The list of past Topeka City Golf Champions includes a bonafide Who’s Who from Washburn Rural’s proud history.
 
Former Class 6A state champion Andrew Beckler won four city titles, while Parker Beal captured a pair of state titles to go along with a city crown. Standouts Lukas McCalla, Hayden Beck and Luke Leonetti followed suit in recent years and Tadd Armstrong did the same a year ago.
 
It’s not a club that Peyton Goehring necessarily envisioned joining when he teed off Monday at Topeka Country Club for the Topeka City Championships, held in conjunction with the Topeka West Invitational. In fact, his goals going into the tournament – which was shortened from 27 to 18 holes after Sunday night’s downpour -- were considerably more modest.
 
“Honestly, the goal was just to place top 10 individually because I barely missed out on that last year,” said Goehring, who tied for 12th at last year’s City meet. “I would have never thought (I’d win it). 
 
“It makes it very special. Obviously the former Washburn Rural players that have won it before me -- Parker Beal, Andrew Beckler, Hayden Beck, Luke Leonetti, and of course my teammate last year, Tadd. It’s just really cool to be a part of that list now. And with it being my senior year and with my dad coaching me all this time, I was glad I could get it done and it makes it even more special.”
 
Indeed, Goehring’s title – clinched with a playoff victory over teammate Keaton Stoner on the first playoff hole after each carded 77s – came with his dad, Jared Goehring, there virtually every step of the way. Jared has served as Rural’s head golf coach for the past 15 seasons and his presence in the program could have been one that put some lofty expectations on Peyton well before he joined the program four years ago as a freshman.
 
But neither Peyton nor Jared felt that ever really was the case.
 
“I have always coached him the same since he was little,” Jared said. “If he loves it and wants to compete the rest will take care of itself. As he’s gotten older, I feel like he has felt a little more pressure than in years past. But it’s just that he wants to perform well for his teammates and make sure he does his job for the team to perform well. Now that he has been competing on the varsity level the past two seasons, I am sure he has felt a little bit more of that here recently.”
 
Peyton agreed that any pressure he’s felt hasn’t been because of his name, but perhaps more because of the program for which he’s competing.
 
“For me personally, I really want to perform and not because my dad is the coach and he puts those expectations on me,” Peyton said. “He’s obviously proud of me end of the day, good score or bad score. I’ve never really felt a lot of pressure in that sense, but I just want to represent my team. That’s what comes with being a golfer from Washburn Rural. All the great players in the past and the success they laid down for us, that’s what adds pressure. We compete in big-time tournaments and play great competition because of the success this program has had and you want to keep that going. It definitely adds more pressure being from Washburn Rural than being who I am, but it’s fun to play with pressure.”
 
After spending his first two high school seasons playing on the junior varsity level, Goehring finally cracked the varsity lineup last year and enjoyed a solid debut season. He didn’t post any top 10s, just missing out at City and also taking 14th at the Centennial League Tournament after shooting a career-best 78 at the Emporia Municipal Golf Course.
 
He narrowly missed matching that score at the Great Plains Classic earlier this season, hosted by Rural at Wamego Country Club. Following rounds of 84 and 85 at the Manhattan Invitational and Class 6A Preview at Firekeeper, respectively, Goehring was able to turn in his best high school round with his 6-over 77 at Monday’s meet.
 
“Coming into this year, I was really excited,” Goehring said. “I spent a lot of time in the offseason, summer and winter, working on my game and set some goals for myself, both individually and as a team. It’s good that it’s paying off, pretty rewarding. I was waiting for my turn and I guess the City Championship was my turn.
 
“It was just keeping the game in front of me and going at a steady pace. … You have to stay composed in big tournaments like that with a lot on the line. And just trust in your work, and don’t try to be a hero.”
 
Goehring’s composure got its biggest test a little over midway through his round. Starting on No. 8, he bogeyed his first two holes and then added a third before making birdie on No. 12. He gave that shot back on No. 14 with a bogey and then was in danger of seeing his round completely get away when his drive on No. 18 hit the trees on the right side of the fairway and sent his ball into the country club’s swimming pool area.
 
Having to take a drop and penalty for distance, Goehring was potentially looking at a big number when his approach to the green left him with a 30-foot putt for bogey. But Goehring snaked in the long putt to save bogey and it proved to be a lift. 
 
He made another birdie on No. 3 after making bogey at 2 and finished his round with a 6-over score that put him atop the city leaderboard with Stoner still out on the course. Stoner came in with a 77 as well, but ran into trouble on the playoff hole while Goehring was able to overcome an errant tee shot and make a bogey that was good enough for the win.
 
“It was a special moment for him and I am just glad I had a front row seat for it,” Jared said. “He stayed steady all day and his short game was sharp. He is someone who does not get rattled, so he was never inconsistent with his approach. He just let the shots stack up and for him to do this in the City Championship was outstanding because of the history of past champions here in Topeka and on a tough and challenging course.”
 
Goehring and Stoner led a 1-2-3 Rural finish atop the city standings with Wyatt Dean shooting an 81 to finish third. Michael Wilson (83) tied for seventh helping Rural to a team score of 326 that was good enough to beat Seaman by nine shots for the team championship – Rural’s 16th straight.
 
Returning only three golfers – Goehring, Wilson and Higgins Hawks – from last year’s city champion that won by only one stroke, the Junior Blues got come-through performances from varsity newcomers Stoner and Dean to keep the title in house. Stoner’s round was his season best as well, while Dean was just off his best of a 77 at Firekeeper last week.
 
“Each one of them have stepped up at different times this season and I could not be more proud of the direction this team is heading,” Jared Goehring said. “Graduating Tadd and Tagan (Monasmith) were some big holes to fill from last season, especially from an experience perspective. This year’s group has accepted the challenge and has been grinding on some tough golf courses against tough competition. They are playing some of their best golf of the season at the right time.”
 

 
OTHER GOLF STANDOUTS

• Santa Fe Trail’s Brody Buessing captured the individual title at the Chargers’ home meet, leading them to their second team title of the season. Buessing shot a 75 to win by two strokes over Wamego’s Myles Wolfgang and the Chargers posted a team score of 324 to win by six over Wamego.
• Lyndon’s Kolby Isch had a shot to remember at Santa Fe Trail’s tournament, carding a hole in one on No. 4 at Lamont Hill Golf Course. Isch used an 8-iron for his first career ace.
• Manhattan’s Cooper Graham shot even-par at the 6A State Preview Meet at Firekeeper Golf Course, tying for third. The round of 72 was a career-best for the senior.
• Oliver Dwyer led Wellsville to a strong week as the Eagles took third at the Santa Fe Trail Invitational and then won the Buck Quincy Invitational in Iola. Dwyer shot an 80 at Trail and an 81 in the Eagles’ victory, placing third in both tourneys.