By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
Moorefield Golf senior Drake Kimble was on fire during the first round of the WVSSAC Class AA State Golf Tournament at Ogelbay Resort in Wheeling gaining fourth place, then fizzled in the second round to finish in 14th place overall.
The Yellow Jackets have sent representatives to the state golf tournament every season since 2006 with the exception off last year’s hiatus and a return with Kimble in his final bow as a senior.
The new four class system meant an afternoon start for Kimble on the course and darkness would suspend the Class A session the first day.
Kimble shot an impressive 82 strokes in the state golf tournament opening round session which was good enough for fourth place entering the second round.
Kimble struggled on the second day and finished with 180 total strokes combined for the two-day event for 14th place in Wheeling.
Kimble was grateful for the state experience and for God placing him on this journey.
“Well, first and foremost, I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I would also like to thank my parents and coaches, who have helped me along this journey. It was amazing to get to represent Moorefield High School at the highest level of high school golf in the state. It was extremely exciting after the first day, knowing that it was my tournament to win and that I was in perfect contention to make a run, however, I didn’t play well the second day, but I’m still proud of myself for keeping my composure and basing all of my decisions and actions off of my faith instead of my feelings this week,” Moorefield Golf senior Drake Kimble commented.
Kimble did better on the fairways, than driving and putting during the second round.
The first hole had a distance of 442 yards at a par-4 with a tee shot set on the hillside with a huge fairway that had a sand bunker on the left side in front of a small cabin and the fairway wrapped around the corner bordered by trees and a green encompassed with more sand traps.
The second hole was a par-4 spanning 380 yards with a straight fairway and more bunkers sitting next to the green as the challenges were just waiting on this Robert Trent Jones designed Speidel Golf Club.
If one likes skiing the slalom races, the third hole was reminiscent with many small mounds on the fairway and sand traps welcoming the golfers to an elevated green finishing off a distance of 412 yards (par-4).
The fourth hole is considered to be Oglebay Resort’s signature majestic hole and shortest overall at 148 yards (par-3) with a tee launch situated up on a hill and a pond below stretching to a rock wall and the green with a bunker on the left.
The fifth hole is the second longest on the course with a par-5, 499 yards spanning across a long hillside fairway that angled around the corner with the cart path on the right side before yielding at the green.
A par-4 with 399 yards awaited the golfers on the sixth hole and featured a rolling Friday to the green ordered by trees and a bunker.
The seventh hole had a distance of 202 yards commanding a par-3 approach with a sloped embankment and a wide fairway leading to the green.
The eighth hole covered a distance of 493 yards using a par-5 transcending to the green sloping up with a collection of sand boxes to play in (if bored).
The ninth hole went back towards the clubhouse area featuring a par-4 with a distance of 400 yards and sand bunkers surrounding the green as spectators lined the back end of the green near the practice putting space.
“I feel like I played hole number nine the best as I pared it both days and at the end of the day, my tee-shots and my putting are what kept me from winning a title. However, God has a plan for all of it and right now in His time I’m taking a moment to step back and realize how far He has brought me and how far He will bring me.”
There was a short break for lunch, then the second part of the round commenced next to the clubhouse.
The tenth hole had a beautiful view of the mountain range with a tee shot launching to the fairway below accompanied by a bunch of trees along the left side of the fairway turning left and up an incline to the green for a par-4 335 yards to complete.
The golfers walked across the road to the 11th hole which had a smaller hillside tee box this time around and the ball had to clear the brush, cart path and fenced area to the green which had sand traps around the front edge covering a distance of 198 yards and was designated a par-3.
The 12th hole tested the accuracy of the golfers launching over a pond aiming for the fairway which had small hills with sand traps on the left side and a big forest on the right side, then the fairway turned to the left in between more trees to the green for a par-4 covering 379 yards.
The 13th hole had trees hovering above the tee box and the ball had to be driven above shrubbery and landing on a fairway that had a long hill on the right side and sand bunkers around the green covering distance of 378 for a par-4 outing.
The 14th hole had a very long fairway with trees bordering the right side leading towards a pond in front of the green for a par-5 and the longest distance of the course at 536 yards.
The 15th hole’s tee area was up on a steep hillside and there was a rocky creek bed down below in front of the green and some bunkers on the back edge of the green for a par-3 covering 158 yards.
The 16th hole was a par-4 with a distance of 398 yards with narrow fairway with a green hidden from view depending on the initial tee shot with trees lining the right side and a sand trap on the left side midway down the fair
