Providence’s Ryan Benton almost wins state title

PRATTVILLE — A sudden-death playoff to determine the Class 1A-2A individual golf champion went to the fifth extra hole Tuesday at Capitol Hill’s Senator Course.

Providence Christian freshman Ryan Benton, locked in the playoff with Will Catanzaro of Westbrook Christian, sensed the end was near.

“I knew it would end at 5,” said Benton, who said. “I knew one of us would mess up. Everyone has struggled on that hole today. That pin location, the green’s like concrete.”

Unfortunately, Benton’s double-bogey 7 on the long par-5 forced him to settle for the runner-up trophy behind Catanzaro. Both players were tied after two
rounds at even-par 144.

Benton helped Providence Christian earn third place in the 1A-2A team competition. The Eagles shot a 322, four strokes better than Day 1, and edged
Washington County by one stroke for third place.

Providence Christian eighth-grader Corey Smith fired a 75 Tuesday — five shots better than his opening round.

“I only had 13 putts on the back nine,” said Smith, 13, who started the back nine with a birdie-par-birdie-birdie rush. “I was just real happy and I didn’t think it
would happen. I stayed in there and didn’t get down on myself. I just hung in there and kept playing strong.”

Providence Christian coach Emory Latta said the team’s third-place finish was impressive for its first state tournament appearance.

“We’re very pleased with that, especially when it’s essentially a junior varsity team with a junior, a freshman and two eighth-graders,” Latta said. “We came in
with a nothing-to-lose approach. We wanted them to play loose. It was neat to see, especially today to see Ryan and Corey score like they did.”

Hap Howell, a junior, shot an 86 on Tuesday and finished 27th. Jonathan Cheshire shot a 91 to go with his first-round 82 and finished 25th.

“All of them learned a great deal. We’re real proud of them,” Latta said.

Shoals Christian shot a tremendous 1-over 289 as a team on Tuesday and won the state by 42 shots over runner-up American Christian.

Steven Smith, a sophomore at New Brockton, tied Benton with a 2-under-par 70 for the day’s low round and finished third — one stroke out of the playoff.

“I three-putted the first green,” said Smith, who played in the group with Catanzaro, who shot a 69 on Monday. “I was kind of keeping track of where I was at. I
shot 70 and he shot 75. I was one back.”

Smith had birdies on Nos. 6 and 8, then birdied Nos. 12 and 13. A missed short putt on No. 16 lipped out. A birdie putt on No. 18 finished short.

“Otherwise, it was a pretty good day,” Smith said.

Houston Academy’s David Gannon, also paired with Smith and Catanzaro, shot a 77 Tuesday and finished tied for seventh at 150.

“I didn’t start out too good,” said Gannon, who shot a 73 on Monday. “I had a double on No. 3 and doubled No. 6. That’s pretty much the difference from
yesterday. I didn’t make any putts either day. I didn’t hit my tee shots very well today. I hit in a few bunkers, and that’s what got me in trouble.”

In Class 6A, Tolver Dozier, a sophomore at Dothan High, gutted out a 76 for the second straight day and finished tied for 16th.

“I’ve been playing all right,” said Dozier, who played the Legislator Course. “I was pretty sick this weekend. Strep throat and all that. This is a tough course to
walk. The back side is tough. Both days I turned even and shot 4-over on the back.”

In Class 4A, Andalusia’s Alex Short shot a 77 to finish at 155, tied for ninth.

Back on the Senator, Benton was worried that his playoff might be short-lived when Catanzaro made a tough 8-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole.

“I was like, ‘Already?’ ” Benton said, who had a similar-length putt of his own for birdie. “Then I said, ‘I’ve got to get this.’ I putted it dead center. I trusted it and
it went in.”

Both players parred No. 2, although Benton made a tough 10-footer and Catanzaro drained a downhill, sliding putt from three feet to stay alive.

Both players made routine pars on Nos. 3 and 4. The par-5 No. 5 was the clincher.

Catanzaro found the fairway with his drive, while Benton drove into a bunker on the right. His second shot left him in the right rough, about 135 yards uphill to a
hard, shallow green with the pin tucked on the left side.

Catanzaro hit a 5-iron second shot that found the right edge of the green, a long way from the hole.

Benton knew his third shot from the rough was going to be difficult.

“There was no way to hold the green from the fairway — and I was in the rough,” he said. “I decided to hit the yardage and maybe I’ll get lucky.”

His shot landed on a downslope and rolled over the elevated green and down a hill. His subsequent flop shot failed to hold the green, too, and rolled on the
wrong side of the ridge dissecting the green.

“That was crazy. It rolled off the green,” Benton said. “That just shows you how tough it was.”

Still, it wasn’t over. Catanzaro’s first putt stayed on top of the ridge. His next putt rolled well past the hole, and he missed the 5-foot comebacker for par.

“I thought I had lost it right there,” Catanzaro said.

Benton chipped on to 4 feet but had a tough downhill putt for bogey to extend the playoff to a sixth hole. It slid off to the left.

“I just didn’t hit it hard enough,” he said. “I kind of babied it.”

Benton noted he and Catanzaro were in a three-person playoff at sub-state last year. “I beat him, but the other guy beat me,” Benton said.

“It was awesome,” Catanzaro said. “I was nervous on the first hole, but we both started with birdies.”

In Benton’s final round Tuesday, he started off 2-over through five holes. But he birdied Nos. 6 and 8 to make the turn even par.

“Then when I got to the back nine I was just feeling it and felt like I could make anything,” Benton said.

He birdied 10, 13 and 15 to get to 3-under. He bogeyed 16, birdied 17 and bogeyed 18 when his drive found the high weeds in the left.

“Really, I just thought, ‘Stay smooth and keep it in the fairway,’ ” he said. “And I didn’t stay smooth and I didn’t keep it in the fairway.”

He didn’t know where he stood. When he found out that bogey forced him into a playoff, he said he wish he’d knonw.

“I’d have hit a 4-iron off the tee and just made par easily — or a birdie,” he said. “But that’s just how golf is.”