TEXARKANA — Sean Romero of Texarkana shot a 5-under-par 67 in Thursday’s final round to take an 11-stroke victory in the Arkansas State Golf Association Junior Stroke Play Championship at Texarkana Country Club.
Romero, 16, finished with a 54-hole score of 16-under 200. Little Rock’s Corbin Renner was second at 211.
The only other golfer to shoot under par in the tournament was Texarkana’s Cole Kennedy, who shot a course record 62 Thursday to finish at 215. Cabot’s Colby Benton shot even par on the final day for a 217 total.
Heber Springs’ Katie Webb won the girls division by shooting 80 Thursday for a 29-over 245 total and three shot victory over Jessieville’s Grier Bennett, who had entered the final round tied for first place with Webb.
Romero made a 40-foot birdie putt at the first hole, and he got up and down fromthe sand at the par-5 second hole for another birdie. It marked the third consecutive day he had started with birdies on his first two holes.
There was more drama at the long par-3 third hole.
“I was just trying to throw the ball at the center of the greens today and hopefully make a few putts,” Romero said. “I almost had a hole-inone at the third hole. I was just an inch from dunking, but it rolled about six feet past the flag and I missed the putt.
“I didn’t hit the ball as well today. My goal was to play bogey-free and I did that. I hit a bunch of bunkers on the front, but got up and down each time. That helped my momentum going to the back.”
Romero finished 3-under on the front, scoring a third birdie at the par-5 seventh. He final two birdies came at 10 and 18, with several close calls in between.
Sports, Pages 24 on 07/30/2010