So the freshman approached his coach, Charles Van Horn III, with a logical question.

“Do you want to run forward and see how we’re doing so we know what I need to do,” Watts asked Van Horn.

Van Horn’s response?

“No, just make a birdie.”

Watts did as he was told.

After a well-played 3-wood that left him with a 100-yard approach to the green, the 28-year-old used a wedge to put the ball eight feet from the hole, and then calmly rolled in the putt for a birdie 3.

When Sandhills Community College’s Trey Capps — the tournament medalist and Watts’ playing partner — failed to get up and down from behind the green on 18 and took a bogey, there was conversation near the scoreboard adjacent to the Chautauqua GC clubhouse that the team title was very much up for grabs.

“We didn’t know we were going to win by one,” Van Horn admitted.

But that’s precisely what happened.

Georgia Military shot a final-round 301, erasing an 11-stroke deficit entering Friday, to claim its second national title in three years. The Bulldogs finished at 1,235 compared to 1,236 for Sandhills CC. Minnesota State Community & Technical College was third with 1,241.

It truly was a team effort for the young men from the Milledgeville, Georgia campus.

Luke Ninneman led the way with a 72, Austin Quillian had a 75, Watts recorded a 76 and Sean Eunice had a 78. Trey May’s 80 was tossed out.

“(Sandhills CC) shot really well (on Thursday),” Van Horn said. I told them that it’s our turn to have a very good day, and if we shot around 300, we could pull this off, and that’s what happened.”

As indicated by the consistent scoring, every Georgia Military player had a hand in the victory, including Quillian, who had a huge birdie on 18 earlier in the round, but it was Watts’ performance that was the most compelling.

Although he was only 4-over par and finished second to Capps overall for the week, Watts rode an emotional roller-coaster on a beautiful day on the Lake Course. In fact, when Van Horn caught up with Watts on 14 it was just as the latter registered a bogey, putting him further behind Capps, who finished with an even-72 and a 292 total.

“I was kind of mentally defeated and then (Van Horn) told me before 15 that our guys were putting on a beating on the Sandhills kids, and I got my head back into it,” Watts said.

After recording a par 3 on 15, Watts birdied the par 5 16th.

“To know that I turned my attitude around and birdied two of the last three holes and we won by one, I’m really proud of myself mentally,” he said.

Watts is proud of himself in other ways, too, but they have nothing to do with golf. Because after high school, he attended college for a year, but ended up dropping out due to academic difficulties.

“I had a really tough time,” he admitted. “I was really depressed. I had some rough things going on in my life. I was suicidal for a while, but I battled through it.”

Along his journey, he took delivery and warehouse jobs, while still yearning to play collegiate golf.

Seven years later, things began to turn around.

“I won my local club championship with a 67 and 69 last summer,” Watts said. “Coach called me the next week and asked me to play for him. … It’s a cool story for sure.”

Capps’ story was pretty cool, too, as he turned in rounds of 77-73-70-72 for a 292 total, but his teammates didn’t play as well as they did in the third round, while the Bulldogs were on fire. The only other Flyer to break 80 was Grant Gilbert, who finished with a 78.

Minnesota State Community & Technical College had five players break 80, led by Hunter Moen’s 75. Meanwhile, the low round of the day was turned in by Nick Paschetto of Oxford College of Emory with a 1-under 71.

NOTES: The first-team All-Americans were Capps; Watts; Paschetto; Blake Bloedorn of Minnesota State; Moen; and Ninneman. … The second-team All-Americans were Hunter Hubel of Cayuga CC; Sean McGarvey of Rockland CC; Joe Cayer of Madison College, Jarret Brightbill of Harrisburg Area CC; Luke Schwartz of Anne Arundel CC; and Nick Axelson of CC of Morris. … The honorable-mention All-Americans were Jake Wilson of Columbus State; Wyatt Blomseth of Minnesota State; Gilbert; Chris McMorrow of Massasoit CC; Conor Maloney of Nassau CC; and Quillian. … Van Horn was named the Coach of the Tournament. … Jamestown CC’s Nick Mole finished tied for 59th after posting 83-83-88-86-340, while teammate Titus Miller tied for 61st following a 78-86-83-94-341.

NJCAA DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP

Chautauqua Golf Club

Par 72, 6,462 yards

Team Scores

Georgia Military College 315-314-305-301-1,2315, Sandhills CC 314-316-293-313-1,236, Minnesota State Community & Technical College 317-311-309-304-1,241, Columbus State CC 324-328-308-332-1,292, CC of Morris 333-328-328-309-1,298, Niagara County CC 327-332-330-330-1,319, Butler County CC 336-337-319-328-1,320, Cayuga CC 342-327-323-335-1,327, Northampton CC 346-342-331-325-1,344, Nassau CC 355-355-343-331-1,384, Madison College, 3357-341-348-348-1,394.

Individual Scores

Trey Capps 77-73-70-72-292

Dusty Watts 76-76-70-76-298

Nick Paschetto 76-77-78-71-302

Blake Bloedorn 75-78-74-76-303

Hunter Moen 75-76-79-75-305

Luke Ninneman 78-79-78-72-307

Hunter Hubel 83-78-72-76-309

Sean McGarvey 75-77-77-80-309

Joe Cayer 76-76-80-78-310

Jarret Brightbill 82-78-76-75-311

Luke Schwartz 79-74-79-79-311

Nick Axelson 78-71-81-77-313

Jake Wilson 76-80-75-82-313

Wyatt Blomseth 85-77-77-76-315

Grant Gilbert 83-78-76-78-315

Chris McMorrow 76-79-78-84-326

Conor Maloney 81-81-82-73-317

Austin Quillian 86-80-76-75-317

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