Smithville wins Deegan Bee Memorial Invite, West Holmes' Baker takes medalist honors

ORRVILLE — As Trey Baker stepped onto the driving range at The Pines Golf Club Monday, prior to the Deegan Bee Memorial Invitational, it was the first time he had played a tournament in over a week.

That didn’t seem to faze the West Holmes senior as he proceeded to take medalist honors at the 12-team event, thanks to a scorecard playoff.

“I wasn't sure how it was going to go,” said Baker, who had was showing animals at the Holmes County Fair last week. “As I was hitting on the range, it wasn't the best, but once I got out on the course it felt pretty good.”

Baker, who hadn’t played in an event for nine days coming into Monday, made up for that week off by putting together a consistent round of golf.

Despite the overcast conditions, which eventually led to a steady drizzle of rain over the closing holes of his round, the All-Ohio Cardinal Conference second teamer closed his day with a 3-over-par 75, which included just a pair of birdies and a whole lot of even-par golf.

That play was enough to take the individual win over Smithville’s Hunter Pertee, who shot an identical 75 in helping the Smithies to the title of the 12-team event with a 319.

But for Baker, who usually considers himself a better player off the tee and in the fairway, it came down to sinking putts and being efficient.

"I don't always play like that, but I played pretty much even for the most part … it all depends on the day,” he said. “I'm usually pretty good on my approach shots and off the tee and my short game could use a little work, but it was going pretty good today.”

Despite the long layoff between matches for the veteran, Baker’s loaded summer schedule of tournaments and practice shined as he was able to overcome missing time with the team as earned ribbons at the fair.

“That's what I told coach (Mike Molnar), but he said I would've shot even lower with practice,” said Baker, who joked about missing more practice. “I haven't played this course that much, maybe 3-4 times, but my putting and short game was pretty good.”

While Baker took the win, Smithville was impressive in outlasting the field by 15 strokes over the Knights (334). Waynedale placed third overall with 336, followed by Chippewa (351) and Orrville (366) rounding out the top five teams.

“It was a pretty scoreable course, so we felt we could get after it,” Pertee said of the team win. “Everyone played pretty good and it ended up being a good day.”

Along with Pertee’s low-round of 75, teammates Gavin Von Almen (76) and Owen Ward (82) weren’t that far behind as they finished third and tied-for-sixth, respectively.  Mason Shutt rounded out the Smithies scoring with an 86.

It was almost a disastrous round for Pertee, but the senior bounced back from being 4-over through his first three holes, to playing 1-under golf the rest of the way.

And, like Baker, it was all thanks to the trusted putter.

“My drives weren't really flowing that good, but when I got on the green it was working,” said Pertee, who also had five birdies to close out his day. “It wasn’t too good for me off the tee, but I made it work.

“The putter helped me out a lot today — it usually doesn't, not a really good putter — but it worked today.”

VonAlmen has a similar start, where he found himself three-putting a par-five to save par, but was able to overcome the course conditions – and a tough hole – to finish 4-over.

“Everything was sticking, because the course was wet, so anytime you left your drive in the fairway it was going to stick,” he said. “It was hard on the one par five, where I three-putted, but putts just sank after that.”

Triway’s Tyler Snyder was right behind Von Almen, firing a 77, while Chippewa’s Anthony Kish was fifth with a 78 and Waynedale’s Hank Miller placed sixth after carding an 80.

A pair of locals tied for seventh individually as Ward and Bryon Bickel of Hillsdale each shot 82s, followed by Jordan Miller (Waynedale) and Judah Layton (Loudonville) recording 83s to tie for ninth.

Dalton got an 85 from Zach Brahler, while Norwayne, who was missing four of its top five golfers due to a mission trip, was paced by Derek Pumphrey’s 86.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Golf: Smithville wins Deegan Bee Memorial Invite