Alistair Docherty entered play Wednesday looking for the perfect round of golf that had eluded him in three previous trips to state.
But on a cool, breezy and showery day in Spokane, it did not quite happen for the Union senior.
For Mountain View’s Taylor Smith, meanwhile, it was a beautiful day.
Smith followed up his first-round 76 with a 1-under 70 to place in a tie for fourth at the Class 3A state boys golf tournament.
Smith, who was at even-par at the turn Wednesday, used an eagle on No. 12 followed by a string of pars at Indian Valley Golf Course to propel him to a two-day total of 146.
When he finished his round, Smith was the leader in the clubhouse as he waited for the final dozen golfers to come off the course.
He remained in a tie for first until the last group came in.
In the end, Frank Garber of Juanita tore up the course with a 6-under 65 and won the state title by nine shots. Smith ended just two strokes out of second place.
After a first-round 76 Tuesday at Hangman Valley Golf Course, Docherty looked to erase a two-stroke deficit from the first round. But playing through a mixed bag of weather conditions, Docherty carded another 76 to finish at 152, seven strokes behind state champion Kyle Cornett of Jackson.
The fifth-place finish was an improvement from his 12th-place finish last season, but Docherty was hoping for more.
Docherty was already thinking about next year.
“I’ll be happy when my next school (golf) event will be in California in the sunshine,” said Docherty, who will play college golf for Chico State next year.
Columbia River’s Chloe Bartek hopes her next state tournament round will be in Clark County. Southwest Washington will host the 2013 state championships.
Bartek, a junior, cut one stroke off her first-round score and finished seventh in the 3A girls event with a 151, five strokes off the lead.
Ridgefield’s Brett Johnson, the defending 1A state champion, rounded nicely from a rough first round to place tied for seventh at with a 75 Wednesday to give him a 158, nine strokes behind champion Ross Kukula of Ilwaco.
Also posting top-ten finishes were Hockinson’s Diego De La Torre (ninth at 2A boys) and King’s Way Christian’s Tiffany Hansen (ninth in 2B/1B girls).
