Timko heads back to state
By JOHN VARGO Tribune ChronicleArticle Photos
Boo Timko views other things most high school golfers miss. Literally, the Canfield junior sees the forest through the trees.
"He's the most fundamentally sound golfer I've seen in high school. He does everything extremely well," said Canfield boys golf coach Mike Murphy, who coached Ursuline to the 2005 Division II state tournament.
Timko's course management skills have improved each year. He qualified for the Division III boys state golf tournament the past two seasons as a member of the John F. Kennedy High School team. Timko was 14 strokes off last year's medalist and finished ninth.
However, he said his mental game cost him.
"That kind of hurt me at state last year," Timko said. "I made some bad decisions. Through this summer, I think my short game and putting has improved.
"I'm not taking bigger risks that I shouldn't. If you mess up, especially with 36 holes, you have time. You can make up for it. It's not going to do you good to get upset on one hole."
This season, he is at Canfield and has the fourth best district score entering Friday and Saturday's state tournament at The Ohio State University Scarlet Course. Timko shot even par 72 at Pine Hills Golf Course in Hinckley at last week's northeast district.
Mount Vernon junior Charlie Phillips shot a 70, while Dublin Jerome senior Logan Jones and West Chester Lakota West's Korey Ward each scored 71 at their respective district tournaments.
Timko tees off at 9:48 a.m., Friday with Ward and Westlake's Chris Nader from hole No. 1. Saturday's tee times are base upon Friday's scores.
"I'd like to win it and I have a very good chance," Timko said.
"There's some really great players down there," Murphy said. "He's got a great chance of being an individual medalist."
Timko has shot under par this season and par this postseason. His course presence was uncanny at districts. Murphy said Timko shot 3-over par the first four holes, but rallied to shoot 3-under par the last 14 - including shooting par on the final nine.
Incidentally, Timko shot during frigid weather - around 30-degree wind chill.
"Playing this late the last two years, I've learned to block out the weather," Timko said. "Our district were very cold, but I tried my best to forget about it and just worry about your game because everyone else is playing in the same weather."
Timko's not only finishes each hole well, but he begins them quite nicely. His small 150-pound frame doesn't lend one to believe he can be a long off the tee.
"I know how far I hit - 285-290 yards. He's out there with me," Murphy said. "At districts, he was hitting 3 wood and his 3 wood was as long as his driver. He gets it out there and he's straight."
Timko has practiced at Canfield's home course - Kensington Golf Club in Canfield and at Avalon Golf and Country Club in Howland and Squaw Creek Country Club in Vienna.
"The nice thing about those three courses is you can get the tee differences," Timko said. "You can practice from whatever distance you'll be playing at. Avalon Lakes and Squaw Creek - the courses are completely different. They're different views, getting you used to the course you're going to play that's coming up."
When Timko has his run through at the OSU course, he'll be well prepared. After all, he has great course management.
"We'll go around Thursday at Scarlett - me, him and his dad (Bruce) - will talk about each hole, how we're going to attack it," Murphy said. "We'll set up a game plan, then type it out on a piece of paper. When he tees it up, he'll follow that game plan to a T. He's fantastic that way with how smart he is and sticking to the game plan."
