Show me the way home: Hayes watches Eftink’s putt, then sinks his to cap LPGC championship

QUINCY — The way Braden Hayes read his putt, it could break either way.

“From the downside, I saw it was going to go a little right,” he said. “From the top side, it was going to go left. So I was like, ‘What’s this going to do?’”

Beau Eftink showed him. With a putt about 2 feet longer than the one Hayes eyeballed but on a similar line, Eftink watched his ball break left and slide past the hole.

“He helped me,” Hayes said. “I decided what to hit, and I made it.”

The birdie putt from above the hole on the 18th green Wednesday at Westview Golf Course punctuated Hayes’ championship of the boys 14-15 division of the Pepsi Little People’s Golf Championships after what turned into a back-nine duel with Eftink.

Hayes shot a 2-under 69, birdieing his final two holes to finish at 144. Eftink finished second, shooting an even-par 71 to finish at 146. They both started the day five strokes off the lead, but were the only golfers in the field to shoot par or better.

The 71 was Eftink’s best competitive round ever at Westview.

“I really liked my putting,” the Quincy Notre Dame sophomore said. “I started rolling them consistently. I made quite a few birdies. My irons were good, too, giving me close looks for birdies.”

It started with an approach shot within 5 feet on the par-4 first hole that led to birdie.

“It’s always good to start with a birdie to have that cushion in case you mess up going through the round,” Eftink said. “You know you have a good score behind you.”

Eftink and Hayes both made quality chips at No. 17 to set up birdie putts within 10 feet that pushed them to the top of the leaderboard. Although neither knew they were leading at the time, they figured those were important putts.

“Confidence over the ball is the biggest thing,” Hayes said. “No matter the situation.”

Hayes, who won the Illinois Elementary School Association state title last fall as an eighth grader at El Paso-Gridley, played the back nine in 3-under.

“The driver was a lot better today,” Hayes said. “I finally decided I was going to let loose and swing as hard as I can, and I started hitting fairways. The putter on the front nine was definitely a little wobbly, but I was happy with my putter on the back nine.”

Eftink’s improved play — he was four strokes better Wednesday — provides good vibes for the remainder of the summer.

“It was nice I could compete with all of these really good kids,” Eftink said. “It was a real confidence booster.”