A month before the start of the high school golf season, and his senior year, Rowland Hall’s Matt Siegal didn’t really envision himself playing high school golf this fall. He was just burned out on a golf, didn’t practice through the winter and barely picked up his clubs throughout the spring and summer.
Siegal’s dad convinced him to just go out and see if the joy came back, especially since his senior season was also the last year for long-time head coach Stacey Camacho.
A few practices in, the golf itch game back for Siegal, and that dedication came to fruition on Thursday during the final round of the 2A state tournament at Glendale Golf Course
Siegal’s 7-under 65 in Round 2 not only helped him win 2A state medalist honors after tying for third a year ago, but it also led Rowland Hall snap Beaver’s five-year reign over 2A as the Winged Lions captured the title by two strokes.
Rowland Hall backed up Wednesday’s 305 with another 305 of Thursday, finishing with a two-day score of 610, which was just barely good enough to edge Beaver’s 612.
“They worked really hard the last few weeks, really came out and prepared on the course a lot, a lot of putting a lot of short game. A lot of work believing in themselves,” said Camacho, whose team had a two-stroke lead after Day 1.
Beaver’s golfers actually enjoyed the better start on Thursday, and midway through Thursday’s round Camacho said his team was down about five strokes in the team score.
Rowland Hall’s fortunes started to change right about the time Siegal birdied No. 9 to get to 1-under for the day.
“I ended up birdying nine and I just kind of got in the zone and felt like I could keep making birdies and just went from there, I was feeling really good with my swing” said Siegal.
At the time, he trailed Grand senior Wyatt Toney by a couple strokes in the chase for the individual title. That deficit didn’t last long. Siegal birdied 10, and then enjoyed a stretch of five straight birdies from No. 12 to No. 16 that gave him a big four-stroke cushion for the individual title.
He ended up shooting a two-day 135 (9-under) as he made eight birdies and one bogey on Thursday. Toney shot a 139 (5-under), and Enterprise’s Jex Jones was the only other golfer to shoot under par as he finished with a two-day 2-under 142.
Siegal’s five-birdie stretch wasn’t just the catalyst to his own individual title, but it helped flip the team score on Beaver as Rowland Hall collectively rallied on the back nine.
In the midst of his five straight birdies — something he said he did a few years ago in a tournament back East — Siegal said he wasn’t even aware of what was going on. He was so focused on shot to shot.
“I wasn’t really thinking much, I was just trying to hit the fairway, hit a shot close to the pin and make a putt. I wasn’t really focused on the actually score, just trying to hit a shot,” said Siegal.
He wasn’t the only Rowland Hall golfer who came up big in Round 2. Fellow senior Jax Salinas shaved six strokes off his round one score, which was particularly important as teammates Kelton Ferriter and Nate Kanter struggled a bit on Thursday after shooting in the 70s on Wednesday
Ultimately though, Camacho said those Wednesday scores helped settle down Ferriter and Kanter on Thursday, and they grinded when they needed to.
“A couple of them played really good rounds yesterday and helped bring the momentum over to today so when they got a little off, they could draw back on yesterday’s performance and be reminded pars are good scores, minimize the damage, and have fun,” said Camacho.
Ferriter ended up tying for ninth to join Siegal as Rowland Hall golfers to finish inside the top 10.
Runner-up Beaver’s top individuals were Sky Moon in fourth place (145) and Mace Robinson in sixth place (150)
Rowland Hall’s top four golfers at state this week were all seniors, whereas only two of Beaver’s top four golfers were seniors, so the Beavers could quickly return to the top of 2A next year.
2A State Tournament
At Glendale Golf Course (Par 72)
Final team scores
- Rowland Hall, 610
- Beaver, 612
- South Sevier, 628
- Grand, 628
- Parowan, 664
- Waterford, 665
- North Summit, 671
- Millard, 677
Individual results (Top 20)
- 135 — Matt Siegal, Sr., Rowland Hall
- 139 — Wyatt Toney, Sr., Grand County
- 142 — Jex Jones, Sr., Enterprise
- 145 — Sky Moon, Sr., Beaver
- 148 — Bradley Woolstenhulme, Jr., North Summit
- 150 — Mace Robinson, Sr., Beaver
- 152 — Tyler Massey, Jr., Parowan
- 152 — Derk Memmott, Jr., Millard
- 155 — McKay Pace, Jr., Parowan
- 155 — Gunner Sorensen, Jr., South Sevier
- 155 — Kelton Ferriter, Sr., Rowland Hall
- 155 — Keegan Johnson, Jr., South Sevier
- 156 — Harrison Thomas, Sr., Waterford
- 157 — Kavin Oakden, Jr., Beaver
- 159 — Ayden Nielsen, Freshman, South Sevier
- 160 — Taven Young, Freshman, Beaver
- 160 — Steele Vernon, Sr., North Summit
- 161 — Rexton Hollingshead, Sr., Beaver
- 162 — Jax Salinas, Sr., Rowland Hall
- 162 — Kale Glover, Jr., Kanab
- 162 — Nate Kanter, Sr., Rowland Hall