How the West won: Barry product makes critical putts, holds off talented field to win city golf title

QUINCY — As the size of the gallery grew on the back nine of Sunday’s Quincy Men’s City Golf Championship at Westview Golf Course, the same question was being asked over and over.

Who is Rilee West?

The answer is clear now.

He is a champion.

A Barry resident who spent his freshman year of college playing golf at now-defunct Lincoln College, West made enough clutch putts and a pair of crucial up-and-downs to fend off a field of some of the Gem City’s top amateur golfers and win the city championship on his first try.

“I grew up in a super small town and started playing golf my freshman year of high school,” said West, who smiled when told what the most asked question of the day had been. “I committed to Lincoln my senior year of high school, played one year there and here I am.”

West carded a 1-over 72 to finish the 36-hole event at 3-under 139, one stroke better than Dylan Hoschar and three strokes ahead of Preston Bennett, Alex McCulla and Adam Pfeiffer. 

“One short,” said Hoschar, who shot the lowest round of the day at 1-under 70. “It is disappointing, but I played good. He made big putts, and that’s what it takes to win the city tournament.”

Defending champion Scott Gilliland shot a 2-over 73 on Sunday and finished at 151. McCulla and Pfeiffer also are former city champions with Pfeiffer chasing a record-setting ninth men’s title. He and Mike O’Connell are currently tied for the most city titles with eight.

Posing for pictures after the round with a trophy that has names like Oakley, Sturhahn, Weibring and Guthrie on it, West nodded his head and admitted it felt good.

“This motivates me to try to go lower and win more tournaments,” West said.

It also should land him a new college home.

Lincoln College, an NAIA school in Lincoln, Ill., shut its doors at the end of the spring semester. West has visited Quincy University, an NCAA Division II school, and Mount Mercy University, an NAIA school which is a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

“It’s between those two,” West said.

Wherever he lands, the golf program is getting a confident putter.

West and Bennett, a Hannibal, Mo., native who plays at Columbia College, shared the first-round lead after opening at 4-under 67. While Bennett fought through a topsy-turvy round and shot a 4-over 75, West avoided trouble.

He offset two bogeys with two birdies on the front nine to shoot an even-par 36, but found himself wayward on both the par-4 12th and the par-4 13th. On No. 12, he rolled in about a 25-foot par putt and followed it by making another tough par putt on the 13th.

“They were pretty big,” West said. “It kind of motivated me a little bit. There were some rough spots there, but those up-and-downs were pretty big.”

A bogey on No. 14 pushed him back to 1-over on the round, but he made four straight pars to close it out.

“Going to Nos. 16 and 17, I knew I had a chance to win it,” West said.

So did Hoschar, who posted a 1-under 70 Saturday and stayed within two strokes of the lead throughout the second round. Last year, Hoschar finished fourth and continues climbing the leaderboard in pursuit of his first crown.

“Oh, man, every year I’m getting closer and closer to that title,” Hoschar said. “It’s an unfortunate ending, but I feel next year or the year after that it’s going to come for me.”

Last fall, he joined Quincy Country Club and has been playing alongside several former QCC club champions to get a better understanding of what it takes to win down the stretch.

“I’ve just been learning,” Hoschar said. “I’ve been picking their brains.”

It’s keeping him motivated and focused.

“I’ll be back next year,” Hoschar said. “And I’ll be ready.”

Alex Watson won the first flight, posting a 149, with Ryan Stuckman and Gary Anders tying for second at 151. In the second flight, Steve Evans and Gage Moller tied at 165. Lucas King and Michael Bliven tied for the third flight title at 174.

Scores soared on the second day of the women’s flight, with Sophia Gold topping the six-player field. Gold, who is wrapping up her freshman year at Quincy High School, finished at 158, four shots ahead of former teammate and defending women’s champion Laci Novosel.