Oliver's career round goes south after self-imposed penalty during the SEMO Conference tournament

Through 13 holes Tuesday in the SEMO Conference golf tournament at Dalhousie Golf Club, Notre Dame senior John Oliver was having the round of his life.

"I had the best mental focus I've had," Oliver said. "I hit everything within 10 feet, I hit 11 greens in regulation, and everything was going for me those first 13 holes. Nothing went wrong at all; everything I did was perfect."

Then came the 16th hole.

Oliver double-hit the ball on a chip shot, incurring a penalty and turning a par into a double-bogey.

"I don't know if anybody heard it but I hit it on my follow through," Oliver said. "The ball hit the club, and I told them I did it. It's not like I'm playing for anything that's worth cheating."

At the time, Oliver was playing among the leaders in the hunt for the individual title. But the double-bogey was part of a stretch in which he shot 7-over on his final five holes to finish with an 80, which still was good enough for a seventh-place tie.

"I kind of lost my head there a little bit and went downhill from there," Oliver said. "I shot better than what I scored. It was just a hectic five holes."

Poplar Bluff's Trent Hillis drove from the 10th tee Tuesday. Hillis was medalist with a 2-under-par 70.

Oliver's round contributed to a third-place team finish for Notre Dame, which won the fifth-golfer tiebreaker with Jackson after the teams tied at 339. Central was second at 335, 21 strokes behind Poplar Bluff.

The Mules, who lost their hold on the Class 4 district championship last week at Dalhousie and had lost a regular-season match to Central during the season at Cape Country Club, had incentive for a big day Tuesday. They won their fifth straight conference crown.

"They wanted to go out there and show us how it is," Central senior Jack Connell said.

Mules sophomore Trent Hillis carded a 2-under 70. After a bogey on No. 7 brought him back to even, he birdied Nos. 9 and 18 and had pars on the rest.

"He played real well," said Connell, who tied for fourth with a 79. "I got to watch all of it."

Hillis missed a 35-foot putt for eagle on 18, which would have tied the mark of 69 posted by his brother Tyler last year for the best SEMO Conference tourney score since the event was first played at Dalhousie in 2003. Hillis earned the local exemption into this summer's American Junior Golf Association event at Dalhousie.

"I kept the ball out of trouble and tried to make as many pars as I could," Hillis said. "I made a few putts and had a few birdies."

Connell said Hillis was unflappable throughout the day. Oliver was only two strokes back with five holes to play, but he could feel the pressure.

"Being 1 over is hard because I'm trying to keep it going and lining up for a shot and thinking about, 'This has to be good,'" Oliver said.

It's the kind of pressure that should serve him well Monday and Tuesday when he plays in the Class 3 state tournament for the first time in his career. Oliver shot an 88 on a gusty, cold, rainy day at Crown Pointe in Farmington last week to earn a spot in the field at Rivercut Golf Course.

"I mainly focused on districts this year -- getting past districts and going to state," Oliver said. "Last year, I missed it by two strokes, and that's all I thought about ever since. I'm not worried about school being over. I just want to get to state."

Oliver said the trip will be enhanced by making the field with close friend Brett Slaten, a Notre Dame junior who will be heading to state for the third time.

"I wouldn't want to go with anybody else," Oliver said. "We're best friends, and it's just fun playing golf with him.

"I had always played golf my whole life, but I became friends with Brett Slaten and we played the whole summer my sophomore summer, and I did not want to stop, and I just decided to play [for the team]," said Oliver, who had competed for the track team the previous year. "Brett helps me a lot with my swing. My dad and Brett are the whole reason I'm in the game."

Days like Tuesday are a good reason as well.

"I played my best ever," Oliver said.

SEMO Conference tournament

Team scores -- Poplar Bluff 314, Cape Central 335, Notre Dame 339, Jackson 339, Dexter 348, Sikeston 364, New Madrid County Central 367, Doniphan 376, Kennett 386, Saxony Lutheran 408, Malden 418, Caruthersville 440.

Central (335) -- Jack Connell 79, Tim Simmons 81, Cole Viers 87, Cory Fowler 88, Jordn Sheets 92.

Notre Dame (339) -- John Oliver 80, Brett Slaten 81, Austin Hunter 88, Joe Wiggans 90, Emily Matthews 91.

Jackson (339) -- Tanner Werner 75, Brett Leimbach 85, Jordan Dale 89, Joe Shultz 90, Todd Heuring 93.

Saxony Lutheran (408) -- Zach Vaeth 98, Nick Murphy 102, Tyler James 103, Garrett Brewer 105, Adam Boehme 117.