SUNBURY — Bennett Hill may not have closed the way he would have liked, but Centerburg’s senior ace had no reason to hang his head Saturday afternoon.
Hill fired a 78 during the final day of the Division III state golf tournament at NorthStar Golf Club, carding a two-day total of 152. He finished in a three-way tie for 11th.
He almost certainly would have earned a top-10 finish — and All-Ohio laurels — were it not for a disastrous 18th hole that included two shots that sailed out of bounds.
“It was a rough one. You play well for 35 holes and then that last hole … that one is going to sting for a while,” Centerburg coach Nathan Altizer said. “He is going to be outside earning top-10 honors, which is tough.
“He is an all-state player, that’s for sure.”
As he did during Friday’s opening round, Hill birdied the first hole on a picture-perfect early-autumn afternoon. He played the front nine in 2-over 38 and had two birdies and two bogeys on the back before the fateful 18th.
“He was just a little off. He was still finding the greens,” Altizer said. “It was just the difference between … 10 to15 birdie putts and 20- to 25-foot birdie putts.”
Saturday notwithstanding, Hill had a remarkable postseason. He won medalist honors at the sectional and district tournaments to become Centerburg’s first state qualifier in 14 years.
“He owns five of the six (Centerburg) individual records and is on almost all of the team records and a couple of them are borderline untouchable,” Altizer said. “If we could put up a plaque and name something after him we should probably do it after the four-year career he’s had.
“He’s had a great high school career. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”