While Lake Oswego sophomore Drew Woolworth recorded two rounds under-par at the 2024 OSAA 6A Boys Golf Championships this week, the entire rest of the field produced just one.
First, the sophomore’s dominant performance began with a 3-under 69 on day one at Quail Valley Golf Course in Banks. Then, it concluded with a 4-under 68 on day two.
Ultimately, Woolworth’s two-day score of 7-under 137 was eight shots better than the second-place finisher on Tuesday, May 14: Westview senior Andy Yang.
In fact, Woolworth was so good this week, the gap between him and Yang was equally as wide as the gap between Yang and the 16th-place finishers.
The Laker didn't just earn the state title; he aggressively seized it.
“I feel good. I mean, it's a big thing and you kind of always look forward to winning a state championship, especially as an individual,” Woolworth said. “It’s a big event, you know? It's good for the team.”
From the outset, Woolworth set the pace with a blistering start on Monday, going 4-under par in his first five holes of the tournament.
More specifically, on the 521-yard, par-5 fifth hole, the sophomore made a tone-setting eagle to take a big, early lead over the field.
"Through the conditions I think I played pretty good,” Woolworth said. “I definitely still left a couple out there — missed a couple short putts and miss-hit a couple approach shots — but you’re gonna have those every round.”
On day two, Woolworth maintained his momentum, recording four birdies on the back nine to finish 7-under par for the tournament.
Still, while celebrating his individual triumph, Woolworth remained humble, recognizing the collective effort of his teammates: seniors Adam Wrenn, Adam Blackmore and Braden Larsen, and freshman Nathan Pai, who secured second place as a group with a combined score of 600 over the two days.
“It's pretty awesome to have two more years, but I'm gonna miss some of the guys on the team now, especially our seniors,” Woolworth said. “We had a really good senior squad this year.”
But on Tuesday, it was all about the stud sophomore, who bettered his performance at last year’s state tournament by 12 shots this spring.
"Last year I felt like I wasn't playing very well at the time (of state), and I feel like I'm playing a lot better now,” Woolworth said. “I’ve had time to evolve my game and just minimize mistakes. That's something I did that was big this week.”
Reflecting on his early introduction to competitive golf, Woolworth credited his father for igniting a passion that ultimately led to a championship this spring.
“My dad really got me into the game when I was really young and that was a big thing for me — just starting from a really young age,” Woolworth said. “It was fun because, as a young person, you could see results fast. I could get really good fast, and it would just make me want to work harder, because then I thought I could do this for more than just fun.”
Naturally, Woolworth expresses a desire to continue honing his skills, aspiring to ultimately compete at the game’s highest level.
“The future is limitless,” Woolworth said. "I hope I can just excel more and get better and better and hopefully be on (the PGA Tour) one day.”
After earning his first individual state championship as a sophomore, Woolworth’s dreams of simply playing on tour might be too modest.
This week, the Laker played like a future major champion.
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