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Published: 6/21/2012 | Updated: 5/18/2013
By BLAKE TOPPMEYER
Herald-Whig Sports Writer
Bryce Burke was still standing in the scorer's tent at Westview Golf Course on Wednesday when he made his first post-round phone call. Burke was simply too pleased from winning the 16-17 boys division of the Pepsi Titan Little People's Golf Championships to delay giving the news to his father, Allen, any longer. Bryce Burke grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa but moved to Orlando, Fla., with his mother, Bridgette, about two years ago. Allen Burke still lives in South Africa, however, and Bryce calls his dad immediately after every tournament he plays in. This time he had especially good news. Burke won his division with a two-day score of 140, a mark of 2-under par. He carded a 3-under 68 on Wednesday and won his division by nine strokes over Aaron Wirt of West Des Moines, Iowa. "He didn't believe at first that I had won," Burke said. "He thought I was joking, but then he said, â Very well done.' "My dad is the first person I try to get a hold of. He's been the one behind me at all times. So has my mom. It's equal about between the two, but my dad is the one that got me up here (to the United States)." Burke started on the back nine and made the turn at even par before lighting up the front nine. He birdied the par-4 second hole and after a bogey on the par-3 fourth, he birdied the par-5 fifth. Then Burke all but sealed his victory with an eagle on the par-5 No. 6. He hit a 5-wood from about 260 yards out on his approach and left himself a 6-foot putt for eagle, which he drained. Burke's round started to slide off track right before he made the turn, but he quickly righted the ship. He double bogeyed the par-4 No. 16 and hit his tee shot into the trees on the par-5 No. 17. Yet he got a favorable kick out of the trees and wound up making birdie on the hole. "That got me going, and on 18 I hit my drive a lot better than (Tuesday) and stuck (the approach) just behind the pin and made a par and just walked off the green with a smile," Burke said. It proved to be a perfect example of how Burke didn't allow one bad hole to balloon into two or three bad holes throughout the 36-hole event. "I was making the saves where it counted and just not letting myself get ahead of myself," Burke said. "If I hit a bad a shot, I didn't beat myself up about it. I just walked up onto the next hole and hit." Jackson Wetherbee of Galesburg, Ill., finished third at 150, and Zach Hoskins of Orlando, Fla., and Quincy High School sophomore Kolbe Rodemich tied for fourth at 151. Rodemich came it at 6-over on Day 2. He said he consistently found trouble during the tournament but often scrambled for par by hitting quality sand wedge shots to generate up-and-down opportunities. "I feel confident with (the sand wedge)," Rodemich said. Burke also let his short game and irons carry him throughout the tournament. "My drives were a bit off, but my approach shots were getting to the pin, and then my putting, I didn't have more than about 28 putts (Wednesday)," Burke said. "I had a few good one-putts. I had to fight for par on a few holes, but I still made the putts so it didn't hurt me. "It's a good win." -- btoppmeyer@whig.com/221-3367
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