Matt Levins - The Hawk Eye
WAPELLO — Sam Yonker remembers the sinking feeling of disappointment he felt after a sectional boys golf tournament last year.
Yonker, then a sophomore, just missed the cut, coming up short of a trip to districts.
The Notre Dame-West Burlington junior had one goal in mind this season — get past sectionals and compete at districts.
Yonker far exceeded those expectations.
Yonker not only competed in a Class 2A district tournament Tuesday at Heritage Oaks Golf and Country Club, he finished tied for second and punched his ticket to the state tournament.
Yonker carded a 5-over-par 77, finishing in a tie with Caleb Larson of Central Lee, Jacob Wegmann of Dyersville Beckman and McGavin Smith of West Branch.
Yonker finished fourth in a card-back tiebreaker.
All four, along with medalist Carson Morrison of Central Lee, advance to the Class 2A state tournament May 26-27 at South Hills Golf Course in Waterloo.
Yonker was ecstatic with his performance on a wet, chilly, windy day.
“I’m so excited. I’ve never even made it to districts before,” Yonker said. “My goal this year was just to play in districts. Now I get to play in the state tournament. I was so glad my coach (John Neil) got to walk with me the whole round. He was really supportive and that helped calm me down. I didn’t have any double bogeys and only a few bogeys. It was a great day.”
“I am so proud with how Sam played today. He was loose, locked-in, and looking for redemption for not qualifying last year,” Neil said. “This young man is so driven, determined, and has demonstrated his ability to lead. I couldn’t be more happy for him.
Yonker said the pivotal point in his round came on the 11th hole, where he sank a 10-foot putt to save par. That propelled him into the rest of the round.
“That was huge,” Yonker said. “If I had missed that putt, that would have drained me and taken everything out of my round. I went on to play even-par the last five or six holes.”
“This is just my second year coaching this program, and this is what I envisioned to achieve,” Neil said. “Sam has worked so hard and diligently. Hard work pays off!. His leadership skills have been on full display this year. I named him team captain for a reason. I am just so happy for him. I was able to assist him through a few tough spots today, situations I may not have been there for if we playing as a team.”