KITZINGEN, Germany — Ramstein’s Kyle Farrell rapped a 27-foot eagle putt into the middle of the cup on the 18th green Thursday to win the DODDS-Europe Division I high school golf championship.
“I hit it kind of firm,” Farrell said, “but it went right in.”
Under the modified Stableford scoring system the high schools use, the putt was worth six points, a mark which vaulted Farrell into a tie at 44 points with Heidelberg’s Justin Makar and Greg Nyander.
Farrell was declared the champion because he had the best score over the final nine holes. Farrell scored 27 on the back nine, compared to Makar’s 24 and Nyander’s 21.
“I was five [points] back at the turn and thought I had no chance to win the tournament,” Farrell said. “I had no clue I would eagle 18.”
The final hole is a par-5, 519-yard 18th hole, an uphill dogleg right.
“I hit my tee shot 340 yards and then a four-iron to the green,” Farrell said. “The putt had a little right break. I learned that from Justin’s putt.”
Playing in the same foursome as Farrell and Nyander, Makar parred the final hole, giving him three points to lift him to 44.
Nyander, who led at the turn with 23 points, bogeyed his final hole to let Makar and Farrell back into the match.
Nyander shot bogey, bogey, double-bogey, bogey over the final four holes for seven points. Makar scored 11 points and Farrell 13 over the same span.
“I hit the only bush in the rough and had to take an unplayable lie,” Nyander said about his double-bogey on 17. “That cost me a stroke.”
Makar’s and Nylander’s 44s, combined with J.R. Orlando’s 40 and one of the 30s posted by Chris Helfrich and Matt McMillan lifted the Lions to the team title, 158-145 over Ramstein. Lakenheath, paced by Justin Teague’s 42, was third at 137.
In the girls’ tournament, Würzburg sophomore Frances Smythe outscored Ramstein’s Ann Marie Marchand 26-23. Although the scores were close, the two leaders were playing in separate foursomes and had no idea what the other was doing.
Lakenheath took the girls’ team title with 56 points; Heidelberg was second at 40 and Ramstein third with 32.
“I’m not the champion yet,” Smthye said, referring to next week’s European championships. “That’s where the champion will be crowned.”
