Anytime you win a team golf state championship by one stroke, every stroke truly did matter. Every par save, every bogey save — heck, even double-bogey saves were key for Waterford as it beat Beaver by the narrowest of margins (651 to 652) on October 2nd to win the 2A state championship.
And while all 651 of Waterford’s shots mattered the same, there was certainly something a little more special about Will Stender’s hole in one given the magnitude of the moment.
His ace on hole No. 4 at Palisade GC during fist round played a key role in Waterford not only beating Beaver by one stroke, but ending a 20-year state title drought.
From 1999 to 2004, Waterford’s boys golf team won six straight state championships. Just when the dynasty was getting going, the hardware stopped rolling in.
That is until Thursday afternoon.
Led by Stender’s ace, the Ravens had a two-stroke lead over Beaver after the opening round, and that slight cushion made all the difference during the second round.
Waterford opened up a six-stroke lead through nine holes in the final round, but Beaver made a big charge and actually took a narrow lead with five holes to go before Waterford’s golfers closed the round with some timely shots to clinch the title.
There wasn’t nearly as much drama in the individual title race as North Summit senior Bradley Woolstenhulme (74-75) ran away with 2A medalist honors, winning by four strokes after shooting a two-day 149.
Click here to read the complete 2A State Championship story by Deseret News/James Edward.
Many thanks to PGA Professional Jordan Van Orman and the staff at Palisade GC for hosting the championship.