Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Saturday, July 26, 2008
Pearse captures title with sharp play
 Billy Pearse chips onto the eighth green at Forest Hills during the Jr County Am. Erik Daily |
It wasn’t an easy decision for Billy Pearse or for Mitch Cook, and it came early in life.
Fastballs, curveballs and 6-4-3 double plays? Or tee shots, approach shots and eight-foot putts. What would it be? And would they like their choice?
“I was mixing my time between golf and baseball when I was 10 to 12 years old,” Pearse said. “By the time I was 13, I knew I really had to choose between golf or baseball. My dad, being a head golf professional, was able to give me better opportunities in golf. I decided to go that direction, and I’m glad I did.”
Who knows what kind of baseball player Pearse would have been, but most folks — especially those in area golf circles — know what kind of golfer the 17-year-old is. He’s a rising star, so-to-speak, as he was the area’s top golfer at the WIAA Division 1 state high school meet (52nd place finish) this spring, and he has continued to play well this summer.
The baseball spikes and glove, it seems, will stay in the closet.
On Friday, Pearse was consistent from start to finish — although he did hit a couple of highlight film shots — in winning the La Crosse Tribune/ Baird Juniors County Amateur Tournament at Forest Hills Golf Course.
Pearse shot a 2-over-par 73 to win the 16-17 boys division by three strokes over Brandon Temte. He was five shots better than Cook, who recorded the first eagle of his career when he hit a nifty chip shot on No. 12.
“I kept the ball in play fairly well. When I did get into trouble (on a tee shot) it came back out into the fairway,” said Pearse, who will be a senior at Holmen High School this fall. “I had a solid round. I just try to keep my drives to the middle (of the fairway).”
Pearse did have a double bogey on No. 8, but recovered with birdies on Nos. 9 and 11. His birdie on No. 11 came after his tee shot sailed to the left, slapped a few trees, then bounced back into the fairway. He was left with a tough lie, but hit an approach shot that landed just short of the green but in a bunker. Pearse lined up his chip shot, then watched his ball — which had considerable pace — crash into the flag and into the hole.
“The biggest change (over the years) I have made is to keep myself in a better frame of mind,” Pearse said. “You can’t let one shot effect you. Golf is a game of missed chances; you have to cut down on your misses.”
Cook missed a few more of those chances than Pearse or Temte, but not many. He made up some ground on No. 12 when he hit a shot he will likely remember for a long, long time. Cook lined up a chip shot about 15 feet from the edge of the green, then made a perfect swing. The ball gained just the right amount of air, made a soft landing on the green, then rolled right into the cup.
An eagle had landed.
“I hit my two best shots of the day, and put them back-to-back,” said Cook, who will be a senior this fall at Onalaska Luther High School. “Then I hit that chip-in for eagle. It was amazing. I was just happy it dropped.”
Cook could just as easily have been playing baseball, too, but in the seventh grade he decided to concentrate on golf. Most of his friends took the baseball route, but Cook loved the individual challenges of golf.
“It’s become a passion,” he said. “In other sports, you have teammates that you can rely on. In golf, it’s all on yourself. It’s you versus the course.”
Christina DeBoer and Alli Plath, the only two girls in the 21-player field, tested themselves against the Forest Hills Course. DeBoer shot an 81 to earn the Girls 16-17 title, while Plath carded an 88 and took home the Girls 14-15 title.
“We are competitive, but I mostly try to play the course rather than the other person,” said DeBoer, who has played in 12 tournaments this summer.
“I was pretty consistent off the tee with my driver, which is nice, especially here where there is so many trees.”
Jeff Brown can be reached at (608) 791-8403, or at jbrown@lacrossetribune.com
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