Davis shot a 6-over-par 77 on Day 2 of the meet and combined for a two-day score of 13-over.

Unlike Friday’s first nine holes — Davis started on No. 2 — he struggled early on and was quickly 3-over, but managed to regain control at the ninth hole.

“I started off a little shaky,” Davis said. “I got it together and settled down a little bit. I made that birdie on nine and I hoped that would have settled things.

“I was thinking, ‘well I finally have some luck so let’s roll with it.'”

T-R PHOTO BY ANDREW ABADIE - Marshalltown senior Cole Davis hits his approach shot on the first hole — his 18th and final hole — during the Class 4A boys state golf tournament on Saturday at Tournament Club of Iowa in Polk City.

Davis birdied on his pitch shot from the rough which gave him needed momentum as he parred the next four holes before he birdied again on the 15th hole to drop back down 1-over.

“It wasn’t the greatest start but I thought once he got to the sixth hole he put it on cruise control for a little bit and just had some great momentum,” Marshalltown head coach Lucas Johnson said. “He played super solid golf. That birdie on No. 9 after making a couple of rough holes there yesterday and following up with a birdie on the [13th hole], he played super well.”

Davis stayed 1-over until the 16th hole, which was where his day took a turn on Day 1. Davis double boggied on back-to-back holes at the 16th and 17th, which jumped him to 5-over.

“The 16th [hole] was where the wheels started to fall off,” Davis said. “The wind really got to me. I’m sitting there putting and I can’t make it in on a three-footer because the winds blowing 40 miles per hour at my back. It just kind of got me in a poor mental state.”

The more openly spaced holes between the 16th and 18th holes allowed the 20 mph winds to not only effect drives but putting as well.

T-R PHOTO BY ANDREW ABADIE

“Once he got to that stretch of 16, 17, 18 again, that part of the course just plays hard,” Johnson said. “He did his best through that. Although he probably doesn’t love the way he scored on those holes he’s still going to jump over a lot of people just because of how hard those holes are played.

“I think one of the hardest parts was his putting. When he was on the 16th green there I told him that these putts are going to start getting hard because of how much the wind is gusting and you can’t necessarily judge that. That’s part of and everybody is playing in it but it definitely makes the play hard.”

Despite the top-10 finish, Davis was disappointed as he fell short of his goal of a state title. Winning the meet was Dillon Burr of Linn-Mar, who was just 4-over to win the state championship.

“That’s a goal that was realistic coming in but you have to give 100 percent credit to Dillon Burr from the way he played,” Johnson said. “We saw every one of his shots over the course of two days and he was really consistent. He was the best golfer here on these two days. To finish in the top-10 in this field is a great way to go out.”

As a Bobcat, Davis had a historical career and will statistically go down as one of Marshalltown’s top golfers.

In four years, Davis had 10 rounds in the 60s which is ranked first all-time and also holds the school record of the low season stroke average at 36.07. In 2017 he was the state-runner up was named the 4A Player of the Year while also being chosen as a four-time all-state selection.

“He had an incredible Bobcat career,” Johnson said. “When you look at the record book of top scores in all of Bobcat golf he’s put his name all over that. His scoring average over the last four years I think he’s got four of the top-10 low of scoring averages.

“This is just the next step for him. He’s going to have a very important decision here coming up of where he wants to go play [for college]. Wherever he ends up, he is going to do well there and he is going to make them better at the next level. With kids like Cole, it’s a privilege to be able to work with them and see them mature and grow over the course of four years. It goes fast and I can’t wait to see what he does at the next level.”