COLORADO SPRINGS – Gage Messingham was intently focused on chasing a state title during the final round of his high school golf career on Tuesday, unexpecting that he might accomplish an entirely different special feat.
Midway through the final round of the Class 5A state championships at Colorado Springs Country Club, the Ralston Valley senior drained a hole-in-one on No. 12. Messingham went on to finish in a three-way tie for third overall, carding a two-day score of 147 on the par-71 course.
He may not have left with the individual state championship he was seeking upon arrival, but Messingham did go home with some hardware and a special memory that will last forever. And is there a bigger moment for a high school player to sink an ace than the state championships?
“Really, no,” Messingham said. “This was the best place to hit one and it was my first one too. It couldn’t be a better moment. For a lot of people, they’re just playing a round of golf and they hit a hole-in-one, which is still great. But in the state tournament, nobody can say it never happened.”
As a junior, Messingham finished in a tie for seventh at state. His sophomore season, he was tied for 28th overall after placing 19th as a freshman. That single swing on No. 12 catapulted Messingham from fifth place to second on the leaderboard and was a pivotal moment in a round that landed him in the top three.
“I hit a 9-iron from 185 yards and put a little draw on it,” Messingham said. “It landed a little long, spun back and went in. I wasn’t expecting it at all and I just wanted to put a shot up there on the green because I wasn’t hitting the ball that good all day. I was just thinking par and then I ended up with a hole-in-one and an eagle.”