By Mike Reeder
Contributing Writer

Boerne junior amateur golfer Ben Troester shot a blistering 69 on the final day of play at the Valero Texas Junior Open at the Dominion course in San Antonio. Troester’s hot hand enabled him to vault 30 spots up the scoreboard and finish in a seven-way tie for 14th place in the 89-player field.

Troester’s score in the final round was matched only by tournament champion Chandler Rusk of Edmond, Okla., and was one of only seven sub-70 rounds shot during the entire tournament.

Troester, an incoming senior this year at Boerne-Samuel V. Champion High School and a member of the varsity golf team, had been among a large group of golfers who had fallen victim to rough weather on the first day of play.

Players who had teed off early mostly escaped the high winds and rain that wreaked havoc with afternoon scores. Those who teed off later in the day found themselves battling terrible conditions that at one point forced a lengthy delay.

“That rain delay didn’t help anybody,” Troester’s father, Tom, said.

“Ben ended up going four over on the last seven holes. It was a struggle and a tough finish.”

Troester had been just one over par after the first 13 holes before eventually stumbling to a 77 in the wind and muck and ending up in a six-way tie for 54th place.

He gained some ground back the next day with a 74 before making his big move in the final round. His three-day total score of 220 ended up being just two strokes short of a top ten finish.

“Being able to shoot under par in a tournament is positive reinforcement that hard work and positive attitude make a difference,” Tom Troester said.

Boerne’s Taylor Meadows, a teammate of Troester’s on the Champion varsity, also rebounded after a ragged start with a 71 on the final day that left him in a five-way tie for 50th place. Meadows struggled the first day with an 82 but matched Troester in the second round with a 74.