Mason Roberts and Jackson Drake both had challenges over the last three holes of the Club Championship’s top flight, but Roberts prevailed on the final hole for a two-stroke victory.
It was the first year the high school sophomores, who both attended Cooper West a few years ago, played in the Club Championship.

In other flights:
• Steve Locke won the Senior Club Championship. To see full results, click here. (You may need to enter GGID: AVFYCV)
• Burns Hamilton won the Super Senior Club Championship. To see full results, click here. (You may need to enter GGID: RSCWZT)
• Mark Decker won the First Flight

• David Thomas won the Second Flight
• Billy Wolfe won the Third Flight
• Rick Trice won the Fourth Flight
The First through Fourth flights were all match play.

In the top flight, the high school students – Roberts attends Cooper and Drake goes to All Saints – were consistent over the three days.
Roberts shot 74, 74, and 75, while Drake shot 74, 76 and 75.
“Practice pays off,” said Roberts after Sunday’s final round. Drake, his cartmate, said, “It felt like a normal day at The Club, but with a little more pressure maybe.”

The pair were tied for the lead after Drake drove short of the par-4 14th hole. He chipped up and to the right. He made the putt for a birdie (photo at left shows ball about to fall into the hole) while Roberts had a par.
They stayed tied until two holes later.
Roberts hit his drive through the fairway on the dogleg-left 16th hole. He tried to get his approach shot through the trees, but hit one and faced another approach shot. He left it above the flag.
Roberts missed the par save, but Drake missed his birdie chance. Both made short putts and Drake had a one-shot lead.
“I just tried to make the best score I could and get out of there,” said Roberts about his adventures on the 16th hole.
On the par-3 17th, Roberts hit a hybrid from 212 yards out and put it about 20 feet past the flag.
Drake’s tee shot just missed right of the green, but settled in some rough just above the greenside bunker. He had to stand in the bunker, choke down on the club to try and get the ball out. He made a great effort to get it on the green.
“I was just trying to make contact with the ball and try to get it on the green anywhere,” he said.
Drake still had a long par putt and it slid to the left. He made the short comeback putt for bogey.
Roberts’ birdie putt that would have given him the lead slid by and when he finished off his par, the pair was tied going into 18.
Roberts’ drive was in the fairway, but Drake’s ended up just left of the cartpath.
“I overcooked it a little left and got an unlucky break with a tree,” said Drake.
His backswing was impeded by tree branches. So he altered his swing path.
“I tried to come outside and chop it and that’s not my normal swing,” said Drake.
He lost a couple of strokes just getting the ball on the green.
Roberts put his second shot about ten feet past the pin and two-putted for the win.
“I felt good about both swings on 18,” he said.

In the Senior Championship, Locke (in photo at left) added that title to his earlier Championship Flight honor.
He also had a bunch of second-place finishes over the years in the top flight.
He shot 74, 71, 71 over the three days.
“I’m glad I played well. I’ve been hitting ball pretty solid, hit lots of fairways and made lots of pars. That’s always been the strongest part of my game. I don’t make a lot of birdies, I keep the ball in play and make lots and lots of pars,” he said. “I hit my driver extremely well and I putted really, really well from four feet in.”
“It’s fun knowing I’m a regular club champion and now senior club champion,” he said.
Last year, in Locke’s first year as a senior, he lost in a playoff to Patrick Pritchett.
“I’m sorry I’m already a senior. I miss playing in the open championship, but it’s a little bit long. That’s a course for the younger guys,” he said of playing off the blue tees instead of the tips.