A Member of the Wolverines’ State Championship Team, Kelly Relies on Faith and Experience to Fuel Success on the Course
By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
It was déjà vu all over again for Blake Kelly.
The recently graduated Woodruff High School senior, and member of two state championship Wolverine golf teams, found himself in a play-off for the Spartanburg County Junior Championship.
Kelly was defeated in the play-off hole in 2022, was a hero in the Wolverines’ 2023 state title which was also won in a winner-take-all play-off, and now faced down the same situation for a third time.
Turns out, the second and third times were a charm.
“I felt I had to earn it, and God had a plan for me from last year,” said Kelly. “I’ve been through a lot of adversity and ups and downs to be put in a position like that and to come out on top felt good, not only for me, but also to represent God, my family, my coaches, my community, and Three Pines (Country Club).”
Kelly entered the final round of the junior championship locked in a three-way tie with Walker Ingram and Creighton Rentz. Rentz had a rough front nine in the final round and fell from contention, leaving Kelly and Rentz to battle it out down the back nine.
Kelly had given up his share of the lead as well, with a bogey on the first hole of the round, but fought back valiantly. Down two shots halfway through the back nine, Kelly made his move. A birdie on 16, followed by a bogey on the same hole by Ingram, evened the score once more with two holes to play. Both Kelly and Ingram finished with respective birdies and bogeys on the final two holes to set up a play-off for the title with each shooting a 73 through 18 holes of golf.
“It was a little of déjà vu and a little of, here we go again,” admitted Kelly. “But I told myself in the moment that I’ve been here before and I know that I can win this thing even if I wasn’t hitting it the best. I prayed a long prayer before the play-off and told myself to stay in the moment and everything would work out.”
As the two talented golfers met on the tee with the championship on the line, neither were intent on giving an inch to the other. One play-off hole was not enough. Neither was a second. The deadlocked match entered a third play-off hole, number 18.
Kelly failed to convert a short birdie putt on the first play-off hole in last year’s junior championship, but this time connected on a birdie twice as long as the one he missed the year prior to clinch the victory. Past experience, explained Kelly, had prepared him for that moment.
“It has been incredible to have so much success in tight spots as a golfer because who doesn’t want to come out on top like that?,” he said. “However, it has taken a lot of failure and losing in tight spots to be good at it. So, it felt good to make the winning putt not only at state but the winning putt on the third (play-off) hole of the county junior championship as well.”
Kelly will be aging out of the junior circuit as he prepares to start his collegiate career at North Greenville University as a member of the Crusaders’ golf team. To win a final championship in his prep career is something that is important to Kelly as he starts the next chapter of his journey on the highest of notes.
“It was very important for me because my name will always be in the names of every great golfer that has won it so far, and it cannot be taken away from me,” stated Kelly. “And after last year I was determined to win and was not going to let another play-off deny me.”
Having already accomplished so much in the sport he loves; Blake is looking forward to what his future might hold and is ready to get started.
“What I am looking most forward to is to better my golf game and become a better person,” he said. “Getting closer to God while I earn my bachelor’s degree in business.”
Author: Tracy Sanders
