Westhampton's Owen Jessop comes from behind to win Suffolk boys golf individual title

Eight holes had come and gone for Owen Jessop Tuesday at Spring Lake Golf Club, and the Westhampton junior sat in a hole that looked too deep.

Colby Baran led Jessop by seven strokes at the Suffolk boys golf championship tournament in Middle Island.

"I definitely thought it was a long shot, but you never know what can happen,” Jessop said. “None of us are pros.”

But Jessop grinded like one from there. When No. 18 had come and gone, he was headed to a playoff on No. 1 with Baran, a sophomore from Riverhead. Both owned two-day, 36-hole totals of 3-over 147.

And when Jessop tapped in from about 3 inches away for par on that extra hole, he had come all the way back to take the title.

“Winning in general feels great,” Jessop said. “ . . . I battled back, really kept my head in it. My last 10 holes, I went 5-under, forced the playoff. I’m just happy I won.”

Jessop carded rounds of 75 and 72 after coming in at 32 on Tuesday’s back nine. He had an eagle and three birdies overall on the day.

Baran, meanwhile, posted rounds of 72 and 75. He had a 39 on the back nine.

“I played good both days, but he had a great back nine, and in all honesty, he deserved it,” Baran said. “I’m disappointed. I mean, I wanted to win.”

But his tee shot on the par-4, 395-yard playoff hole did him in.

Jessop put his in the right rough. Baran’s drive ended up farther and wider off on that side — behind a tree.

“It was a bad shot, and I got very, very unlucky,” Baran said.

With little room to operate at the side of the tree, Baran chipped out laterally to the far side of the fairway on his second shot. Jessop put his second shot on the green, about 25 feet below the cup.

It was really over.

Hills West sophomore Harry Wolk and Westhampton sophomore Zach Berger tied for third at 149.

“The only thing I really struggled on was my putting,” Berger said. “ . . . If I just had that putting shaped up, I could’ve been in that playoff or even won. But I’m happy my teammate won, Owen.”

The top nine qualified for the state tournament in June.

“I’ve been working really hard for this,” Wolk said. “I got it done, and it feels really great.”