Wednesday, September 24, 1997

AHS freshman next in line of Abilene's golf stars

By Ted Dunnam / Abilene Reporter-News

To the growing legacy of Abilene golfers, add Christopher Gage.

Gage scripted his name among the elite about as quickly as one could this past weekend by winning a tournament in his first appearance on the high school level.

The Abilene High freshman fired rounds of 75 and 72 to win the Red Raider Classic in Lubbock by two strokes. To the best of anyone's recollection, no freshman at Abilene High, Cooper or Wylie has won a golf tournament in his initial start.

During Cooper's dominant golfing reign -- Bob Estes, Mike Standly and Co. -- a player's first year in high school would have been his sophomore year.

Taxing the memories of Wylie coach Terry Don Barrington, former Bulldog coach Bob Ahlstrand and former Cooper coach Prentice Martin, none said they had a freshman player accomplish what Gage did.

Recent talent, such as Cooper golfers Chad Wellhausen and Paul Helms, didn't attain that glory, either.

So unless it's otherwise determined, Gage is breathing rarefied air.

"I knew he was good in practice," AHS head golf coach Bill Tittle said, "but never in my wildest imagination did I think he would go up there and win a tournament. I thought that maybe he would go up there and shoot both rounds in the 70s.

"I was totally elated by how he played. It was like he was a seasoned veteran out there. When he'd make a bogey, I'd tell him just to try to get a par and if the birdie comes, great. Then he'd tell me ÔNo, I'm going to try to get a birdie.' And darned if he wouldn't do it."

Gage anticipated early success, just not quite this early.

"I knew sooner or later I would win," he said. "A couple of days before the tournament, I shot 1 under at Maxwell. I was just hoping to shoot a good round at this tournament. I didn't expect to win because I usually have a problem keeping my head.

"I never thought about where I was or what I needed to shoot. Normally, I'm like in Tin Cup -- I want to go for everything. My dad's really made me play smart. When I'm in trouble, he tells me to get in the fairway, and I've made myself do that."

Gage said pressure never entered his equation in the tournament.

"Not really. Oddly enough, it didn't seem to bother me. I was just looking at the hole and playing my game," he said.

Gage entered that tournament playing No. 3 for the Eagles. Now Tittle may have a problem on his hands.

"He's got me all mixed up now," Tittle said. "I thought he would play No. 3 at the start of the year, but by the end of the year he might end up playing No. 1. After watching him this weekend, I think he can handle it. The thing I have to be careful about is that I want that team unity. I don't want any team jealousy."

Gage said he would prefer not to be saddled with that burden.

"Personally, I wouldn't want it to happen," Gage said. "I've been known to kinda lose it. I get frustrated. And if I were to play No. 1, I'd have to keep my composure. As the year progresses and if I keep doing that well, we'll see. But I think Kenneth (Boyce) deserves it."

And how would his teammates react if Gage was the No. 1 player?

"I don't know," Gage said during the phone interview. "My brother's standing right here behind me. He's on the team, and I think he would be pretty supportive, but I wouldn't really want to do it."

Nevertheless, it's a nice problem for Tittle to have.

The next thought that enters the mind is this: Will Gage evetually join the ranks of Estes, Standly, Wellhausen, John Slaughter, Todd Moore, Jaxon Brigman, Mike Chisum, etc?

"I think he can be real good," Tittle said. "And the reason I say that is that he's not the typical freshman. He acts like a seasoned high school player. He's a super athlete with a good head on his shoulders.

"I really think he can be as good as some of the best golfers Abilene has seen. And I think he's probably already thinking that."

Any more outings like this past weekend, and there might not be any reason he shouldn't be thinking that way.