Collin Bond stood in the fairway, lining up his shot while a steady breeze ruffled the flag on the 18th hole.
Golf carts suddenly flocked to the green like a flock of birds, but the community Christian School junior didn’t let the growing crowd faze him. Instead, he focused on teammate Gage Tucker, whose position near the green helped Bond figure out how to line up his approach shot.
“Seeing him just made me feel safe and calm,” Bond said.
The ball bounced onto the green. Then Bond made his putt for an eagle, putting the finishing touches on his performance at the state championship.
Bond, an Oklahoma State representative, hit a 197 over three rounds to win a Class 2A singles title at Lake Hefner Golf Club. He finished his final round on Tuesday with a 5-under 67 and led Community Christian to his first state championship on the boys’ golf team.
Defending champion Latta was second with Tishomingo third.
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Coach Jerry Stephens said Monday it was his goal for the Royals to stay under 300 in each of their three rounds, and they did. With a team rating of 875, they walked away with the championship and won by 26 shots to cap an unbeaten season.
“I’m so proud of her, it’s just unreal,” Stephens said. “You’ve worked so hard. They listen. They are just so trainable and it shows.”
When Community Christian competed in Class 3A last year, Bond was the only royal to qualify for the state. That year, the full group of two juniors (Bond and Tucker) and three freshmen (Will Whorton, Carson Montgomery, and Jackson Kennedy) advanced and won.
Whorton had an outstanding state debut, finishing fourth with a 213. After breaking par in the second round for the first time in his career, he did it again in the third, improving his score to 68.
“It just opened up a new level of golf for him and the team,” said Bond.
Bond got his best finish in the second round, recording a 63 to put a six-shot lead into Tuesday.
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He was under pressure to hold it.
He only extended his lead and finished the state tournament with a lead of 12 strokes. Nowata’s Spencer Bullen was second with a 209 and Walters’ Carter Ray followed with a 210.
The wind added an extra obstacle for everyone, but Bond navigated it, bouncing off a couple of putts that weren’t going his way. And his driving game stayed strong. When he teeed off on the 16th hole, he smashed the ball 382 yards and delivered it gently onto the green.
After doing the eagle on the 18th, he turned his attention to the crowd and raised his fist while his family applauded from the nearby hill. His mum Sue doused him with water and his dad James was finally able to rest after jogging to deal with his nerves.
Her son was national champion.
“I said to myself, ‘If I just play like I normally play, I can take the state championship home,'” Bond said. “There was a bit of pressure on the first tee, but that’s like any tournament. I was just trying to relax.”
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Class 6A: Norman emerges from the center of the pack to win
The third round made the difference for Sebastian Salazar and Norman.
After day one of the Class 6A tournament, several teams overshadowed the Tigers in standings. Stillwater, Owasso and Norman North took the top three spots.
But it wasn’t too late for Norman to take a step.
With a 293 in the third round, the Tigers rocketed to the top of the rankings and clinched a state title Tuesday at the Bailey Ranch Golf Club in Owasso. Norman carded a 901 through three rounds.
Individual champion Salazar followed his team’s pattern. Salazar held on to the championship Monday with rounds of 73 and 72, but he wasn’t on top. He then scored a 70 to close the tournament 1 under 215 and secured the individual crown as the only golfer to finish under par.
The top six golfers were within four shots of each other. Edmond North’s Parker Sands was second with a 216. Norman North’s Josh Stuart followed with a 217, and Edmond Santa Fe’s CJ Phillips was fourth with a 218 from Enid.
Stillwater, the team leading at the end of day one, finished six strokes behind Norman. Reigning champion Norman North finished third in a 912.
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Class 5A: Duncan goes back to back
For the second consecutive year, Duncan is the Class 5A Boys’ Golf State Champion.
With a team comprised of two of the top four players, Duncan took first place at Territory Golf and Country Club on Tuesday, enjoying home field advantage. Duncan’s Baylor Bostick was second with a 4-under 212, and teammate Caden Stevens hit a 228 to share third place with Noble’s Parker Payne.
Tulsa Bishop Kelley’s Will Hennessee captured the individual crown with a 209.
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Class 4A: Cowan of OCS repeats as champion
Ryder Cowan is the individual state champion again, and this time his team won as well.
The Oklahoma Christian School senior carded 10 under 203 to cap his high school career with another individual state title. In their debut in Class 4A, the Saints won the team championship with an 879.
The dynamic duo of Cowan and Bryant Polhill continued to deliver for OCS. Polhill, a Kansas State signee, placed third with 208. Neither he nor Cowan, an OU signee, had a round over 70.
“Ryder and Bryant ran this team for three years so it was a special day all round,” said OCS coach Tosh Hays.
Hays also praised sophomore Aaron Cummings and freshmen Ty Neatherlin and Braden Haines for their determination to send off their older teammates as champions.
“[Cowan]and Bryant are going to be very difficult to replace, but I’m excited for the young guys coming after them,” Hays said.
The team standings were tight as defending champions Heritage Hall finished just one shot behind OCS. Heritage Hall freshman Ben Lathrop finished second with a 205.
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Class 3A: CHA’s Johnson wins playoff and secures singles title
After three rounds at the Class 3A state tournament, Christian Johnson wasn’t done playing golf.
With a 3-over-216, the Christian Heritage senior tied for first place with Lone Grove’s Bliss Newton, sending them into the playoffs. Johnson birdied the third playoff hole to seal his individual state title.
“He showed great sportsmanship and stamina and went from 77 yesterday to 66 today,” said coach Chad Borin.
Borin said Johnson, an Oral Roberts signee, got off to a strong start in the third round, blasting a 5-under 30 through the first nine holes. Fellow Christian Heritage fellow Carter Nutt also finished at the top of the standings, tying for third place with Plainview’s Jace Chaney with 217 points.
With an 899, Plainview was team champion. Plainview took a colossal lead on day one, never giving up and winning by 49 shots. Kingfisher was second and Lone Grove was third.
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoma: Oklahoma High School Boys Golf 2023 OSSAA State Tournament Results
