14-year-old captures disc golf championship

Juan Anthony Cruz of Carlsbad made a 15-foot putt for an eagle on the final green to capture the championship of the Shootout at Six Shooter Siding tournament by one shot Sunday at the Robert Lumpkin Memorial Disc Golf Course at Tucumcari's Five Mile Park.

And get this: Cruz is just 14 years old.

Cruz overcame a mediocre second round to to shoot a 10-under-par in the third and final round to finish 23-under in the 54-hole tournament and pocket $230. DISConnect Disc Golf of Lubbock was the principal organizer of the event.

He outlasted the tournament's defending champion, Noah Baker of Amarillo, who just missed a short but difficult putt from behind tall brush on the final hole that would have forced a playoff. Baker finished 22-under.

Josh May of Hobbs, who briefly was in a three-way tie for first place midway through the final round, finished third at 19-under-par.

Cruz had a one-stroke lead after the first round but faltered Friday afternoon amid winds that gusted nearly 30 mph. Baker, who thrives in blustery conditions, shot a 6-under in the second round while the other golfers struggled to maintain par.

"Starting round one, I was trying to get myself into good placement so I could really attack in the second round. But that second round didn't go as planned. The wind had a lot of do with that; I had a lot of birdies but also a lot of bogeys. But I had to keep my head screwed on right," Cruz said.

"Coming into the third round, I didn't have any expectations ... just play one hole at a time, one shot at a time and just play par golf, and if the birdies came, they came."

Baker and Cruz were tied for the lead going into the 18th and final hole.

"Eighteen was one that was getting to my nerves because I knew Noah Baker was going to park it (on the green) every time," Cruz said. "He always ended up inside the circle all three rounds. But I just stuck with the game plan and didn't change anything up. And it worked."

The three contenders clearly reveled in the tight competition. Just before teeing off on the final hole, the trio high-fived each other.

Cruz's first drive on the link landed about 15 feet from the hole and in open space. Baker's drive landed 10 feet from the hole but behind some tall brush.

Cruz made his putt for an eagle to take the lead. Baker's putt through the brush for an eagle clanked off the bottom of the basket, giving Cruz the victory.

"This definitely was a big win for me, especially with the pressure," Cruz said.

Holly May of Hobbs won the women's open tournament with a 12-over score, beating runner-up Jenny Munn of Lubbock by nine strokes.

Laney Vickers of Lubbock won the advanced division by shooting 2-under, winning by five.

Steven Benavidez of Tucumcari finished first in the amateur masters over-40 division by shooting 13-over-par.

Santiago Quintana won the intermediate division with an 11-over score. Russell Adams of Amarillo won the recreational division at 11-over.

A total of 31 golfers participated in the tournament.

This weekend was the first time Cruz had played in Tucumcari. He said the ever-present wind, trees and brush made it a challenging course.

"The layout was good," he said. "Overall, I liked the course ... one of the better ones I've played in New Mexico."