Chapel Hill’s Hocker II, North Augusta’s Talbert win Tilghman Junior titles

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH -- After three-putting nine greens, four-putting two greens and five-putting one at the George Holliday Memorial Junior at Myrtle Beach National two weeks ago, Michael Hocker II went to Martin’s PGA Tour Superstore after the final round and picked out a belly putter.

He had never used one in competition before.

“I was struggling with short putts and my confidence was a little down, and I had a couple people suggest it to me so I figured I’d go out and get one,” said Hocker, who finished 12th at the Holliday despite the putting woes.

He may never use anything else again after his putting performance Sunday in the final round of the 22nd Charles Tilghman Junior Championship at the Surf Golf & Beach Club.

The resident of Chapel Hill, N.C., needed just 23 putts, including 10 on the front nine, while shooting a bogey-free 6-under-par 66 to earn the biggest win of his junior career by a shot over Austin Langdale of Pendleton with a 5-under 139.

“It should be hard to give it up for awhile,” Hocker said. “I think it will stay in the bag.”

Hocker birdied the second hole with a chip-in, the 10th hole after nearly holing a 30-foot eagle putt, and holes 5, 9, 11 and 14 with putts between 8 and 15 feet. “It was a great day out there,” said Hocker, who recently returned to Grand Strand swing coach Mike Schroder, his step grandfather. “This is a huge confidence boost and I’m going to take this and go with it.”

Despite the magnificent round, the Liberty commitment was tied for the lead through 17 holes after Langdale holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th green.

But Langdale, a junior at Pendleton High who has verbally committed to Clemson, missed a 5-foot par putt on the par-3 18th hole after nearly holing a short chip to lose by a shot with his second consecutive 70.

“I was trying to chip it in and just barely missed,” said Langdale, who this summer won the South Carolina Junior Championship, Upstate Junior Classic and Festival of Flowers men’s amateur in succession.

Hocker said he was unaware Langdale’s 5-footer was to force a playoff. “I played well and had no idea the whole time where I stood or where anybody else stood,” Hocker said. “I was just kind of in my zone, doing what I had to do.”

Mitchell Schneider of Charlotte, N.C., who is committed to Winthrop, began the final round tied for the lead with Langdale and was in contention after an eagle on the 10th. But he made five three-putt bogeys down the stretch, including on holes 11, 12, 14, 15, to tie for fifth at 2-over 146. Having to watch Hocker make everything contributed to his frustration.

“That was the best putting round I’ve ever seen,” Schneider said. “He didn’t hit the ball as well as he could have, but I don’t think he missed anything inside 15 feet. It was incredible to watch.”

The girls competition wasn’t nearly as dramatic.

McKenzie Talbert of North Augusta continued her dominance in the tournament with her third consecutive Tilghman title, winning by nine shots over Greenville’s Louise Oxner with a 3-under 141.

Talbert, 16 and a junior at Strom Thurmond High School, is just the second girl to win three straight Tilghman titles, joining Shauna Estes from 1991-93.

The Clemson commitment shot a 1-under 71 with five birdies and four bogeys, and immediately put distance between her and her challengers with birdies on holes 1, 2 and 5. She also birdied holes 8 and 16 while making bogeys on 6, 7, 11 and 14.

“The golf course is kind of a birdie fest out there and short for me,” Talbert said of the 5,679-yard set up. “The greens are good. I just really like coming to Myrtle Beach in December and playing the tournament. There’s not much going on in December.”

The 16-year-old has one more year of eligibility for the event before helping to start the Clemson women’s program in the fall of 2013. Will she return to attempt a fourth victory? “Possibly; we’ll see how the year goes,” said Talbert, who won the Junior Heritage in Hilton Head Island earlier this year before playing in Ireland on the Junior Solheim Cup team. “You never know.”

Results

BOYS

•  Top 10–1. Michael Hocker II (Chapel Hill, N.C.) 73-66–139 -5; 2. Austin Langdale (Townville) 70-70–140 -4; 3. Benjamin Griffin (Chapel Hill, N.C.) 71-72–143 -1; 4. Jacob Hicks (Mebane, N.C.) 75-69–144 even; t5. Davis Womble (High Point, N.C.) 74-72–146 +2; t5. Mitchell Schneider (Charlotte, N.C.) 70-75–146 +2; t7. Jonathan Hardee (Greer) 73-74–147 +3; t7. Noah Edmondson (Davidson, N.C.) 71-76–147 +4; 9. Will Blalock (Gastonia, N.C.) 75-73–148 +4; t10. Josh Lorenzetti (Blythewood) 76-73–149 +5; t10. Will Thomas (Cary, N.C.) 73-76–149 +5; t10. Jackson Moore (Isle of Palms) 74-75–149 +5; t10. Tanner Gross (Archdale, N.C.) 72-77–149 +5; t10. Jeremy Grab (Daniel Island) 70-79–149 +5.

•  Locals–t22. Johnson Holliday (Aynor) 81-72–153 +9; t32. Zachary Hickman (Myrtle Beach) 80-79–159 +15; t36. Anthony Caroso (Myrtle Beach) 81-80–161 +17; t43. Cole Swezey (Myrtle Beach) 82-84–166 +22; t43. Lyle Ciardi (Myrtle Beach) 78-88–166 +22; t45. Greg Hensley (Holden Beach, N.C.) 85-82–167 +23; 50. Mark Karavan (Myrtle Beach) 89-81–170 +26; t55. Chase Johnson (Galivants Ferry) 96-86–182 +38.

GIRLS

•  Top 10–1. McKenzie Talbert (North Augusta) 70-71–141 -3; 2. Louise Oxner (Greenville) 77-73–150 +6; 3. Lauren Stephenson (Lexington) 77-74–151 +7; 4. Tara Simmons (Goldsboro, N.C.) 78-74–152 +8; t5. Mary Katherine Donovan (Hampstead, N.C.) 73-82–155 +1; t5. Madison Moosa (Charlotte, N.C.) 74-81–155 +11; 7. Mary Chandler Bryan (Chapin) 78-78–156 +12; 8. Nicole Chin (Irmo) 83-74–157 +13; 9. Evelyn Dole (Raleigh, N.C.) 83-75–158 +14; 10. Annika Bovender (Bluffton) 81-81–162 +18.

•  Locals–t13. Alexa Falvey (Murrells Inlet) 89-83–172 +28; 22. Cameron Crutchfield (Myrtle Beach) 102-106–208 +64.