After Westin Pals started the final round of the Class 3A Boys State High School Golf Championships at the Air Force Academy's blue course, he dropped five strokes behind the leader.

However, once the Lutheran senior got back into the golfing rhythm, he recovered in championship fashion.

He told Lions coach Kevin Volz later in the second-day round that he wanted to beat first-round leader Walker Franklin of Prospect Ridge Academy

Pals, who bogeyed two of the first five holes, put together four birdies and finished with a 2-under-par 70 to give him a two-round total of 144. Franklin bogeyed the 18th hole and also finished at 144 to force a playoff.

Franklin hit into trouble with his tee shot into the tall grass, and Pals took advantage with a par on the hole to win the playoff and the state title.

“On day two he was the best player,” said Volz. “He was a team leader all season, a great golfer and I've never seen a kid work as hard as him. He played great the first day of state, too, with a 74.”

Pals had help as the Lions won the school's first state golf championship.

The Lions only qualified three players, and most teams in contention had four golfers, so the best three scores of the day counted in the team scoring, but the Lions won with only three after a reminder from Volz: “In that until the last few days before the state tournament we had an underachieving season, and I told them that before the state tournament started,” said Volz.

Lutheran finished at 466 to outdistance second-place Holy Family, who came in with a two-round total of 471 on the team leaderboard.

Lutheran senior Jackson Lowe finished 12th after rounds of 77 and 78 for a 155 total. Freshman Owen Deas was 36th with an 81-86-167 aggregate, which was enough to give the state championship to the Parker school.

Holy Family's Jacob Mason was third in the individual standings. He had rounds of 78 and 71 for a 151 total. Skyview Academy's Luke Wright was 21st at 161.