Troy Bauer wins his first IV Men’s Golf Championship

MENDOTA – Growing up, Troy Bauer regularly attended the NewsTribune Area-Wide Men’s Golf Tournament to watch his father, Tom.

Bauer was there for each of his father’s six area titles – five in the NewsTribune tournament and one in the current Illinois Valley Men’s Golf Championship.

On Sunday, it was Tom’s turn to watch Troy.

Troy Bauer fired a 66 at Mendota Golf Club – his home course – to claim his first area crown with a two-round score of 136.

“It means a lot knowing my dad was such a great golfer in the area, and he taught me everything I know,” said Troy Bauer, who got teary eyed talking about his win. “I was here for all his wins, and he was here for mine today, so it meant a lot.”

Bauer beat three-time defending champion Baley Lehr by four strokes.

“I’m disappointed, but Troy played really well today, and I just didn’t quite play good enough,” said Lehr, who led after the first round with a 68 on Saturday at Edgewood Park Golf Club “I’d say I putted pretty good but just never consistently hit the ball well enough.”

Ian Roach (143) took third, followed by Jesse Cavanaugh (143). Jeremy DeBernardi, Mason Kimberley and Brian Lehr all carded a 144.

Troy Bauer said it helped to have his father as his caddie Sunday.

“He helped a lot,” Troy Bauer said. “I do really well when I take my time and really dissect a shot and talk about where not to go, the wind, uphill, downhill, where I want it to end up. My dad and I my whole life were a really good team strategy-wise. He helped me center myself all day and be confident.”

Bauer, who was in second after the first round, also had confidence playing the course he grew up on.

He teed off in the final group Sunday with Baley Lehr, Kimberley and DeBernardi.

“Baley, Mason and DeBernardi are all great golfers,” Bauer said. “Mason has been in the top five I think the last five years. Baley won three years in a row. The last time I was really in the hunt was in 2013 when I tied for first with DeBernardi and he beat me in a playoff. I knew who I was playing against, but I also knew coming in I played this course way more than all of them. I know how to play it. I had confidence in my home course.

“I could play my way around the course confidently. I’m happy with how I played the whole day and actually the whole weekend.”

Bauer, who carded nine birdies and only three bogeys on the weekend, said he didn’t know exactly where he was on the leaderboard until the final hole.

He hit his approach shot to the edge of the green and nearly sank the long putt before tapping in to finalize the win.

“In the back, I got into a rhythm,” Bauer said. “I actually didn’t know where I was at. I thought I was leading by two or three. I told my dad I didn’t want to know until I got to the (18th) green, but I actually asked him on the 18th fairway, and he told me. Then I felt confident.

“Before I struck the iron, we really dissected that shot. I played to bounce it up because the course was firm. I knew I had a little breathing room where there wasn’t pressure to two-putt from 70 feet. I could three-putt or four-putt. It felt good to finish strong. I played well. I’m proud. I had a lot of people out here supporting me.

“You could feel the support amping up as the day went along, which I thought would make me nervous but didn’t. It actually made me more confident. The cheers out there were loudest in my corner, so that felt really good.”

J.D. Joanis beat John Potthoff in a playoff to win the A Class with a 153, Rusty Lindenmeyer claimed the B Class with a 158, Matt Hultz took the C Class with a 164 and Willie Hanson won the Senior Class with a 150.

Mendota Golf Club won the team title.