High School Golf
Dream of making
OFSAA championship turns into nightmare for St. Peter golfer
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

For the second year in a row, Taylor Wilson from St. Peter High School saw his dream of qualifying for the OFSAA golf championship turn into a nightmare after he missed an 18-inch putt on the final hole of the NCSSAA tournament on Monday. Fred Sherwin/Photo

It's often said that golf is the cruelest game of all. No one knows that better than Taylor Wilson from St. Peter High School who missed an 18-inch putt on the final hole of the NCSSAA golf championship on Monday that would have won him the tournament and a trip to the OFSSA championship in Windsor next week.

Instead, he wound up in a four way tie for the top spot with a 75. On the first playoff hole, two of the golfers made the green on the par-5 first hole at the Camelot Golf and Country Club in two. Unfortunately, Wilson wasn't one of them.

Franco Cité's Michael Reaume made a 24-foot eagle putt to put the pressure on Spencer Kelly from St. Patrick High School who's second shot landed eight feet from the hole. When Kelly's putt rolled past the hole, the tournament was Reaume's. All Wilson could do was shake hands and walk off the green.

Instead of going to the clubhouse and taking part in the medal presentations he went straight to the practice green where he tapped in two footers over and over again. Every once in a while he would miss and bang his putter against his foot or tap it on his shoulder.

"Oh my God, I shouldn't have missed that putt. I've made that same putt at least 50 times," said Wilson, who is a member at the Camelot.

The missed putt was still weighing heavily on Wilson's mind when he teed off on the playoff hole. After he watched Reaume and Kelly both make the green on their second shot, he had no choice but to go for it as well. Unfortunately his shot was off target.

"I thought a four would at least continue the playoff, but Michael made a great putt," said a disappointed Wilson who is hoping to continue his education in Orlando, Florida next year where he plans to attend the Golf Academy of America.

Because of the number of male golfers at the high school level, only the top golfer and the top team get to go to OFSAA. This is the second year in a row that Wilson has seen his dream of playing in the provincial championships go up in smoke in a playoff.

But Wilson wasn't the only disappointed competitor from the east end. Patrick Boudreault from Louis Riel was the fourth golfer in the playoff and he failed to make the green in two as well.

Brian Neil from Colonel By was also left wondering where he could have made up a shot or two after he carded a 76, one shot off the lead foursome. The Mayor's Cup champion hurt his chances when he tripled bogeyed a par three on the front nine.

(Posted 7:30 p.m., Oct. 6)

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