Sep 24, 2014 6 min read

McKEESPORT – South Fayette senior Wes Keeling missed his chance to compete at the WPIAL Individual Golf Championship last season. Three days before section qualifiers, he was blindsided by the news of his grandfather’s passing.

After a strong junior season where his game dramatically improved, Keeling took the time to mourn the loss and prepare for his last shot at a WPIAL gold medal.

“It was really tough, but I kept telling myself that at least I have one more year to make a run,” Keeling said. “I just wanted to improve from last year to put myself in a position to compete at this tournament.”

After winning the Section 7-AA title at South Park Golf Course a week ago, Keeling got his opportunity Wednesday at Youghiogheny Country Club in the Class AA championships. He did not disappoint. Keeling parred the first five holes, birdied the 305-yard No. 10 and finished strong with four pars on a back nine that players struggled to navigate.

The result was a 78 on the par-72 course. Keeling was in one of the first groups to finish his round and spent the following two hours hovering around the scorer’s table to keep an eye on the competition’s results.

Quaker Valley sophomore Chris Tanabe shot a 72 to take home the gold medal, but Keeling’s performance was tied for second with Laurel sophomore Evan Long. Keeling got a silver medal and earned a quality seed for the PIAA Western Regional that will be held Tuesday, Oct. 14 at Tom’s Run Golf Course at Chestnut Ridge Golf Resort in Blairsville.

“You have to start fast in a tournament like this,” Keeling said. “You’re going to have nerves on the first tee, but you have to shake them off. If you make a bad shot, you have to get over it and keep grinding.”

That’s exactly what Keeling did. After finishing the front nine with three bogeys over the final four holes, he started the back nine with a birdie on No. 10. On a course that is often deceptive with its fairways, the senior took a conservative approach. With his short game working, Keeling stuck to his irons and trusted his instincts.

After an unfortunate end to his junior season, Keeling spent the summer working at Hickory Heights Golf Club in Bridgeville, South Fayette’s home course.

Being able to play for free throughout the week helped transform Keeling’s short game into a strength. The runnerup position had Keeling walking away with a medal around his neck and a smile on his face.

“I’m obviously very proud of what I accomplished, and I’m happy for (Tanabe),” Keeling said. “I can’t be mad. I played the way I wanted and I’m walking away humbled by this course. I’m going to take what I shot and continue to improve.”

South Fayette head coach Bobby Ruffolo has seen Keeling evolve from a frustrated underclassman to a refined player who uses precision and a mental approach for success. Over the summer, Ruffolo’s goal was to help Keeling and his teammates with their short game. He dumped a bucket of balls and had them chip over and over again.

On a day where the wind was whipping across the fairways at Youghiogheny, keeping it simple was the recipe for qualifying.

“He played great. Finishing second anywhere is a good round,” Ruffolo said. “He’s learned to manage the course and keep the ball below the hole. He’s very good at scrambling too. Now, he realizes that taking a bogey isn’t always a bad thing.”

With the team golf tournament just days away, Keeling will have to put the regional in the back of his mind. Helping the Lions continue their undefeated season is the next step.

“Playing good team golf next week will only help (Keeling),” Ruffolo said. “His short game will only improve with every round. The goal wasn’t to win here. The goal was to advance here. We thought 80 would be good enough and he got there.”

Burgettstown’s golf program is one of the best in WPIAL Class AA and Wednesday only reinforced that point.

Two Blue Devils qualified for the PIAA West Regional last year, and three – sophomore Austin Lis, junior Cody Dobbin and senior Hunter Lecker – are headed to Blairsville this year. Lis, who like Dobbin attends Avella and competes in a co-op program for Burgettstown, had the best day of the group by shooting an 81, which was tied with three other golfers for fifth place.

Though Lis caddied for Dobbin during a summer tournament, Wednesday was his first time playing the course. It didn’t show as he recovered from two double-bogeys on the front nine to par his next six holes.

“I got into a good groove. The course was playing pretty long and some holes were tougher to get within three feet,” Lis said. “I ran into some trouble, but I played all right. It helped playing well on the back.”

Dobbin and Lecker each shot 82 to tie for ninth.

“It’s awesome that all three of us made it and hopefully we advance after that,” Lecker said.

Beth-Center senior Tyler Kuntz advanced to the regional after shooting an 82. While Kuntz did not birdie a hole, he played a solid round with 10 pars and, like the rest of the field, ran into trouble on Nos. 12 and 13.

In one of the last groups with Lecker, Kuntz played well to follow his second place showing at the Section 8-AA qualifier.

After winning the Section 8-AA title, Carmichaels sophomore Liam Shea advanced to the regional by shooting 81. Though he double-bogeyed four holes, Shea had three birdies on the back nine, including the 328-yard No. 18 hole.

“I played great except for a few bad holes,” Shea said. “I’m playing really well, and my swing is where I want it to be. I could have shot mid-70s today if it weren’t for a few bad shots. It means a lot to advance.