Regina Senior Takacs Stays Hot, Secures Return Trip To State Golf Meet With District Title
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
CORALVILLE – Midway through his opening nine holes at the Class 1A district meet Regina senior Mikey Takacs planned to be a shot or perhaps even two under par.
That’s not wishful thinking either for Takacs who plays a majority of his rounds throughout at the year at Brown Deer Golf Course which was hosting Monday’s district meet and is often under par through the first four holes.
Instead on Monday in the biggest meet of the year Takacs found himself one over par through five holes after a three-put bogey on the second.
“The first four holes I played one over and I was not happy with that,” Takacs said. “Those are the four easiest holes on the golf course and usually when I play here I play them one, two under par and that’s what I expected to do today and unfortunately I didn’t do that.”
On his sixth hole Takacs found the perfect way to reverse his slow start.
Takacs drove the green on the par-four sixth hole and hit a 25-foot putt for eagle and never looked back claiming the district title and securing a spot at the 1A state meet with a four-under par 67.
“On six tee I was a little down wind and looked at my coach and I said, ‘I am driving this green’,” Takacs explained. “I aimed right at the bunker with a little draw and the wind carried it over and I ended up pin high,” Takacs said. “I hit the putt right on line thankfully because it was definitely going a little bit.”
The eagle jumpstarted the round for Takacs who went the final 16 holes without a bogey.
Takacs finished nine strokes in front of runner-up Mason Shelledy of New London and advances to the Class 1A state meet schedule for May 22 and 23 at the Ames Golf and Country Club.
“I was definitely a little nervous today but I knew how to play through the nerves a little bit better since I’ve done it a couple of times before,” Takacs said. “Once I got through the first few holes I settled in and started playing well.”
After his bogey on the second hole Takacs was close to perfect.
He had an eagle, three birdies and 12 pars on the final 16 holes, opening the back nine with five consecutive pars.
“It gave me some breathing room and kind of took some pressure off,” Takacs said of the eagle. “After that I pretty much had a birdie look on every single for maybe 10 so it really just freed me up to hit a lot of good shots.”
Takacs closed the front nine with two pars and a birdy on the par four eighth to shoot a two under 34 on opening side.
After five consecutive pars to open the back nine he closed with birdies on the par-five 15th and the par-four 18th to shoot two under on the final nine holes.
“The whole back nine I was really close to making a lot of birdies,” Takacs said. “I had a putt on 11 that I thought was going in for sure and the same thing on 12 where I had a 10-footer for birdy. Most holes I had good chances.”
With his four-under 67 Takacs has played his last three rounds a combined two-under-par.
He won the River Valley Conference title earlier this month with a one-under-par 71 at Saddleback Ridge Golf Course in Solon and shot a three-over-par 75 and Knoll Ridge Golf Course at the 1A sectional meet last week.
“I’m playing good right now, at RVC I was struggling with my irons and wedges a little bit and I got better at those,” Takacs said. “It was just one little swing change and I’ve been playing really well since then.”
Takacs who tied for fifth at the Class 2A state meet last season will look to contend for a state title next week in his final prep tournament.
“There are a couple of tricky holes and I just need to focus on putting myself in good position off the tee,” Takacs said. “It’s mostly just driver and wedge so just practicing my wedges and making sure I’m hitting my driver straight and I should have some success.”
The 67 by Takacs helped Regina to a fourth-place team finish with a score of 346.
Hillcrest Academy won the team title with a 332 and Wapello was runner-up with a 338 to advance to the 1A state meet.
Noah Clark shot an 83 to finish in 10th place for Regina while Beckham Daniel and Carter Slager each shot 98 for the Regals.
“It was definitely fun to have my teammates here,” Takacs said. “We definitely gave a good effort and put a good season together.”
Class 1A District Meet
At Brown Deer Golf Club
Team scores – 1. Hillcrest Academy 332; 2. Wapello 338; 3. Lisbon 340; 4. Regina 346; 5. Don Bosco 353; 6. New London 357; 7. North Cedar 364; 8. Winfield-Mount Union 369; 9. English Valleys 371; 10. North Linn 381; 11. Bellevue Marquette 423
Individual leaders – 1. Mikey Takacs (Regina) 34-33 – 67; 2. Mason Shelledy (New London) 39-37 – 76; 3. Carter Lloyd (Winfield-Mount Union) 40-38 – 78; 4. Eli Marsh (English Valleys) 42-36 – 78; 5. Cooper Garrison (Wapello) 37-42 – 79; 6. Brayden Boots (Lisbon) 43-37 – 80; 7. Jace Rempel (Hillcrest Academy) 40-40 – 80; 8. Dominic Coleman (BGM) 41-40 – 81; 9. Jaydon Nabb (North Cedar) 38-44 – 82; 10. Noah Clark (Regina) 42-41 – 83
Regina (346) – Mikey Takacs 34-33 – 67; Noah Clark 42-41 – 83; Beckham Daniel 48-50 – 98; Carter Slager 46-52 – 98; Lincoln Dardis 50-54 – 104; Steven Liu 54-55 – 109
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