Greenwood High School Golf Player Ryan Loiars lines up a shot during the City Junior Boy’s Golf Championship at Paul Walker Golf Course on Monday.

Nearly six hours on the golf course under sweltering temperatures simply wasn’t enough for Zachary Sloan and Jake Price.

Nope, the two rising seniors needed one more hole – a playoff for the overall championship – in the Bowling Green City Boys’ Junior Championship at Paul Walker Golf Course on Monday.

After both players turned in identical 1-under par 71 scores after 18 holes, a playoff commenced on Paul Walker’s par-four No. 1 hole – the third time playing it Monday for each on the nine-hole course.

Sloan, who will be starting his senior season at Hart County, shook off a slightly askew drive with a solid approach shot from the fairway to set up a potential birdie. He left that putt short, but dropped in the two-putt for par that was good enough to secure the victory.

“I hit the drive a little left, but knew it was all right,” Sloan said. “I got up there for the wedge shot and saw (Price) was just short, so I was playing for par. I actually almost made the wedge shot, but ended up two-putting for par to get the win.”

Price, about to start his senior season at Bowling Green, followed a solid drive with an approach shot that fell just short of the green into the fringe. It was a change in strategy on the hole for Price, who had overshot the green twice before on No. 1.

“We had played that hole twice already and I flew the greens,” Price said. “My coach had told me you might want to take a smaller club here, choke down a little bit and punch something up there. So that’s what I tried to do – just cut it a little fat and left it short. But it was in a good spot to try and get up and down. I just didn’t, but that’s all right. Got plenty of tournaments left this year and looking forward to those.”

For Sloan, who is pushing to make the KHSAA state tournament field for the first time after falling just short by missing the regional cut by one stroke last year, Monday’s win was a great precursor to the upcoming season.

“I just saw it as an opportunity to get ready going into the high school season,” Sloan said. “Came out and got first place, so that’s always a bonus. It was a solid round – had some bad holes, had some good holes. But ended up coming out on top, so that’s always good.”

Price headlined an encouraging performance by Bowling Green, which must replace three individual state qualifiers off last season’s Region 3 championship team. Price was a part of that squad and will be looked on to provide leadership for a mostly young group of Purples heading into next week’s season opener at Park Mammoth Golf Club in Park City.

“I think Jake kind of benefited from being a part of it last year – he was part of a group that I thought was one of the better teams in Kentucky last year and he was our five man,” Bowling Green coach Adam Whitt said of Price. “I hope he’s able to take some of that into this year and he’s going to have to be our leader not only in experience but hopefully on the scoreboard too.

“He’s going to mean a lot to us and we’re going to kind of go as he goes. He’s got a lot of young kids below him. He’s going to be probably one of two upperclassmen in the lineup and then there will be some younger kids behind him. It’s a big responsibility on him, but I think he’s up for it.”

Price was encouraged by Monday’s performance.

“I thought I hit it pretty well,” Price said. “With the course conditions and the way everybody was putting it today, honestly I just was lucky to come in around what I did – got lucky hitting a few putts here and there, but all in all I thought I had a pretty good round.”

Finishing behind Sloan and Price in the 17-18 age division was Barren County’s Braeden Furlong, who was one shot back with an even-par 72. Greenwood’s Ryan Loiars was fourth with a 74 and Bowling Green’s Elijah Coates rounded out the top five with an 80.

Greenwood’s Layton Richey turned in an even-par 72 to win the boys’ 15-16 division by four strokes. Bowling Green’s Johnny Brown was next with a 76, with Eli Wade taking third on a scorecard playoff after tying with Bowling Green’s James Yarbrough at 77. Carson Smith (78) rounded out the top five.

Bowling Green’s Paxton Fuqua won the boys’ 12-14 division by two strokes with a 78. Teammate Rowdy Harris was next with an 80, followed by JP Ross in third with an 83. Brayden Hogue claimed fourth (88) and Luke McClanahan was fifth with an 89 after winning a scorecard playoff with Nicholas Morris.

The tournament featured a nearly full field of 70 players.

The Bowling Green City Girls’ Junior Championship is scheduled for Wednesday at Paul Walker Golf Course.