Pike helps Jackson golfers stake claim to district crown

~ The junior shot 71 to tie Central's Simmons for the medalist honor

Central senior Travis Simmons was cruising along, sitting at 3-under par through 12 holes in Monday's Class 4A District 1 golf tournament at Kimbeland Country Club in Jackson.

His nearest competitor, Jackson junior Eli Pike, had just bogeyed No. 11 to fall to 1-over on the day, four strokes back of Simmons, who was playing in the same foursome.

An easy breeze to the finish for Simmons? Think again.

Simmons, the defending district champion, and Pike wound up battling down the stretch, tying for individual medalist honors with 1-over 71s on Kimbeland's par-70 layout.

Jackson won the team competition with a score of 315 to advance to next week's Class 4 sectional at Missouri Bluffs.

"We're very comparable to some of the teams that we've had in the past," Jackson coach Zach Walton said. "We've just had some bad breaks where some kids didn't play real well in districts, and today they did. It takes a team -- you just can't have one guy shoot really well. The rest of the kids have to play well."

Jackson's Hunter Asher shot 6-over 77 to tie for fourth, and Adam Way added a 9-over 80 as the Indians nipped Poplar Bluff (317) for the team title. The Mules also advanced to the sectional meet.

"I'm really satisfied with [71]," said Pike, who placed fourth in district play last year and advances -- along with the top 15 individual finishers -- to sectional play. "I hit the ball really well, made a few putts. Had a couple bad breaks here and there, but it evened out pretty well. At the end of the day, I'm really happy with my round."

Pike took advantage when Simmons found trouble in the pines lining the left side of the 15th fairway with his drive, which led to a double-bogey 6. On No. 16, Simmons was assessed a two-stroke penalty for failing to declare a provisional ball after his initial drive was thought to have found the hazard on the right, leading to another double-bogey.

Coupled with Pike's chip-in birdie on the par 12th, Simmons suddenly found himself a stroke behind Pike heading to No. 17.

Just like that, the match was back on.

"I just made a bad swing on 15 off the tee box," Simmons said. "I kind of let it get to me, let it carry over."

On the 15th, a par 4, Simmons' chip from the pines to the fairway didn't quite make it through, and his pitch to the hole went through the green. From there, he chipped on just short of the green and two-putted for double bogey.

Seething over his mistake, Simmons drove to the right on the par-4 16th and, thinking his ball had reached the lateral hazard, played a provisional ball from the tee. He failed to declare the provisional to his partners, though. When he learned his initial drive had struck a tree and bounced back into play, he was unable to play the ball, instead forced to play his second ball and take a two-stroke penalty.

"I stepped up on 16 and still had it in my head, running through my mind," he said. "And it cost me. It was all mental. That's definitely a lesson learned and something I'm going to work on."

Laying three in the fairway, Simmons' approach landed pin-high on the left fringe, and he two-putted for a second consecutive double bogey.

Pike, meanwhile, blasted his tee shot long down the center of the fairway on No. 15, pitched to within 5 feet and two-putted for par. On No. 16, Pike again was on in two and two-putted for par, moving ahead of Simmons by a stroke.

On the par-4 17th, Simmons mis-hit his approach shot short of the green, but got up and down when he pitched to within 4 feet and sank a critical par putt. Pike, from the center of the fairway, saw his approach run through the green and settle in some soft sand. His delicate pitch barely reached the green, and he two-putted for a bogey that dropped him into a tie with Simmons at 1-over.

"After my drive, I had about 40 yards to the green." Pike said. "After I hit my [pitch], I thought I made it. But it kept on rolling past. ... I tried to play a bunker shot but hit it a little fat and it came up about 15 feet short and I ended up making bogey there."

Both parred the par-3 18th to share medalist honors.

Simmons had made the turn at 1-under and was riding high after consecutive birdies at Nos. 10 and 11 moved him to 3-under.

"My short game was definitely the best part of my game today," Simmons said. "Even when I missed shots, I found a way to get it up and down. The middle of the round I got it going and was swinging well. When you're like that, it just kind of feels effortless. ... I got going, got on a roll and made some birdies. I need to try and stay aggressive and see how low I can get and how good I can shoot. I didn't really do that this time. I just kind of tried to coast in. Next time, I'll know."

Pike, after bogeying the par-4 11th, chipped in from the left rough for a birdie on No. 12 to pull back to even-par and remain within striking distance of the lead.

"That had to go in," Pike said about his chip from a downhill slope. "If not it would have rolled at least 10 feet past [the hole]."

Asher's 77 earned him all-district status, as did Way's 80.

"You've got to stay intense on the front nine," Asher, a sophomore, said. "I was 1-under through five holes and kind of let that slip away from me, ended up shooting 3-over on the front nine."

Following a double-bogey on the "B" hole (which replaced No. 13 on the back nine), Asher eagled the par-5 10th hole.

"When that happens, it helps you kind of keep your round going," Asher said. "You've just got to hit good shots, try to make some putts and keep an even head out there."

Central junior Luke Kinder also shot 77 to earn all-district status, as did teammate Kobe Franklin after his 80.

"I was just playing to advance [to sectionals] really," Kinder said. "Last couple holes, I knew as long as I didn't do anything dumb it would be easy to advance."

Class 4 District 1 Tournament

at Kimbeland Country Club (par-70)

Team -- 1. Jackson 315, 2. Poplar Bluff 317, 3. Fox 322, 4. Lindbergh 325, 5. Rockwood Summit 333, 6. Central 337, 7. Seckman 358, 8. Oakville 359, 9. Northwest 366, 10. Mehlville 389.

Top individuals (All-District team)

71 -- Elil Pike, J; Travis Simmons, C.

76 -- Nicholas Wollard, PB.

77 -- Hunter Asher, J; Luke Kinder, C; Jason Greenwold, RS.

78 -- Chris Perris, L.

79 -- Hunt Nagy, PB; Brennan Lindsey, F; Jacob Weis, F.

80 -- Adam Way, J; Satchel Conroy, L; Kobe Franklin, C.; Trenton Thomas, PB.

81 -- Brandon Dedic, RS; Tyler Ward, F; Chase Richardet, S.

Local finishers

Jackson (315) -- Eli Pike 71, Hunter Asher 77, Adam Way 80, Tommy Tran 87, Caleb Likens 89.

Central (337) -- Travis Simmons 71, Luke Kinder 77, Kobe Franklin 80, Diana Kantchev 109, Christian Retter 110.