SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP — A new attitude took Ian Haidle to a new level in the Lima City Men’s Golf Championship on Saturday.
The former Elida High School golfer thought he put too much pressure on himself the first two years he played in the tournament, so he attempted to use a more relaxed approach this year.
That change helped him beat defending champion Josh Hollar 1-up on Saturday in a Championship Flight quarterfinal match at the Shawnee Country Club on Saturday.
Haidle will play two-time champion Phil Trueblood in one semifinal this morning at Hidden Creek Golf Club with the winner moving on play in the championship match this afternoon at the Shawnee Country Club.
Ian Friesner will go against Brian Kuhlman in the other Championship Flight semifinal.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself the first two years. Coming out, I wanted to show out and play well. I put a lot of unnecessary pressure on myself,” Haidle said.
“This year I just came out with the attitude that if I’m playing well, there’s not a kid out here I can’t beat,” he said.
This is Haidle’s first time in the semifinals of the city tournament. So which is bigger, reaching a new level or knocking off last year’s winner?
“I’ve known Josh a long time. He’s a great player, a great competitor. It feels a little good to beat the defending champ but I have a tough match tomorrow and I’m going to focus on Trueblood now,” he said.
Three of the four Championship Flight quarterfinal matches were close, with Friesner beating Chance Campbell 1-up, 19 holes and Kuhlman taking a 1-up win over Steve Creps Jr.
The exception was Trueblood’s 6-and-5 win over Dean Meyer.
“I probably played better than I have all week so far,” said Trueblood, the city champion in 2014 and 2011.
“Right out of the gate, I birdied No. 1 and No. 3. I was up four (holes) early. From there I just wanted to make pars. Once I get up early on somebody I just want to make a bunch of pars.
“I think I hit every drive, I really didn’t miss a drive all day. I had some really good approach shots early. Making the turn, I kept the pedal down. I’d made the mistake before of having a big lead and getting a little relaxed,” he said.
Friesner, playing in his first city tournament, said on Thursday his goal had been to win one match. Now the recent Lima Central Catholic graduate is one win away from playing for a championship.
“Today is just a huge added bonus,” he said.
He clinched Saturday’s win on the playoff hole with a par when Campbell made a bogey.
“I went left and got a little lucky. I hit a tree and it kicked back right into the fairway. I lipped out my birdie putt and he came back and put one up there close and he had a huge lip-out on his par putt. I thought it was going in,” he said.
Kuhlman said he had to adjust to what seemed like faster greens at Shawnee than he had played on there a day earlier.
“Steve and I struggled from the start. We talked to each other on the practice green and I looked at him and said, ‘These things seem faster than yesterday.’ They speeded them up. But we made a lot of pars and birdies coming in and had a good match,” he said.
The championship match-ups in the other six flights this afternoon at Shawnee will be: Bryan Joseph and BJ McPheron in the First Flight; Kirk Slusher and Michael Sarno in the Second Flight; Jim Sherrick and Mitch Hasting in the Third Flight; Todd Stump and Paul Masters Sr. in the Senior Championship Flight; Mike Walsh and Rob Mitchell in the Senior Open Flight and Willie McGuire and Jim Odenweller in the Super Senior Flight.
Results, pairings
Championship Flight
At Shawnee Country Club
Saturday
Phil Trueblood def. Dean Meyer 6-and-5; Ian Haidle def. Josh Hollar 1-up; Ian Friesner def. Chance Campbell 1-up, 19 holes; Brian Kuhlman def. Steve Creps Jr. 1-up.
Sunday’s Schedule
Semifinals
At Hidden Creek Golf Club
6:50 a.m. — Trueblood vs. Haidle; 7:05 a.m. — Friesner vs. Kuhlman
Finals
At Shawnee Country Club
3:12 p.m. — Trueblood/Haidle winner vs. Friesner/Kuhlman winner
First Flight
At Shawnee Country Club
Saturday
Bryan Joseph def. Chris Inskeep 1-up, 19 holes; B.J. McPheron def. Ian Hasting 1-up
Sunday’s Schedule
Finals
At Shawnee Country Club
3:05 p.m. — Joseph vs. Inskeep
Second Flight
At Shawnee Country Club
Saturday
Kirk Slusher def. Rob Fletcher 1-up; Jeff Harris def. Michael Sarno 2-and-1
Sunday’s Schedule
Finals
At Shawnee Country Club
2:58 p.m. — Slusher vs. Sarno
Third Flight
At Shawnee Country Club
Saturday
Jim Sherrick def. Patrick Heffley 2-and-1; Mitch Hasting def. Billy Taflinger 8-and-7
Sunday’s Schedule
Finals
At Shawnee Country Club
2:51 p.m. — Sherrick vs. Hasting
Senior Championship Flight
At Shawnee Country Club
Saturday
Todd Stump def. Keith Augustus 7-and-6; Paul Masters Sr. def. Dennis Medeiros 5-and-4
Sunday’s Schedule
Finals
At Shawnee Country Club
2:44 p.m. — Stump vs. Masters
Senior Open Flight
At Shawnee Country Club
Saturday
Mike Walsh def. Mike Ketcham 7-and-5; Rob Mitchell def. Jeff Cary 3-and-2
Sunday’s Schedule
Finals
At Shawnee Country Club
2:37 p.m. — Walsh vs. Mitchell
Super Senior Flight
At Shawnee Country Club
Saturday
Willie McGuire def. David Webb 4-and-3; Jim Odenweller def. Denny Watt 4-and-3
Sunday’s Schedule
Finals
At Shawnee Country Club
2:30 p.m. — McGuire vs. Odenweller
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