David takes 4th at state golf Tioga's Zafar earns 35th finish in state tournament
Golf season reached its final hole in the Ranch Cities, with Hank David of Pilot Point and Zander Zafar of Tioga competing in the UIL 3A and 2A State Golf Championship on May 5 and 6.
David, who is the first Bearcat to qualify for state in golf since Colt Knost in 2003, finished fourth out of 75 competitors, with a two-day score of 145, finishing three strokes behind first place.
“Hank’s competition in his pairings was first class, which I think pushed him a little bit, and he helped push them, which was, which is fantastic,” Pilot Point head golf coach Rick Baker said. “For the most part, everything he hit was what he discussed, planned and practiced, and I was proud to watch him follow through and execute it.”
Lightning and heavy rainfall drastically altered the tournament’s tee times and caused weather delays during play on Day 1.
Despite the adverse conditions, David was able to finish the first day of the tournament with a score of 75, sitting six strokes away from first.
“I hit a lot of shots where I wanted to on Day 1,” David said. “I just couldn't get any putts to fall, and that’s how golf goes some days.”
David said the rainfall also forced him to alter his approach for Day 2 despite the drainage built into the Jimmy Clay Golf Course, where the event was hosted.
“During the practice round, it was bone dry,” he said. “The ball was basically hitting off concrete when you landed on the fairway, and that completely changed on Day 2 because now all the balls wanted to stop.”
A tornado warning delayed the tee times for Day 2, but David was able to stay focused and knocked five strokes off his first day total, finishing with a score of 70.
After it was all said and done, David, who is a junior, said he enjoyed his first taste of the state tournament.
“There's some great competition down there,” he said. “The kid that won, [Andrew Bird], was unbelievable. He's a freshman, and he’ll probably be there next year. Hopefully next year, I can play a little more clean and get some more putts to fall on Day 1.”
Baker gave special thanks to the parents, Pilot Point golf instructor Jeff Christie and the PPISD Police Department, which recently donated $8,000 to the Pilot Point golf program.
Zafar ended with a score of 85, finishing in a five-way tie for 35th in the 2A state tournament held at Lions Municipal Golf Course in Austin.
“I was really proud of him,” Tioga head golf coach Ragan Smith said. “It was really rainy and gross, and that's a hard situation to play in. We had a two-hour rain delay and had to go back out there and play four more holes. Those last four holes were tough, but I’m extremely proud of how [Zander] performed.”
The 2A tournament was also heavily affected by the storms in Austin and was reduced to one day of play instead of two, and Zafar said it also changed the course’s playing surface.
“Everything was super soft, and the fairways were soaking wet, … but I didn’t play badly. I just had a few holes that I didn’t do very well on,” he said.
The stormy weather didn’t stop Zafar from enjoying his second appearance at the state tournament.
“It was fun to [compete] against all the other kids,” he said. “They’re all really good, and this year’s champion, [Walt Thompson], was in my group. … I’m going to work harder on my shot into the green and my chipping to get back there again.”
Smith said it was a joy to work with Zafar this year.
“Zander, he's a dream to work with because he’s intrinsically motivated,” she said. “He does everything he needs to do to make himself better, and he wants to be the best. I've had a really good time this season, and obviously, that level of success makes the job really fun.”
