You might say Christmas has come early for Nate Horne.
With a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole, the 11-year-old Fayetteville golfer earned a one-stroke victory in the boys 10-11 division of the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship held Nov. 7-9 at Koasati Pines Golf Club in Kinder, Louisiana.
Nate had rounds of 69, 67 and 68 for a 12-under-par 204 total to edge Chase Hughes of Oklahoma City, who had rounds of 66, 70 and 69 for 205 in the field of 25 competitors. Leo Saito of Hilo, Hawaii, was third with rounds of 68, 64 and 74, a total of 206.
Taft Courie, a 14-year-old golfer at Village Christian Academy, tied for 20th with rounds of 71, 71 and 77 for a 219 total in the ages 14-15 division.
“It feels good to bring a national championship back to Fayetteville,” Nate says.
The odds, you might say, were not in the youngster’s favor entering the final round facing a 4-stroke deficit on the 5,300-yard, par 72 course.
“But I eagled the first hole,” he says of the par 5. “That gave me confidence.”
Drama on the final hole
Three birdies and a bogey later, Nate Horne found himself at the final hole fairway with a 175-yard second shot over water to the green.
His father, Gary, who was on the caddie bag, conferred with Nate about the shot ahead.
Layup or go for it
“I gave him his options twice,” Gary Horne says. “Not once, but twice. I never made the decision for him to lay it up. I just gave him the options.”
Young Nate pulled out his 3-metal.
He was going for the green.
“It never crossed his mind” not to, Gary Horne says.
Nate sent the fairway shot within 75 feet of the flagstick, then rolled his eagle attempt to within 10 feet of the hole.
Victory hung in the balance.
“It was right to left and slightly downhill,” the youngster says of the final putt. “I was really nervous.”
The putt was on its way.
“I thought I may have left it short,” he says.
The ball kept rolling, and then fell into the cup for the victory.
Nate Horne was a national champion.
“I couldn’t believe I won,” he says.
Gary Horne, 44, was a happy caddie and one proud father.
“I was a lot more nervous that he was, but I didn’t want to show it,” he says. “I just felt a big sense of relief knowing he won and gave him a big hug.”
‘Incredible potential’
Nate’s championship comes as no surprise to Micah Vugrinec, director of golf at Highland Country Club, where the youngster hones his golfing skills with friends that include Ethan Paschal, Thomas Horne, Charlie Horne, Hughes McCarthy and Taft Courie.
“Nate Horne has incredible potential and will go far in the sport,” Vugrinec says. “He is a well-mannered, class-act of a kid. He has shown incredible sportsmanship and commitment to the game. His personality is such that he will take in all information from anyone who will give it. He has never met a stranger and will walk the range talking to any member that is on it. The best part of Nate’s game is his ability to get the ball in the hole. He always finds a way. When he was younger, he would play by himself or just practice. As the golf professional of Highland Country Club, it is amazing to see the great talent that Nate has and the outstanding young gentleman that Nate is. It is an honor to see him grow and get better at the game that we all love.”
While Taft Courie didn’t bring back the title in the 14-15 age division, Vugrinec believes Courie’s time will come for a national title, too.
“Taft is an up-and-coming young man, as well,” Vugrinec says. “He has the drive and determination to be a good player. He has proven himself in many tournaments, and even to make it to this championship is a tribute to the ability of this young man. Taft and Nate are incredible golfers, but even better, they are great human beings showing great respect on and off the golf course.”
Epilogue
The annual Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship for young golfers worldwide is a big deal. This year’s field included Charlie Woods, son of golfing great Tiger Woods, who caddied for his 13-year-old son competing in the 12-13 age division. He finished in 11th place with rounds of 72, 69 and 71 for a 212 total on the par 71 course.
“It was really cool,” says Nate Horne, a sixth-grader at Village Christian Academy. “I saw Tiger on the golf course.”
But perhaps not as cool as winning with that 10-foot birdie on the final hole for Nate Horne.
“It feels good to bring a national championship back to Fayetteville,” Nate says. “Really good.”
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
