Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Cole keeps cool again to final shot
Matthew Cole flirted with trouble on the final hole at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock, but the Fayetteville senior rolled in a pressure-packed 6-foot par putt to claim medalist honors at the High School Overall Championship on Thursday afternoon.
Cole fired a 1-over 73, beating Jonesboro senior Sam Rain water by a stroke on the par72, 6,785-yard course.
In a finish similar to last week’s Class 7A t ournament at The Gre en s at North Hills in Sherwood, Cole needed par or better on No. 18 to avoid a playoff. He got his par, but there were some anxious moments for the eventual winner.
Cole, playing in the final boys group Thursday, learned of the score he needed to beat prior to teeing off on the par5, 518-yard final hole at Pleasant Valley.
“It did remind me of last week,” said Cole, who drained an 8-footer to avoid a playoff in the 7A tournament. “I asked our rules official on [No.] 18 what [was] the best score he had seen and he said it was a 74. … When I hit over the green on my third shot, I had a little flashback to last week.”
Cole’s second shot on the final hole landed in a bunker guarding the green. His third shot flew over the green and landed in the short grass approximately 30 feet from the pin.
Cole managed to get up and down, thanks to a chip shot to within 6 feet of the hole.
“I didn’t think my layup shot went that far, but it rolled into the bunker,” Cole said. “I should have thought a little more about that shot. … The chip shot I had to land on the green and from there it was straight downhill so I had to be careful how hard I hit it. I hit it just like I wanted to.”
Cole birdied the par-3, 176yard 12th hole when he placed his tee shot to within 4 feet of the pin. He gave the stroke back on the par-4, 379-yard 16th, hitting into the rocks and water in front of the green. He missed a 10-footer for birdie on No. 17 before his final-hole exploits.
Rainwater also made par on No. 18, but in a totally different manner.
“I had an eagle putt from about 15 feet,” said Rainwater, who finished third in the Class 6A tournament last week. “And then I three-putted for par. … I’m actually pleased with my round. I was thinking anything 75 or better would be good for me today.”
Searcy senior Peyton Wilhoit had the. strongest finish of the field, making birdies on three of his final four holes to finish third with a 76.
Wilhoit and Cole were the only two golfers in the 21- player field to post an even-par score of 36 or better on the back nine.
“Making that first birdie got me on the right track,” said Wilhoit of the par-4, 421yard No. 15. “It made me think a little more positive. I started playing the way I should have been playing the whole day.”
Cole’s victory was the second in as many years for a Fayetteville golfer in the Overall. Luke Long won the 2013 championship as a sophomore but failed to qualify this year.
“I really liked playing this course,” Cole said. “The greens are fast and it’s tough, but I thought it played fair.”