Yonke is All-Metro boys golfer of the year

Source: The Star

DAVID EULITT | The Kansas City Star

Blue Valley West graduate Curtis Yonke hopes to prove himself next year at Kansas State after winning the Kansas 6A championship two years in a row in high school.

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Curtis Yonke is on the phone Thursday evening after 3-putting the 18th hole while tying for second at the Lockton Kansas City Junior.

“I’ve got to learn how to putt,” he says.

He’s gone to practice with his grandfather, professional golfer Jim Colbert. He’s tried different strokes, different grips. He says he has something like six different putters in his car. And he thinks it’s probably just all in his head.

“I’m a firm believer that I can get that fixed and be a contender in any championship or any event,” he says.

Yonke is clearly talking about the future, of course, as he prepares for his freshman season at Kansas State. Because as a Blue Valley West senior this last season, nothing — not even an inconsistent putting stroke — seemed to get in his way.

And for the second year in a row, Yonke is The Star’s All-Metro boys golfer of the year.

He won six tournaments, captured a regional championship with a steely playoff performance and then turned in the crowning achievement of his accomplished varsity career. With a bogey-free, 3-under 68 at Shawnee Country Club in Topeka, Yonke won his second consecutive Kansas 6A state championship — this time by a commanding 4-stroke margin.

“I’m very happy with how I played, especially this last year,” Yonke said. “I only got two wins as a junior — one of them happened to be state. This year, I played solid all year. It just felt good to be a contender every time I played.”

Now, it’s on to the next challenge at K-State, where he hopes to make a quick impact as a freshman.

“The opportunity is going to be there to play and qualify,” he said. “I expect myself to be qualifying for those (college tournaments). I proved myself on the high school level, and I’m looking to do the same thing in college.”

submitted by RYAN YOUNG - 2009-07-23 23:16:02