Josh has often rewarded his mom with brilliant play, and that was the case Sunday when he won his seventh Springfield City Amateur championship with a 1-under 71 in the final round on Reid Park’s North Course.
Sine, 36, was the only golfer to shoot under par in every round (67-70-70-71 — 279, 9-under). It was Sine’s best winning score at Reid, where he has won three of his championships (1999, 2001, 2012).
“It’s pretty good to win it when you’re older,” Sine said. “All these younger kids are firing at us. But I’ll take a win any time. They’re all good.”
Sine pulled away from a fellow Brave, Shawnee senior Clark Engle (67-72-72-71 — 282), and the defending champion, Wittenberg assistant golf coach Andy Bonar (66-69-72-76 — 283), over the last eight holes.
“(Sine) putted really well on the back nine,” Engle said. “I give him credit. He kind of blew by us a little bit. He’s just real consistent. He has a smooth swing, a good putter. He’s just calm all around.”
Bonar led after each of the first three rounds, but he had three bogies and a double bogey in the last nine holes. Engle played a consistent round and outdrove his older competitors most of the day, but Sine didn’t let him get close in the end.
Even when Engle planted his second shot on No. 18 within a few feet of the flag, Sine followed with an equally great shot.
“Clark’s a good player, Sine said. “He’s going to win a bunch if he sticks around to play. (The younger golfers) play a different game. They hit a long ball. I just plug along. That’s always been my game. I never have hit it really long.”
Sine is one away from tying Dan Schuler, who won eight City Am titles between 1977 and 1992, and two away from Rich O’Brien, who won nine between 1929 and 1954. Sine won five championships in a row between 1998 and 2002.
Three of the top six finishers in the 90th annual City Am were teenagers. Along with Engle, there were 2012 Kenton Ridge grads Clay Portz (3-over, 291) and Luke Schlicher (8-over, 296) finishing fourth and sixth, respectively.
Norm Knowlton won the senior championship and finished fifth overall at plus-7 for the tournament.
Bonar, 29, began the day with a one-stroke lead over Sine and a four-stroke lead over Engle. Sine jumped in front on No. 2 with a birdie, while Bonar and Engle bogied the hole. The lead changed hands several times more, with Bonar seizing a share of the lead on No. 3 and then Sine going in front with a par on No. 5.
Then on No. 6, Sine hit into the bunker and took three shots to get out. He ended up with a triple-bogey 8, and Bonar found himself back in front by one.
“It was a tough day. It was really tough,” Sine said. “That was one hole. I knew I could make some birdies coming in. I was just hoping that didn’t give (Bonar) a lot of confidence.”
Engle stayed in contention with a par on 6 and birdies on 7 and 8. Engle tied Sine with a birdie on No. 10, and both trailed Bonar by three.
Sine pulled within one shot with a birdie on 11. A 10-foot putt on No. 13 gave Sine another birdie, and he had the lead when Bonar bogied the hole. Bonar tied it with a birdie on 14, but he lost three strokes to Sine over the next two holes with a bogey on 15 and a double bogey on 16.
Sine had three birdies and six pars on the final nine holes.
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