Notre Dame golfers set school record in winning Jackson Invitational

There's been little doubt about who the best high school golfer in Southeast Missouri has been this spring pound for pound.

The medalist for the Jackson Invitational on Monday was not so easy to figure.

It took 18 holes and a three-man playoff that lasted two holes, but the best pound-for-pound golfer in the area proved he also might be the best outright after shooting a 1-under-par 70.

With about the entire tournament field watching the par-3 18th hole from the back porch of Kimbeland Country Club, Notre Dame freshman Jack Litzelfelner -- all 5-foot-3 and 125 pounds of him -- exhibited why he already had been a co-medalist and runner-up in the only two previous large high school tournaments he'd participated in this season. Litzelfelner coaxed a spontaneous roar from his competitors, teammates, coaches and anyone else with eyes when he nearly holed his 135-yard wedge shot on the second playoff hole.

The shot landed in front of the pin and sidestepped the hole before settling three feet behind.

Notre Dame’s Jack Litzelfelner holds the flag while waiting to putt on the eighth green Monday during the Jackson Invitational at Kimbeland Country Club. (Laura Simon)

The near hole-in-one was a nice reply to junior teammate Brady Dixon, who landed his second attempt on the 18th about 15 feet right of the hole. Both players missed their birdie putts, but Litzelfelner prevailed after Dixon went past the hole and misread his comeback attempt from about 3 1/2 feet.

"I knew I had to give it a run because the little man stuck it tight," Dixon said about his first putt.

The duel between teammates played out after Notre Dame shot a school-record 299 in regulation play. which gave the Bulldogs a two-shot victory over Jackson in the 11-team event. Central placed third at 312, while defending champion Poplar Bluff was fourth at 316.

The victory came two weeks after Jackson won the Notre Dame Invitational by one shot.

"We really didn't like that," Litzelfelner said. "We came out hot after losing."

Central’s Travis Simmons watches his chip find the ninth green. Simmons fired a 3-over-par 74.

The Bulldogs have won everything since, including the Poplar Bluff Invitational by three shots.

"We had the one-stroke loss at our tournament, and it felt really good to come to their turf and beat them by two," Dixon said about Jackson.

Litzelfelner, who sports a brunette mop and braces on a smile that doesn't like to leave, has made a habit of finishing near the top of the leaderboard.

He was the co-medalist at Poplar Bluff and finished in a three-way tie for second at the Notre Dame Invitational. He also was the medalist at a four-team, nine-hole event that included Jackson.

"I don't know if I've ever had one that has won as often as he has, but I've had some pretty good freshman golfers -- state qualifiers," Notre Dame coach Jerry Grim said. "Without a doubt he will [qualify] unless something really drastic happens."

Litzelfelner was part of a pack that trailed Central freshman Koby Franklin over most of the back nine Monday.

Franklin carded three birdies on the front nine and made the turn at 3-under-par 32. However, he three-putted three of his final five holes and finished with a 72.

Franklin was still at 1-under-par on the 17th green, when Litzelfelner went to the adjacent 18th tee box at even-par on his round. While Franklin made double-bogey, Litzelfelner gave a sneak preview of the playoff when he hit his tee shot inside of two feet for a tap-in birdie to finish 1-under par.

"I knew I had to make birdie to tie, but then I figured out I didn't have to, but I thought I did at the moment," Litzelfelner said.

Turns out he needed the birdie.

Dixon and Jackson sophomore Eli Pike, who was 4-over par after the first two holes of his round but played the final 16 at 5-under, were both at even-par in Franklin's group. Both sank birdie putts of at least 10 feet on No. 18 to match Litzelfelner.

The playoff ensued, with Dixon and Litzelfelner matching pars. Pike was eliminated after his tee shot found the water.

The two Notre Dame golfers returned to the tee box.

"It was pretty much fun at the last go-round. It was just me and Brady," said Litzelfelner, who admitted to feeling some nerves about the possibility of "knocking it in the water" on the first playoff hole in front of the large gallery.

"After the first round, whenever Jack and I were walking back, it felt great," Dixon said. "My comment to Jack up on the tee box was we were going to have a Notre Dame champion, and that felt pretty good."

Litzelfelner then stuck his shot.

"I don't like to lose, but if I had to, I guess I'm fine losing to Jack," Dixon said. "He's a champion. He doesn't hit it too far, but he knows his strengths and weaknesses, and I'm extremely proud of him."

Nick Cantoni added a 75 and Jon Renner rounded out Notre Dame's record score with an 84.

Jackson, led by Pike, was the only team in the field to have all five of its golfers shoot in the 70s.

"We got beat on a day they set a school record, so you can't be disappointed with what the boys did," Jackson coach Zack Walton said. "I thought they played well. I'm proud of my boys for shooting 301. If we can keep shooting like that, that's great."

Jackson Invitational

Team -- Notre Dame 299, Jackson 301, Central 312, Poplar Bluff 316, Fort Zumwalt South 318, Sikeston 329, Dexter 332, Jackson (Red) 333, Ste. Genevieve 359, Bloomfield 370, Park Hills 394

Individual -- Jack Litzelfelner (ND) 70, Brady Dixon (ND) 70, Eli Pike (J) 70, Koby Franklin (CC) 72, Ethan Stevens (D) 72, Travis Simmons (CC) 74, Kirk Hoggatt (S) 74, Nick Cantoni (ND) 75, Zach Crader (J) 76, Adam Way (J) 77, John Gilmore (PB) 78, Hunter Asher (J) 78

Central -- Kobe Franklin 72, Travis Simmons 74, Luke Kinder 79, Parker Browne 87

Jackson -- Eli Pike 70, Zach Crader 76, Adam Way 77, Hunter Ash 78

Notre Dame -- Jack Litzelfelner 70, Brady Dixon 70, Nick Cantoni 75, Jon Renner 84

Poplar Bluff -- John Gilmore 78, Hunter Pyland 79, Ryan McVey 79, Nick Woolard 80

Bloomfield -- Austin Battles 81, Andrew Northern 91, Zac Goode 96, Sean Finney 102

Jackson (red) -- Caleb Likens, 82, Tommy Tran 82, Cody Likens 83, Alex Lukefahr 86

Fort Zumwalt South -- Seth Miller 76, John Clynes 79, Tim Heimann 80, Nathan Davis 83

Dexter -- Ethan Stevens 72, Myles Urhahn 83, Drake Mitchell 84, Austin Chesser 93

Sikeston -- Kirk Hoggatt 74, Gabe Wheeler 79, Connor Landers 88, Conor McGillivary 88

Ste. Genevieve -- Matt Turek 84, Tim Schweigert 91, Clayton Gielow 92, Kyle Roth 92

Park Hills -- Jon Comfort 88, Jason Asher 91, Justin Halter 98, Caleb Gerrish 117