RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesEVANSVILLE — Peyton Blackard has never hid his reverence for the Romain Cadillac Evansville City Tournament.
The feeling is mutual for many involved with this event. A rise that started as the youngest qualifier in City history to a multiple-time champion before setting foot on a college campus. How far the game of golf eventually takes him is unknown; an intriguing future that could go far beyond the comforts of home.
It's also best to appreciate what is happening in the moment. Because history is unfolding in real time.
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Blackard claimed his third straight City championship with a final round 2-under 68 at Evansville Country Club on Sunday. The final tally? A 16-under performance over two weekends to finish four shots clear of the field. He's only the fifth in the nearly 100-year history of this event to win three straight titles joining Kevin Wassmer, Jerry Schreiber, Ed Wolf and Bob Hamilton.
"It's very surreal," Blackard said. "The things (the other three-peat winners) have done for golf in this area is maybe some of the best anybody's done for any golf community. They rose the level of golf in Evansville from the start until now. That's why so many juniors are starting to play anymore. They're seeing all of the guys out here, kind of like when I was growing up."
Three straight championships. Let that mighty impressive accomplishment sink in.
There's multiple reasons why it shouldn't happen. One, the talent in the field is always high with 12 players finishing under par this year. It takes two great weekends to win. Two, those good enough to compete at such a high level typically go on to bigger and better things in the game. Or life takes them away from Evansville.
It's also not typical a player like Blackard, at his young age, comes around. He's played this tournament the past three years in 41-under par (the closest victory was two shots). His final score this year would have flirted with the all-time tournament mark if not for one wayward drive. It mattered not that Blackard didn't take the lead until the back nine at Rolling Hills Country Club on Saturday .
This was his tournament to win if he played to his capabilities. The final numbers (65-67-67-68) aren't challenged most years.
"Keeping the pedal down is something I haven't done great in previous years," Blackard said. "The courses are starting to get a lot shorter for me. I'm gaining some distance, and my wedge game is one of the strongest parts of my game. When I roll the ball well like I did this weekend, I'm pretty hard to beat I feel like."
That's not to say this trek around Evansville Country Club was easy. Far from it following his first swing.
Blackard pulled his opening tee shot out of bounds by mere feet. The final result was a triple-bogey. A four-shot lead evaporated in less than 15 minutes, opening the door for as many as six competitors throughout the round. What came next is why the Gibson Southern High School gradute held the trophy four hours later.
The defending champion knocked in birdies at 3 and 4 to calm the nerves. A lip-out bogey at 6 was erased by birdies at 7 (a 40-footer between two bowls to a front right pin) and a near ace at 8. The lead was only one at the turn but felt bigger with how the leader was playing.
"It's a lot of mind games," Blackard said. "I've done that in college season in the fall (many times). I knew how to get myself back into it. I did so pretty quickly. I took the tournament back. I was going to win no matter what. I told myself that walking off one. This is not going to define the tournament.'
Why it remained competitive on the back nine is a testament to those chasing him. Daymian Rij made four birdies on the front nine, matching Blackard at the top on multiple occasions. He only trailed by one heading to the par-five 13th. That's when he hit a wall.
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Rij failed to gain a stroke at 13 before dropping one at 14. A birdie at 15 was negated by an approach shot in the water at 16. The Gibson Southern graduate birdied his final hole to finish second at 12-under with a final round 67. A strong performance over two weeks not indicative of the final margin.
"I did not look at the leaderboard once," Rij said. "I just wanted to play as hard as I could. I started off hot and just hit a brick wall on the back. Hit a good tee shot at 16 but just dunked it in the water. I mean, it's golf. I played really well for the most part."
It may not have mattered based on how Blackard finished. He dropped back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14 to build a three-shot cushion. A two-putt birdie at 17 (finding the top shelf from 172 yards out) effectively cemented his spot on the podium. Blackard recorded 25 birdies across four rounds and generally didn't bring the field back to him.
Luke Johnston finished third at 11-under following back-to-back 68s this weekend. Two-time champion Logan Osborne struggled to match pace with the leaders but finished in fourth at 6-under. Rounding out the top 10 were Matt Monroe (-5), Caleb Wassmer (-5), Cameron Weyer (-4), Walker Beck (-3 following a fourth-round low 66), Alex Cook (-1), Hank Schreiber (-1), Nathan Hoss (-1) and Kyle Aiton (-1).
Perhaps one day soon, the field won't be required to worry about Blackard. The U.S. Amateur, a legitimate goal for the University of Notre Dame sophomore, is typically the second week of August. But if his schedule and eligibility allows, it would be tough to pull Blackard away from this event. It means that much to him.
"I didn't want to miss the US Am," Blackard said. "But this is a good reason to miss the US Am. (This tournament) is pretty special."
2026 Evansvil...
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