Photos by Steven Wright | Greene County News
Bellbrook senior C. J. Scohy fires his approach into the 18th green on NCR Country Club’s South Course during the second day of the OHSAA Division I Boys State Golf Championships held on Tuesday. Scohy finished in a tie for third place with a two-day score of 5-over, 145.
KETTERING — C. J. Scohy had experience and home field advantage on his side to help him make everything he could of his second opportunity at the state’s top prize.
Scohy finished the OHSAA Division I Boys State Golf Championships in a tie for third place on Tuesday, shooting a two-day total of 5-over, 145, at NCR Country Club’s South Course.
Scohy had previously qualified for the 2022 championships as a sophomore, finishing in 49th after shooting 83-85. As a senior getting to play at the course he may be the most comfortable traversing he put himself in position to win.
“It was a great feeling,” he said. “To get to finish as First Team All State at my home course, it was fun.”
Scohy began the day five shots behind the first round leader, Michael Stagnaro from Cincinnati St. Xavier, who had shot the only under par round of the tournament on day one. Scohy’s first round of 73 put him in the final grouping of the day along with the other best scoring individuals from day one.
A long birdie putt on the first hole lipped the left edge in what was the first of several narrow misses that turned out to be the difference in a tight leaderboard. Scohy bogeyed two of the next three holes, but as the gloomy weather began to bring rain along with it he got both shots back with a pair of birdies that both were nearly eagles. After coming close to chipping in on the fifth, he knocked a 160-yard shot from the center of the sixth fairway off the slope beyond the hole that brought it back to two feet.
“Getting a couple of tap in birds, that’s probably one of the best feelings walking off the green in golf,” Scohy said.
Another 90 degree lip out from a putt on the seventh cost Scohy a chance at three straight birdies, but he stayed the course to end the front nine and had a two-putt par from close to 60 feet to make the turn at even par for the day.
After laying up on the downhill 10th, Scohy had roughly a 15-foot birdie putt that required a dainty tap. The ball needed nearly 10 seconds to trickle to the cup, causing Scohy an ache after what he thought was a make did not turn enough.
“That was a really tricky putt,” he said. “Straight downhill and if you hit it any harder than you want to it’s just gone. I barely tapped it about five feet out and thought it was in.”
The 11th may have been the worst hole of his round, finding a bunker right of the fairway that nearly went into another beach guarding the front of the green. Another putt that grazed the lip but wouldn’t drop was another shot dropped.
It was close to this point Scohy said he recalled looking at his position on the leaderboard for the first time and noticed he had gained positions and may have been only two shots back of the lead. He may have been closer to the lead or even tied in the holes played prior and didn’t realize it.
“I knew I definitely needed to get a couple more birdies, but I just couldn’t do it,” Scohy said.
The weather broke and the sun began to make an appearance, but did provide the ray of light Scohy was hoping to find. Two more bogeys at 13 and 15 further reduced his chances, but a par on 16 set up a spectacular 17th hole. Scohy blasted a drive just over 300 yards that nearly found the front of the green. A bump and run along the green’s uphill slope stopped close to 20 feet short of the pin, but Scohy drained the lengthy putt to give himself a chance late.
Sitting just off the 18th fairway’s left edge, a high arcing approach from close to 130 yards landed pin high and stopped eight feet past. The downhill putt wasn’t able to break right to left enough with too much speed behind it, leaving a tap in par to finish a solid round of 2-over, 72, which was one off the best score of the day in the field of 72.
“I knew it was basically a battle for second between me and Liam [Curtis] and he drained his 20 footer,” Scohy said. “I had hit a great shot from my 50 degree but then the putt was just crazy fast and a super bender. Probably needed to really lag it but I barely missed on the high side.”
Chris Pollock of Archbishop Hoban fired a pair of 71s to be crowned as the state champion, along with his teammates that won the team title. Curtis finished two shots back and one ahead of Scohy for solo second after his birdie on the last hole.
Friends, family and teammates following the group congratulated Scohy as he walked off the green. The crowd around them had grown as the back nine progressed knowing all players in the threesome were in contention with a good finishing stretch.
Scohy, who is committed to play for Wright State starting next fall, said he felt his rough stretches to begin both nines were the down points, but was pleased with a strong birdie near the end to know he had put himself in position to earn all state honors.
“It was just a great time,” Scohy said. “And just want to give a thank you to NCR and everyone at the Ohio High School Athletic Associated for everything that they did.”
Contact Steven Wright at 937-502-4498 and follow on X (formerly Twitter) @Steven_Wright_.
