Following Jake: This week, Arizona

Two weeks ago, Shelter Island’s Jay “Jake” Card III qualified for the 78th Arizona State Open at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. This week, he played in the 54-hole event on the 7,100-yard, par-70 course, along with 156 other qualifiers.

Leading off his first round with a 4-under par 66, Jake was on his way. His Shelter Island fans were excited as we followed his rounds, with the first round showing Jake bouncing back and forth all day between leading or second.

The second round of 69 put him 5-under par, and he slipped back to 5th or 6th during the day. The cut was at even par to the low 40 players, so Jake was solidly in position, only a few shots out of leading the tournament.

After the third round, he couldn’t make the birdies and shot even-par 70, moving down to a final round of 70 to finish tied for 16th.

He’s cashing prize money, but that’s not close to what he’s looking for; Jake only has victories in mind. He knows that nobody ever asks, “How many losses did you have?” They ask: “What did you win?”

The winner of this event, Jhared Hack, blew it away with a score of 15-under par. He had rounds of 68, 64, and 63, and more than earned his victory.

Jake will have his day. We’ll catch up with him next week to be there when it happens.