Luczka (pronounced Loosh-kuh) is a 19-year-old Fairmont High School graduate who just finished his first year at Indiana Wesleyan University where he is a member of the golf team.
After receiving a first-round bye, he defeated Marcus Thompson and Steve Sandstrom on Saturday. Then he knocked off former champion Steve Block, 2 and 1, on Sunday morning and ruined Weiss’ bid for a third straight title with a 1 up victory in the afternoon.
“It was a lot of fun,” Luczka said. “I love match play. I love going up against another competitor.”
Luczka said has been playing golf since he was 3 years old, but he didn’t concentrate on the sport until after his freshman year in high school.
“I started working really hard on golf,” he said. He took lessons from Jim Rue at Rollandia Golf Course and most recently from Matt Stotler.
A 6-foot-3, 175-pounder, he regularly hits ball 290-300 yards. “I mash the ball,” he said proudly.
Luczka and Weiss had a see-saw front nine. Weiss was 1-up at the turn, but Luczka regained the lead by winning holes 10 and 11 and he never relinquished it. He was still 1-up after 17.
“Going to 18 … I have always struggled hitting the fairway on that hole,” Luczka said, “but I hit a moon shot in the middle of fairway.”
They were both on the green in two. Luczka missed his 25-foot putt but tapped in for a par. Needing to hole his 20-foot birdie putt to tie the match, Weiss left it a foot short and they halved the hole.
Luczka’s prize was $700 credit in the pro shop. “I was able to buy a bunch of golf balls,” he said.
Goecke shines in Centerville
Tyler Goecke of Xenia stole the show in the Optimist International qualifier at Centerville’s Yankee Trace golf course on Monday.
The 17-year-old Carroll High School senior-to-be turned in his best competitive round, a 7-under-par 65, to win the boys 16-18 division by three strokes over runners-up Caleb Westfall of Mechanicsburg and Philip Miller of Centerville,
Playing bogey-free golf from 6,700 yards on the Heritage and Vintage nines, Goecke made birdie putts of 12, 15, 20, 40, 12, 10 and 2 ½ feet. He needed only 11 putts in shooting 32 on the Heritage, which was the front nine on Yankee’s original 18-hole course.
Meha Pandya of Centerville produced an even-par 72 to lead the girls 15-18 division. Jenna Hayes of Dayton led the girls 13-14 division with an 85 and Bridget Nickell of Dayton shot 98 to lead the girls 10-12 division.
Goecke, who has already qualified for the Ohio Amateur, was runner-up Wednesday in the U.S. Junior Amateur Sectional qualifier at Wetherington Golf & Country Club in West Chester. Goecke shot 69, but Trey Rath got the spot in the Junior Am at Baltustrol (N.J.) Country Club in July by posting a 68.
Chip Shots
Doug Wade, head pro at Sugar Valley Country Club, teamed up with Bob Sowards of Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club of Dublin to win the Southern Ohio PGA event on Monday at Heritage Club in Mason.
Caleb Westfall of Mechanicsburg shot 142 (68-74) and finished second to Cameron Frazier of Cincinnati, who posted a 140 (69-71), in the Ohio Junior Championship on Wednesday at York Golf Club in Columbus.
Eric Cherubini of Centerville was third in the 15-and-under division with 149 and Jordan Gilkison of Springboro tied for fifth with a 154 total. Mason Witt of Xenia tied for eighth.
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