MONTVILLE TWP. — Spencer Koch was wound so tightly as dusk approached Wednesday, he walked off the Fox Meadow Country Club course late in the round, went home and grabbed his oldest brother, Josh, before finishing.
Spencer wanted to make sure someone had video of history.
Playing with childhood friend Sean Gordon, the 18-year-old recorded an 11-under-par 61 to surpass his father, Medicus Golf founder Bob Koch, as course record holder.
Koch is still having a hard time believing what he accomplished.
“Oh, man, to be honest, I walked off the course and really didn’t know,” he said before immediately acknowledging he did, in fact, know. “It was the weirdest thing ever. I had to tell myself, ‘I just shot 61.’ It definitely was pretty weird. It took a little bit to kind of kick in, I guess.”
Koch lives in the housing development that surrounds the 6,917-yard layout and has played it hundreds of times. He knew something magical could be in the works when he hit a 3-wood to within 3 feet on the 595-yard, par-5 fifth hole and knew he was on fire after a birdie on No. 10.
The Long Beach State recruit, who left Medina High after his sophomore year to focus on skill development in Florida during the winter months, had 10 birdies, an eagle, a bogey and six pars. He hit 15 greens and 13 of 14 fairways while playing from the back tees.
Koch ended the evening in style, with a birdie on 18.
“You’ve just gotta get in a zone, honestly,” the 2013 second-team All-Ohioan said. “I was in a zone out there and really didn’t think about the score as much as getting the ball in the hole, especially in the last stretch. I was more nervous than thinking about my actual score.
“It was definitely hard on the last four or five holes. Definitely, I was super nervous. On 16, when I hit it to 5 feet, that’s when I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. I birdie one more and it’s a course record.’ I was trying to keep my nerves, but I was freaking out the whole time. There was not one point where I was like, ‘Oh, I feel relaxed.’”
Gordon, who will play for former Medina coach Jeanne Pritchard at Wayne College, shot 75 and abided by the timeless superstition of not talking to Koch — like the pitcher on the verge of a no-hitter.
Koch had impressive shots other than the pin-seeker on No. 5. None was more important than saving par after hitting into a hazard on No. 12. The save snared momentum for a 25-foot birdie putt on the next hole.
That’s about the point when things got serious.
“After 17, I walked off the green and told Sean, ‘I’m 10 under right now. That’s ridiculous,’” Koch said.
Not many people, let alone 18-year-olds, shoot 61. Koch knows this as well as anyone and can’t wait to see what he can accomplish at Long Beach State in the fall.
“It made me realize how good I probably could be,” he said. “Sixty-one is real low. Not many people can go out and say they shot 61.”
Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com.
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