A Few Dimples Short

Castle Rock’s Jacob Eagan celebrates runner-up finish at National Drive, Chip and Putt

by Brandon Kusek

Looking as just as relaxed as if he were putting around on the practice green back at Plum Creek with his dad, Jacob Eagan lined up the most important putt to date of his young life.

After making his final putt of the regular competition – a slippery 15-footer on  Augusta National’s famous 18^th green – Jacob needed to gather himself to do it once more to break the tie for not only the putting competition but potentially the whole championship for the Boys 7-9 year-old division.

“I looked a lot less nervous than I felt,” Eagan said. “I was so nervous but I was just trying to smile since I knew I was on TV.”

After what Eagan described as a “poor driving performance,” in the driving portion but winning the chipping competition and draining his final putt from 15 feet, he faced a tie with Knox Mason from Tennessee.

“They were still pretty fast, but I actually thought the greens were a little slower than I expected,” said Eagan about the infamous putting surfaces at Augusta.

Going first, he lined up the putt carefully, but a hard lip-out left the fate of the competition in the hands of his competitor who walked up and drained the putt to close it out.

“Making the putt on the 18^th green was probably my favorite part,” Eagan said. “I’m so motivated now to go back.

I could have won it; it was just the drives that destroyed me. But I do think I can win.”

Training for next season will start soon but for now, Jacob and his family are going to enjoy all of the events and fanfare surrounding not only his own competition, but the big golf tournament going on this weekend.

“It was really cool to meet Tommy Fleetwood and Xander (Schauffele),” he said.

From making new friends with his fellow competitors to meeting world-class golfers like Fleetwood, Schauffele or getting a compliment on his suit at the junior champions dinner from the Augusta Chairman, Mr. Fred Ridley, the Eagans are soaking up every moment.

“The whole experience from start to finish is unmatched,” said Jacobs father, Jason Eagan. “We’re treated like one of the players playing in the Master’s this weekend.”

Also participating in the event were Brady Shaw of Pueblo – also finishing as a runner-up in the boys 10-11 division and Koehn Kuenzler of Cortez, also in the boys 7-9 division.

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