West Liberty golfer Alex Easthom, a Ravenswood High graduate, won his second career Mountain East Conference golf championship last week at Avalon Lake Golf Course. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — West Liberty University golfer and Ravenswood graduate Alex Easthom closed out the fall season with a bang.

Along with his recent domination at Avalon Lakes Golf Course earlier this month where the graduate student won his second Mountain East Conference individual title by seven strokes over Glenville State’s Juan Monckeberg, the Hilltopper fired rounds of 69 and 66 on Monday and Tuesday to win the Dr. Wally Edgell Championship by one stroke at Canaan Valley Resort.

“I had that big swing change over the summer. It’s finally starting to settle in and it has shown in my iron game. They’ve been good the last couple of weeks,” admitted Easthom, who captured his first MEC title in the spring of 2021 as a sophomore.

Easthom, who still has the spring season to compete for WLU head coach Thadd Obecny, will graduate with his masters in sports leadership and coaching.

“I don’t think I have any tournaments this winter. I’m going to try and get in one,” said Easthom, who placed solo third once, was tied for third once and missed the cut in his other three MEC tournament appearances.

Having coach Obecny’s experience at his beck and call is something that’s been a plus.

“It’s been good. We’ve butted heads a few times, both being really good players,” Easthom admitted. “Sometimes we have different views on how to play holes or certain shots. He’s definitely helped to keep me calm.

“Usually I don’t see him much during a tournament unless I’m playing bad for a stretch of holes. It’s been really good to have a coach like that. He’ll let you do your own thing, but can come in and help when you need it.”

One of those instances came during the MEC championships where the Hilltopper entered the final round with a one stroke lead. He started Day 3 on the back nine and promptly opened with three straight bogeys.

“I bogeyed the first hole and hit my tee shot in the water on the second hole,” recalled Easthom, who said coach Obecny asked him “why are you so mad? You can still win.

“After I got par on 13 and kind of settled in (three straight birdies on holes 14-16) he went off to help the other guys. He did a real good job there, too.”

The running joke was that Easthom wanted to win the MEC by 10 strokes, which the Hilltopper clarified.

“Derek (Graham), my teammate, I played with him at his home course at Cambridge over the summer,” Easthom explained. “It wasn’t necessarily I wanted to beat the field by 10. I wanted to beat the golf course by 10. I couldn’t seem to do anything right last year at Avalon.

“I told him if I’m hitting the ball well going into Avalon and I’m playing well look out. I didn’t look at the scores all day on the final round. I just missed good birdie looks on seven and eight.”

Easthom carded a bogey on No. 9, his final hole, after finding a divot in the fairway following his tee shot.

The progression for Easthom has been steady over the years. He was a four-time all-Little Kanawha Conference selection and the 2017 LKC Player of the Year. He then claimed MEC Freshman of the Year honors in 2018 after winning the W.Va. Junior Amateur championships. Still, the 2021 MEC Player of the Year knows there’s plenty of work that needs to be done.

“The thing I really need to work on, first thing, is my wedges,” he said. “I’ve worked hard the last couple years. I’m a better wedge player than I have been, but not close to the level I need to be.

“I go into every tournament thinking and feeling the same. I knew if I played well I could win. I just went into it trying to play golf like always and see what happens when it’s over.”

For Easthom, who said he’s also put a lot of time into becoming a more accurate driver, what usually happens after a tournament is bringing home more hardware.

From the sound of things he could use a portable trophy case.

“All the ones I’ve won this year they are up here somewhere,” Easthom added. “I got a plaque on my desk and a trophy on my desk and my other two plaques I think are on top of the closet. I got to find them so I can take them home.”