Birthday birdies
- Updated: April 21, 2021
Bradley birdies last two holes in tough conditions on his 18th birthday to win medalist, lead White Plains to its invitational title
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
SILVER LAKES –Peyton Bradley shook off a string of bogeys to birdie his last two holes and shoot 74 to win his first varsity tournament and lead White Plains to a 10-shot victory in the White Plains Invitational.
On his 18th birthday, no less.
Bradley’s bold finish gave him the individual medalist by one shot over county champion teammate Kenny Okins and Hewitt-Trussville’s Stuart Dickson.
He overcame bogeys on Heartbreaker 5, 6 and 7 that put him at 4-over for the day, then closed with birdies on Heartbreaker 8 and 9 to post the low round of the day and wait out the rest of the field to finish.
“I knew I needed to reel it back in after that little stretch,” the senior said. “I didn’t have the easiest holes either. I knew I had to put some good shots together to make some birdies.
“One of the kids came down there and told me 75 was winning. I was already 3-over so I knew I needed to stick it close to make birdies.”
He was the only player in the field to birdie Heartbreaker 8 and one of only two to birdie Heartbreaker 9.
On the par-3 he hit a stock pitching wedge from 135 yards to 10 feet. The last hole was a little more testy. He hit 3-wood off the tee over the water, then powered a pitching wedge from 122 yards through a gale to 20 feet. Obviously, he made both putts.
“It was really hard out there today, for sure,” Bradley said. “It was 30 degrees (to start) plus the wind. I was just making it go at that point (at the end).”
“Whatever those kids shot, subtract 5 or 6 from it; it was brutal,” White Plains coach Chris Randall said the conditions. “It was not even close to the toughest day of the year, so cold and windy.”
Behind Bradley and Okins, the Wildcats posted three top-five scores in the 70s for a team-total 309. They also counted a 77 from county runner-up Sawyer Edwards and an 83 from Wesley Jenkins.
It was White Plains’ fourth tournament win of the season.
The girls segment of the tournament is Friday.
NOTES: Okins bounced back from an opening 8 with a birdie and got back to 2-under through 12 … Brooks’ Zach Ashley made 9 straight pars on Heartbreaker 9 after turning in 43 … Hoover’s Houston Hart made four straight birdies after an opening 9 and shot 82 … Gavin Isbell of Hewitt-Trussville made eagle on Heartbreaker 1.
White Plains Boys Invitational
Team scores
White Plains A +21 (309)
Hewitt-Trussville +31
Oneonta +58
Westbrook Christian +58
Hoover +60
Brooks +62
Briarwood Christian +63
Randolph +69
Northridge +77
Westminster Christian +77
White Plains B +84
Sylacauga +139
Weaver +143
Individual Top 10
Peyton Bradley, White Plains 38-36—74
Kenny Okins, White Plains 36-39—75
Stuart Dickson, Hewitt-Trussville 40-35—75
Sawyer Edwards, White Plains 41-36—77
Jackson Bowman, Westbrook 35-42—77
Ethan Hacker, Hewitt-Trussville 41-37—78
Gavin Isbell, Hewitt-Trussville 40-38—78
Zach Ashley, Brooks 43-36—79
Drew Dodgen, Randolph 41-38—79
Justin Olive, Brooks 36-43—79
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