak 44.5, Newport 38.5, Eisenhower 29, Union 22, West Valley (Yakima) 22, Mt. Si 14, Central Valley 9.
Top 10: 1, (*won on the 5th playoff hole) *Carl Underwood, Richland, 72-73-145; Joe Highsmith, Bellarmine Prep, 74-71-145; Sean Kato, Redmond, 71-74-145; RJ Manke, Bellarmine Prep, 74-71-145; 5 (tie), Mason Koch, Kentwood, 72-75-147; Gabe Lysen, Eastlake, 73-74-147; Sean Yi, Thomas Jefferson, 75-72-147; 8, Riley Killip, Olympia, 77-71-148; 9 (tie) Ethan Casto, Snohomish, 75-75-150; Travis Kay, Newport, 78-72-150; Alvin Kwak, Kamiak, 77-73-150; Mason Phalen, Inglemoor, 72-78-150. Also: 15, Evan Hattori, Richland, 78-74-152.
Annie Fowler: 509-582-1574, @TCHIceQueen
This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 6:41 PM with the headline "4A boys state golf: Richland’s Underwood wins title, Bombers third in team race."