Cyrus Torres sinks a putt for a par on the eighth hole at Rheinblick Golf Course, on the final day of the DODEA-Europe golf championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. (MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES)
Cyrus Torres sinks a putt for a par on the eighth hole at Rheinblick Golf Course, on the final day of the DODEA-Europe golf championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. (MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES)
Wiesbaden's Gilbert Bustillos chips to the green during the final round of the DODEA-Europe golf championships at Rheinblick Golf Course in Wiesbaden, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. Bustillos finished fourth. (MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES)
Micah Webb of Ramstein follows his chip on the 18th hole at the DODEA-Europe golf championships at Rheinblick Golf Course in Wiesbaden, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. Webb finished third. (MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES)
Wiesbaden's Alyssa Shewall hits out of the bunker during the final round of the DODEA-Europe golf championships at Rheinblick Golf Course in Wiesbaden, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. (MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES)
Wiesbaden's Heidi Johnson chips to the green on her way to finishing second in the girls competition at the DODEA-Europe golf championships at Rheinblick Golf Course in Wiesbaden, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. (MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES)
Ramstein's Ben Todman chips to the green on the final day of the DODEA-Europe golf championships at Rheinblick Golf Course in Wiesbaden, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. Todman finished second with 84 modified Stableford points. (MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES)
Clayton Shenk of Wiesbaden defended his boys DODEA-Europe golf title, scoring 85 modified Stableford points over the two days, to beat Ramstein's Ben Todman by a point. (MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES)
Ramstein's Carleigh Rivera follows her putt on her way to winning the girls title at the DODEA-Europe golf championships at Rheinblick Golf Course in Wiesbaden, Germany, Oct. 8, 2020. She scored 25 modified Stableford points for the win. (MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES)
Runner-up Ben Todman of Ramstein, left, congratulates Wiesbaden's Clayton Shenk on defending his boys DODEA-Europe golf title at Rheinblick Golf Course in Wiesbaden, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. Shenk beat Todman by a point, 85-84, using the modified Stableford point system. (MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES)
WIESBADEN, Germany— Those seeking dramatic finishes got their wish Thursday during the final round of the DODEA European golf championships.
Going into the 18th hole, Wiesbaden’s Clayton Shenk held a two-point lead over Ramstein’s Ben Todman.
“When I teed off, it was not one of my better shots. When I hit the tree, I thought: ‘Oh no, is this where I fall apart,’ ” said Shenk, the defending champion.
It all came down to the final putts from both players. Shenk had to make his first putt to secure the outright title. He did not. Todman needed to make his first putt to secure at least a share of the title. He missed as well.
“As soon as I hit it, I knew that I had done something wrong. I knew then that he (Todman) could come from behind to tie the score,” Shenk said. “When Todman just missed his putt, I knew that I won the championship.”
Shenk finished with 85 points, Todman with 84 and Ramstein’s Micah Webb was third with 76 points under a modified Stableford scoring system.
On the girls’ side of the tournament, Day 1 points leader Carleigh Rivera of Ramstein held off a late rally by Wiesbaden’s Heidi Johnson to win the championship with 25 points to 23 points respectfully.
“I did not think that I would win, not at all,” Rivera said. “There were a lot of good girls here that are amazing. I thought I might get in the top three at the most, but to win the title is so awesome.”
The start of the second day at the Rheinblick Golf Course was marred by fog, wind and rain, causing a 30-minute delay to the start of match play.
Despite the weather, the players were determined to put on a good show. The lead changed three times in the boys’ tournament, setting up the fateful shots on the 18th.
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