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June 4, 2008

Prep golf: Lownik takes third, finishes one shot shy of state title

By Matt Blanchette
Daily Tribune staff

VERONA -- Wisconsin Rapids Assumption's Joe Lownik stared down his final putt and gave the gallery a Tiger Woods-esque fist pump as it rolled in on the ninth hole, his final hole during Tuesday's WIAA Division 3 state golf meet.

The putt was for birdie, giving Lownik a 76, which was one of the better scores of the day at University Ridge because of extremely difficult playing conditions.

Add that to his first day score of 77, and all of a sudden the junior was in the hunt for the D-3 individual title.

It was not to be, but Lownik's 153 was just one stroke shy of Jake Nelson of Ladysmith and Eric Wolfe of Cuba City.

Nelson won the championship in a playoff, leaving Lownik in third.

"I struggled with the back nine a little bit, and to end with a birdie could make a difference," Lownik said, fully aware of his potential to be at, or near the top.

Though most other golfers did not, Lownik waited around to see how things would stack up.

The key for the junior was to play consistent golf.

"Being down here is just amazing and I scored pretty well, so I am just happy with that," he said.

Lownik was one of the few golfers to shoot lower than his day one score, as rain and wind made the course difficult on the players.

"It was playing three shots tougher today. If you got shots up into the wind, it was gone," Lownik said.

Assumption coach Joe Birkhauser said more than anything, Lownik was able to stick with his game when the weather, and some of his putts, were not cooperating.

"He kept his cool. He was more conservative today with the weather. He wasn't taking chances today like he did yesterday," Birkhauser said. "I think he learned a lot -- what it takes to compete at this level."

Playing in his final Division 1 state tournament, Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln's Luke Van Beck was able to drastically lower his score from day one, shooting an 89 on day two.

However, it was still far from what Wisconsin Rapids coach Steve Peterson was used to seeing from his senior

"He had some flashes of the old Luke. There were times when he got it going," Peterson said.

"I feel bad for him I really do, but the real thing is that he continued to play. He played it to the end and he didn't quit . It wasn't a question of giving up."