Baker has ice in veins to advance to state tourney
West Holmes senior Trey Baker proved to have ice in his veins when he stared down a 20-foot putt to go to state and drilled it.
Making a 20-foot putt is a difficult enough task for most any golfer.
Having to make it to advance to the state tournament?
That’s definitive knee-knocking pressure at its purest.
To pull it off, a player must have ice in his veins.
West Holmes senior golfer Trey Baker had that very opportunity during the Division II district golf tournament at EagleSticks Golf Course in Zanesville on Monday, Oct. 2, and Baker never blinked, draining the 20-foot putt on the first playoff hole between himself and two other competitors vying for the one spot to advance to the state tournament.
“That was pretty wild,” Baker said of the chain of events that led to state. Joining him were Hayden Treadway of Barnesville and Brody Meade of Indian Valley.
All three players, who each fashioned 74s on the day, teed off and reached the par-4 first hole safely in two shots.
After watching Meade leave his birdie putt 4 feet short, Baker calmly stepped up, eyed his putt and drove it home with confidence.
When Treadway missed a 17-footer, the state berth was Bakers to enjoy.
While Baker basked in the afterglow of his incredible feat, getting there was no picnic. Baker said his day was filled with troubles and struggles, and he had to scramble mightily to remain in the hunt.
“I went in the water. I hit five different trees. I was all over the place,” Baker said. “I was scrambling big-time to save pars.”
Fortunately for him, his biggest strength in his game, his putter, was working quite well, right down to the final roll.
“I putted lights out,” Baker said. “I probably made five 20-footers on the day. That saved me.”
Baker said his coach Mike Molnar said he felt a score around or just under 75 might get him out. It turned out to be prophetic.
“I was hoping to get there, and I looked at the leader board midway through the round and saw I was seventh,” Baker said.
Then Baker made the turn to the back nine and promptly knocked his drive into the water.
Unphased, he kept plugging and ended up 2-over on the back nine, setting the stage for the final showdown.
“I pulled my approach shot left of the pin,” Baker said of his second shot in sudden victory. “It was a tough putt with a lot of break, but I’d been putting really well, so I figured why not me. I read it right, and it dropped. It felt really good.”
He said the whole experience was kind of crazy, and it took a little time for the idea to settle in that he was heading to state after ending his season in district play each of his three prior years.
One advantage Baker has over many golfers is his experience, having been a four-year letterwinner and a four-time district qualifier.
The other advantage he has is not so evident at first look.
Baker said he is very laid back and never worries too much, which allows him to remain calm in moments like this. His fellow senior teammate and district qualifier on the girls’ side Kenzie Woods backed up that reality, saying she wished she had a little more of that type of attitude in her.
“I made it to district, and I figured whatever happens was going to happen, and I wasn’t going to worry a whole lot about anything,” Baker said.
Baker will now play in the state tournament at Northstar Golf Course in Sunbury for a 36-hole tournament Oct. 13-14.
If dealing with pressure comes into play, the Knights’ senior has already proven he is up to that challenge.