SJ Welch did the right thing a year ago, and it ended his golf season in heartbreaking fashion.

Competing in a high-stakes conference qualifier to try to help earn his Nokomis Regional High School team a trip to the 2024 golf state championship, Welch put up a solid performance on the golf course at a critical time for his team.

But when he picked his ball up out of the hole, he realized he had made a mistake.

“I was watching him,” said Nokomis coach Matt Brown. “He putted the ball in and then he came right over to me and said, ‘Hey coach, this isn’t my ball.’ And I knew immediately that we were gonna have to report it.”

Reporting that accidental mistake was devastating for Welch and his teammates, who just barely missed out on the state tournament after Welch was disqualified for play

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