Valor grad nearly claims match-play title - #lakewoodnews

Josh Seiple played his best golf at the end, but it still wasn't good enough to overcome a slow start.

Seiple, from Castle Pines Golf Club, overcame a 4-up disadvantage after the first 18-holes of the 36-hole final of the Colorado Golf Association's Match Play Championship at the Lone Tree Golf Club.

However, he was edged, 1-up, by Nathaniel Goddard, of Ptarmigan Golf Club in Fort Collins, on June 24 in the 116thtitle match of the CGA's oldest tournament.

"In the morning I just didn't have my stuff," said the 20-year-old Seiple, a graduate of Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch. "Nathaniel had his, and I just kind of brought some more energy... I was close, played well in the afternoon, but it wasn't good enough."

Seiple, who had double hip surgery last August and got a medical redshirt at the University of Mississippi for his sophomore season, never led during the finals after carding a 75 during the first 18 holes.

He rallied to make it a close match during the afternoon round, which also included a two-hour rain delay.

"After that little hour break between matches, I birdied the first two holes coming out," he said. "I birdied the fifth after the rain delay so I just got off to a better start. The momentum seemed to change a little bit in my favor."

Seiple evened the match on the 14th hole.

Goddard, a 22-year-old graduate of Colorado Christian University who played on the Lakewood school's back-to-back Christian University national championship teams, birdied No. 15, but Seiple once again tied the match with a nice up-and-down birdie on the 16th hole.

Goddard's approach shot on No. 17 set up a 6-foot birdie putt, which pushed him into a 1-up lead and then both players parred the 18th.

"He made an awesome putt on 15 and hit an awesome shot into 17 so props to him," Seiple said. "I just couldn't get over that hump. He kept the pressure on all day, he putted well and to do that is hard to beat. I took myself out of it in the first match.

"I didn't make a bogey on the last nine holes. I played my last 11 holes at 3-under. I closed well. It was that morning match that took me out of it. This is about the fourth or fifth tournament back since the surgery. The past few tournaments I've started to get into contention. I wish I could have closed this one out but I've been there the last few tournaments."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Valor-grad-nearly-claims-match-play-title,221896