Atkinson shoots 7-over 79, finishes 9th
Published 12:01 am Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Andalusia’s Josh Atkinson finished in ninth place Tuesday in the Class 4A state golf tournament at the Grand National Links Course in Opelika.
Atkinson shot a 7-over 79 in the second round.
“I played well — hit the ball great,” he said. “Every time I’d try and make birdie, I’d make a bogey.
“In the early going, I found a way to mess it up,” he said.
The senior was 1-over after the first three holes, double-bogeyed No. 4 and then added a triple bogey on No. 6.
Atkinson said after his approach shot, which was good, he “pulled a 5-iron in the hazard.”
“I was too quick on the shot, and pulled it left,” he said.
On the back nine, Atkinson birdied No. 12 and No. 16, and parred No. 11, 14, 15 and 17 to finish with a 38.
“It was just one of those days,” AHS coach Marshall Locke said. “(The triple bogey) kind of hurt us. He caught a real bad break. He had a nice approach shot.
“After that, we righted the ship a little bit from that point on,” he said.
After his triple bogey on No. 6, Atkinson was 1-over for the next 12 holes. He said his short game saved him again on Tuesday.
“I’m just glad I didn’t shoot an 80,” Atkinson said. “I made a few mental errors early.
“It’s been a great last year for me,” he said. “I’ve been honored to play on the high school team.”