Golf is a cutthroat sport.
One day you’re striping drives like Greg Norman and making 15-footers like Tiger Woods. The next you’re going straight Jean van de Velde.
Win or lose, the great ones never change their outlook. That describes Crooksville senior Bo White, whose 79 left him on the outside looking in at the Division III district tournament last week at River Greens. He simply wasn’t as sharp as usual, something he attributed primarily to a putter that defied him too often — we’ve all been there.
By No. 27, his 17th hole of the day, it was clear there weren’t enough chances remaining to make up the deficit. I’ve seen many players, even the very good ones, simply play out the string once reality bites. White made a tricky up-and-down par from behind the green on his final hole to end his career the same way it started.
With class and determination.
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“Bo gave himself a chance to compete all year, and that’s all you can ask for,” Crooksville coach Nathan Van Meter said. “Our whole team has made big time improvements, but it has come on the shoulders of that boy right there. He has had a lot of golf in his family, and he has done his family’s name proud. And he’s done this school district proud.”
Most days, White would have at least had a fighter’s chance on 18 to make a run at a playoff. One day earlier he shot 74 in a practice round from the same tees in almost the same conditions. It took 75 to make it, a cutoff no doubt fueled by a much more difficult track than River Greens usually provides. Three days of Hurricane Helene remnants didn’t just green up the course — it poured rocket fuel into the primary rough.
White usually shoots 75 in his sleep. Of his rounds at River Greens this season, all were in the low 70s. But this was one of those days.
He was asked to describe how all of the people close to him have impacted his life. After fighting through his emotions, he proceeded to thank everyone but the school janitors and bus drivers for making him into one of the state’s better players.
He was especially grateful for parents Shane and Shannon, older brothers Brock and Blake and coaches Van Meter and Brian Carney, along with Carney’s son Owen. Brock, Blake and Owen were locked at the hip for much of their playing careers when Carney coached them, reaching two state tournaments. Brock took his career to Malone University, Owen to the PGA program at Eastern Kentucky and Blake to the pro route in the Carolinas.
Bo wasn’t left out, even as he was younger. He also put his own time on the range and putting green at EagleSticks and the target-style greens at Perry Country Club. As examples for kid brothers go, there were none better set than that crew.
“They were two people I looked up to ever since I started swinging a golf club,” Bo said, tears streaming down his face. “I came and watched all of their golf tournaments, even some of Brock’s in college. Just playing alongside of them, trying to beat them every chance I could — even now I still want to beat them, and when I do it’s a great feeling. It’s just tough because they really wanted me to make it this year.”
Golf doesn’t work in gray areas. With the exception of maybe bowling and darts, no sport leaves you more in control of your own personal destiny. Bo didn’t go out making excuses or bemoaning course conditions — everyone raced on the same track.
He also wasn’t alone in his disappointment — Strasburg teammates Gage Bonifant and Gavin Weaver and Hiland’s Jack Mast missed a playoff by a shot. One of Bo’s playing partners on Wednesday, Fort Frye standout Chatum Courson, missed it by two. All shared similar despair.
But those are underclassmen with a chance to redeem themselves. The juniors in the bunch will be in the same boat Bo faced this year, likely vying for one spot in a field that will be loaded at the top with young teams at Garaway and Hiland returning. You can bet that Courson will be right there, too.
Life would not have been easier in the Southeast District, where the Ceramics long spent their postseasons in previous years. Lucasville Valley’s Cameron Phillips is a favorite to win a state title, as evidenced by a 67 at the district and 69 at the sectional. The East was the best path, despite the firepower at the top.
Bo will undoubtedly learn from this experience as he seeks a landing spot to play next fall. His improvement has been exponential since his freshman year, and there is no reason to think that will stop with his work ethic, attitude and continued maturation. Regardless of where it occurs, his future is as bright as his outlook.
Sometimes it’s just not your day.
sblackbu@gannett.com; X: @SamBlackburnTR
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Sam Blackburn: Bo White’s ‘bad day’ part of golf’s fickle ways
