Wheatley's Joseph Dolezal wins state boys golf championship; Harborfields' A.J. Dahlk hits hole-in-one
Wheatley's Joseph Dolezal wins the boys golf state championship at Mark Twain Golf Course in Horseheads, N.Y., on Monday afternoon. Credit: Henry Kupstas
Joseph Dolezal stood at the tee box on the 18th hole seemingly at peace. The Wheatley senior trailed the current leader by one shot, but for whatever reason, he just had this overwhelming feeling it was going to end well.
“It’s kind of hard to explain but there was that moment where I knew I was going to hit a good shot and give myself a chance,” Dolezal said. “There was a lot of positivity going into that shot, and I hit it a little better than I expected.”
Dolezal's close approach led to a birdie, allowing him to force a playoff with Ken Fernandes (Horace Greeley) after each golfer finished tied at 6-under par (138) after 36 holes at the two-day boys golf state championships. Both golfers parred the first playoff hole before Fernandes made bogey and Dolezal parred the second playoff hole to win the title at Mark Twain Golf Course in Elmira on Monday afternoon.
“I was so happy I was even in [the playoff], and I was so pumped because I was coming off two birdies,” Dolezal said. “I didn’t really think of it as a playoff, I was just playing more golf.”
Dolezal was thrilled to climb back after trailing by three shots after 12 holes in the final round. He birdied the 13th hole, the first of four birdies over the final six holes.
“I never thought I was out of it, but there was definitely a point standing on that box on 13 where I was like, Alright, you got to make a move now or you’re going to run out of time," Dolezal said. “And luckily I got a few putts rolling in and I was able to keep carrying the momentum and didn’t really let it go.”
Dolezal entered Monday's final round with a two-stroke lead after shooting a 4-under par 68 on Sunday. But Fernandes had a strong start on Monday to overtake Dolezal entering the back nine.
“[Dolezal] really turned it on and the end and played tremendous,” Wheatley coach Henry Kupstas said. “It was unbelievable.”
“I definitely ended it on a high note,” Dolezal said. “It’s something I’m going to remember for the rest of my life, so it was nice to finally be able to get it done.”
Harborfields' Dahlk sinks hole-in-one
A.J. Dahlk may be a bit of a Nostradamus.
During the practice round at the state championships, Dahlk nearly hit a hole-in-one on the fourth hole in a practice round. Then there was a thought.
“I remember I put it within two inches and me and my friends were saying, ‘Imagine getting a hole-in-one here,’ ” Dahlk said.
Harborfields' A.J. Dahlk shots a hole-in-one on a par-3, 173-yard hole No. 4 at the boys golf state championship at Mark Twain Golf Course in Horseheads, N.Y., on Monday afternoon. Credit: Matt Sullivan
The Harborfields senior didn’t have to just imagine it for long. On Monday, Dahlk used an 8-iron to sink a hole-in-one on the par-3, 173-yard fourth hole at Mark Twain Golf Course. He knew he hit the ball well but couldn’t see the landing spot from the tee box. When Dahlk reached the green and didn’t see his ball, he feared for the worst.
“When I went up there, I didn’t see the ball so I was like, Oh, man. I have to chip?” Dahlk said. “Then I was just hoping for par but then it was something much better.”
Other golfers were there waiting to see his reaction.
“I couldn’t tell,” Dahlk said. “Obviously it was a very fantastic shot but when I went up there, I didn’t even know. One of the guys walked up to the hole and he didn’t say anything. He wanted to see my reaction.”
Dahlk put the ball in a bag and didn’t play with it the rest of his round.
“It’s really just more of a dream and an honor to get a hole-in-one at a state championship,” Dahlk said. “And my last one for high school. It’s definitely going to be a story to tell.”
That’s one ball he didn’t want to risk losing.
More results
Palwasha Ali of Glenn was the top female finisher from Long Island, finishing tied for 10th at 8-over par (152) at girls golf state championships at The Edison Club in Rexford on Monday. The Great Neck girls team finished second overall, the best team finish at the state championships in Nassau girls golf history, according to Nassau girls golf coordinator Brian Rath. Nassau finished third in the section, while Suffolk finished fifth of nine sections.
Other top 10 boys finishers included Bryan Zhao of Jericho, who finished sixth at 2-under par (142), and Zach Berger of Westhampton, who placed eighth by shooting even par (144).