Christmas 9—MITCHELL — Everything was working for Jeff Meyerink on Sunday.
Coming into the day trailing by a stroke, Meyerink fired a 5-under, 67 on Day 2 of the Mitchell city golf tournament at Lakeview Golf Course to take down the win in the championship flight.
Meyerink posted a two-day score of 140 — shooting a 73 on Saturday at Wild Oak Golf Course before his 67 on Sunday at Lakeview — to pick up his second consecutive Mitchell city golf title and seventh overall.
“I think it was a combination of everything,” Meyerink said of his performance Sunday. “I made a couple really nice putts but I missed a couple that I expected to make, but usually in the end it averages out. … (Sunday) I just found something and it was just working.”
Meyerink, who won the 2022 tournament in a three-hole playoff, started Sunday hot, and he said after the first hole he felt like he could be in for a good day. He picked up an eagle on Hole 4, and it helped propel him to a 5-under, 31 on the front nine.
“I had a good iron shot in (to the first green) and made the putt,” Meyerink said. “On Hole 4 I had a really good recovery shot out of the trees to about 5 feet and made that eagle putt that kind of kept things going. It’s nice to finally be able to hit the ball the way you expect to.”
Meyerink said he didn’t have as much practice time this year leading up to the event due to coaching the Mitchell High School girls golf team, which won a state championship this spring. He followed up his 5-under front nine with an even par on the back nine Sunday and ultimately won by three strokes over Russell Pick, who entered the day with a one-stroke lead over Meyerink. Pick shot 1-under, 71 on Sunday and finished the event with a 143.
Elsewhere in the championship flight, Asher Dannenbring (147) took third, Brandon Sigmund (148) was fourth and Caleb Johnson (148) claimed fifth.
“In our group, everybody was throwing a birdie here or there,” Meyerink said. “It wasn’t anything I was doing differently, but it always helps to see some other things go in and help you play a little better.”
Noah Larson shot a 153 to win the presidential flight, Eric Rau posted a 145 to win the first flight, Jayden Kayser’s 158 won the second flight and Mark Johnson won the third flight with a 176. Jeff McEntee won the senior first flight at 152 and Tim McCain took down senior second flight at 160. In the women’s flight, Maddie Childs posted a 156 to claim first place.
In the first year of the junior division being contested, Sam Titze won the 15-17 boys flight with a 165. Griffin Lyle won the 12-and-under boys nine-hole division with a 42, and Emma Reinesch shot a 53 and won in a scorecard playoff against Kate Schutz in the girls 12-and-under nine-hole division.