For a year, the trophy hadn’t moved.
After winning last year’s Beatty Memorial golf tournament,
Jordan Miller brought the first-place prize home and proudly placed
it on his nightstand.
For a year, the trophy hadn’t moved.
After winning last year’s Beatty Memorial golf tournament, Jordan Miller brought the first-place prize home and proudly placed it on his nightstand.
But Wednesday, Miller had to reluctantly bring it back to Gilroy Golf Course for the tournament’s final round.
“It was tough,” he said. “I didn’t want to give it up.”
As it turns out, he didn’t have to.
Tied going into the final hole, Miller sank a clutch putt for par and held off Stephen Peterson to win his second consecutive Beatty Memorial.
No sweat?
“No, a lot of sweat,” Miller said after his round of 80. “I’ve never had it come down to the final hole.”
For awhile, it didn’t look like that would be necessary.
The three-player group, which also included first-day leader Stephen Freeth, went back-and-forth until Miller took charge at the start of the back nine.
But with Miller’s lead at four, the 16-year-old Peterson made a charge. The golfer from Bellarmine Prep birdied 14 and 15, while his counterpart from Gilroy High bogeyed 15 and doubled 16.
Arriving at the final hole tied, Miller placed his tee shot a few feet right of the green and chipped his second attempt to within five feet from the hole.
Meanwhile, Peterson hit his initial shot short of the green, but landed his second about 10 feet from the cup. His putt to save par inched just to the left of the hole, though.
“Woulda, shoulda, coulda, I guess,” the Morgan Hill native said.
Taking advantage of a chance to grab the title, the 15-year-old Miller sank his putt, becoming the fourth player in the 20-year history of the tournament to take back-to-back overall titles.
Back-to-back was also the theme in the two younger groups.
After winning their respective age divisions at last month’s City Youth Tournament, both Ben Hartl and Sean O’Grady did it again this week.
Heading into the day, O’Grady held a five-shot lead over the 10 other golfers in the 11-13 age group.
The 13-year-old closed with a 47 over nine holes – his total of 92 comfortably ahead of tournament first-timer Nick Guttierez (98).
“I double-bogeyed the first three holes yesterday, so it was good to get off to a better start,” O’Grady said. “I couldn’t putt, but I drove it well today.”
In the 10-and-under division, Hartl shot a 41 over six holes to finish with a total score of 81. He held off both 6-year-old Ryan Slater (83) and Julian Marquez (91).
Playing in his first tournament, Marquez turned in the shot of the day when he used a five-iron from the fairway at No. 6 and rolled the ball right up to the hole until it hit the flag stick and bounced out.
“I took a few practice swings and was just hoping to get it onto the green,” Marquez said. “That was pretty exciting.”
