FRIEDENSBURG - On his first hole of the day, James Dietz lipped-out a tap-in par putt.
"I wasn't focused enough," he said.
Dietz's focus quickly returned on the next hole.
His birdie at No. 2 was the first of five Dietz had over the next 11 holes as he went on to shoot a final-round 4-under 68 and win the Schuylkill County Junior Golf Championship on Tuesday at Hidden Valley Golf Course.
Dietz, 18, from Lake Wynonah, finished with a two-round total of 2-over 146 after a 6-over 78 during Monday's first round. He finished five strokes ahead of Joe Drasdis, the leader after the first round. Drasdis finished at 151.
Dietz added birdies at Nos. 4, 9, 10 and 13. He cooled off over the final six holes, but that meant all pars as he completed a 10-stroke turnaround from Monday.
Even Dietz had some trouble explaining the difference between Monday and Tuesday.
"I don't know," he said. "Stuff was dropping for me, my putts were dropping, I was hitting more greens.
"I just couldn't get anything going score-wise (Monday). I was hitting the ball all right, but I just couldn't hit shots into the flags and make putts. It really helps you out, the short game."
Shooting 68 is nothing new for Dietz. He did it twice last fall as a senior at Blue Mountain, hitting the mark at Rolling Meadows against North Schuylkill on Aug. 21 and then again at the Schuylkill Country Club versus Marian on Sept. 25.
Dietz carded a 71 during the Schuylkill League Team Championship on Sept. 26 at Blue Mountain Golf Course.
At the Schuylkill League Individual Championships on Sept. 24 last year at Hidden Valley, Dietz shot a 79 and ended up fourth after losing a three-hole, sudden-death playoff with Tamaqua's Mike Weinert.
Drasdis, who will be a senior at Pottsville this fall, had rounds of 76 and 75. He shot a 1-under 35 through nine holes Tuesday, but after a birdie at No. 10 he recorded three bogeys and a double bogey over his final eight holes.
Matt Lescavage and Bailey Sophy both finished tied for third overall at 156. Sophy won the 14-15-year-old division after rounds of 79 and 77.
Other winners from Tuesday were Colin Casserly (16-18 Division A Flight), Alex Everly (14-15 Division A Flight), Carson Schoener (13-under Division) and Derrick Yuengling (11-under division).
After his bogey at No. 1, Dietz hit a 5-wood off the tee at the 200-yard, par-3 No. 2. His ball ended up 25 feet left of the hole and Dietz knocked in the putt.
"I said I have to get it back," Dietz said he told himself after his opening-hole bogey. "I got it back on the next hole."
Two holes later at the 514-yard, par-5 No. 4, Dietz hit his drive from the top of the hill left and then laid up short of the creek that guards the front of the green with a 7-iron. Dietz pitched to 12 feet and hit a sideways putt for his birdie.
Dietz also had some good fortune on his side, too, such as the case at the 293-yard, par-4 No. 9.
His drive hit a construction vehicle that was working between the first and ninth fairways. Still, Dietz had a clear shot at the green. His 105-yard approach landed two feet above the hole and he dropped the putt to pull to within a shot of Drasdis.
Both Dietz and Drasdis birdied No. 10, a 459-yard par-5. Dietz pulled even with Drasdis after Drasdis bogeyed the 183-yard par-3 12th and then took the lead for good with his fifth and final birdie of the day at the 290-yard, par-4 No. 12.
From that point on, Dietz stopped worrying about making birdies.
"I was just trying to par everything out from then in," he said. "I was satisfied with my score. I was just trying to hit greens."
Dietz said he ended up hitting 15 greens in regulation Tuesday, as well as 10-of-14 fairways.
With the win, Dietz was awarded a $250 scholarship. He has yet to decide where he will be attending school and might take a year off before heading to college. Although it isn't his No. 1 priority, Dietz would like to play golf at the collegiate level.
For now, he can enjoy his victory.
"I just played good," Dietz said. "The first day I didn't play too great. The second day I played better." Tournament winners
Schuylkill County Junior Golf Championships
At Hidden Valley GC, Friedensburg
Overall and 16-18 Division
James Dietz, 18, Lake Wynonah
16-18 Division
A Flight
Colin Casserly, 16, Mahanoy City
14-15 Division
Bailey Sophy, 15, Pottsville
A Flight
Alex Everly, 15, Pottsville
13-under Division
Carson Schoener, 13, Tamaqua
11-under Division (9 holes)
Derrick Yuengling, 11, Pottsville