Connell places first on familiar Dalhousie track

The 15-year-old won his second title this year on the Gateway PGA/Southeast Missouri Junior Series.

Jack Connell, the director of golf at Dalhousie Golf Club, thought his son, Jack Connell, the sophomore-to-be at Central High School, posted a respectable score during Thursday's Gateway PGA/Southeast Missouri Junior Series stop at Dalhousie.

The younger Connell shot a 79 and won by nine strokes in the Tour division for 14- and 15-year-old boys.

"That's a good score for him," said the elder Connell, who also coordinates the junior series. "Of course, that's his track."

Connell, 15, picked up his second win of the summer by claiming the event on his home course. He had finished second behind Dakota Trevino, who shot an 88 to finish second Thursday, in the June 29 stop at Kennett Country Club.

The 14-15 boys Tour division has been balanced this summer with Eric Redfearn, who was third Thursday, also claiming two wins. Peyton Beasley has the other victory.

The series has remaining stops Monday at Sikeston Country Club and July 15 at Westwood Hills Country Club in Poplar Bluff. Tournament winners and the top three in points for the series qualify for a Gateway PGA section tournament Aug. 1 and 2 at Crystal Springs Quarry in St. Louis County.

Connell already had earned a spot in that event with a previous win at Hidden Trails in Dexter. But Thursday's walk through familiar territory gave him an opportunity to cement his standing among his peers.

"I play the course every day or every other day," Connell said. "It helps to know where I could hit it and where I couldn't hit it."

But Connell, whose career best on the course is a 73, surprised himself Thursday by playing stronger on the back nine, where he opened with a 38. He finished his day on the first nine holes, where he shot a 41.

"I played well on the back nine," he said. "I think it's a lot harder than the front nine, but I did well on it. I messed up on the front nine because I got really tired."

While temperatures approached 90, the humidity and wind were not factors for the golfers, who must walk and carry their own clubs.

Still, the 40 golfers who participated had their work cut out for them. Nine of the 33 golfers who played 18 holes ended up over 100.

Kirk Lohmann, another Central golfer familiar with Dalhousie, shot a 75 to win the Tour division for 16- to 19-year-old boys. Dax Demaree and Logan McDonald tied for second at 76. Blake Driskell and Zach Kluener tied for fourth at 78.

Tanner Werner won the 12- and 13-year-old boys regular division at 83. Dustin Gray topped the regular division for ages 16 to 19 with an 84. Zack Stricker won the 14- and 15-year-old boys regular division at 100, one stroke better than Derek Spencer.

In the 9-hole division, Vance Toole shot a 54 to win the 10- and 11-year-old boys division at 54, two strokes better than Mathew Crews. Evan Deere won among the 12- and 13-year-old boys, and Brett Slaten won among the 14- and 15-year-old boys.