Photo by Hunter Wilson/Daily News Travis Thompson (right) of Marshall County reacts to a missed putt as Bowling Green’s Seth Blann watches Wednesday during a sudden-death playoff at the KHSAA Boys’ State Golf Championship at Bowling Green Country Club. Thompson defeated Blann to take medalist honors.

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Marshall County sophomore Travis Thompson handed Bowling Green a double dose of disappointment Wednesday.

Thompson’s birdie on the 18th hole helped give the Marshalls the Leachman Buick & GMC/KHSAA Boys’ State Tournament championship by one stroke over the Purples, who finished with a team score of 596.

Thompson’s birdie also put him in a playoff for the individual championship with Bowling Green senior Seth Blann. And after both Blann and Thompson recorded par on the first three holes of the sudden death playoff, Thompson captured the crown with an eight-foot birdie putt.

“Things happen for a reason and I guess it just wasn’t meant to be,” Blann said. “We gave it our best shot. We played well, just not good enough.”

Both Blann and Thompson finished the tournament at even-par. Thompson put together his second consecutive round of even-par 72, while Blann shot a 2-over 74 in Wednesday’s final round.

Blann turned into a survivalist in the playoff as Thompson missed birdie putts on the first three playoff holes - the par-5 18th and the par-4 first and ninth.

Blann successfully got up and down on No. 1 and No. 9 to heighten the drama.

“He played well - fairway, green and putt,” Blann said. “He did it textbook and I didn’t.”

Thompson finally stuck a birdie putt on No. 15 before Blann had an opportunity to sink another par putt.

“It was unbelievable,” Thompson said. “I was hoping one would go down. I’m just stunned. When it happened ... I don’t know, I’m almost speechless. When you win something like this, you feel so good inside.”

Blann entered Wednesday chasing a different Marshall County player for the title. Blann trailed Marshall County’s Peter Meeks by two strokes after Meeks played a bogey-free 4-under round on Tuesday.

But Meeks shot a 78 on Wednesday, including a triple bogey on No. 10 after his ball got caught in a tree. After pacing Marshall County on Day 1, Meeks’ final-round tally was his team’s highest, meaning it was not counted toward the team total.

Bryan Jaska led the Purples with a 72, including a birdie on No. 18. Robert Kirby and Kyle Fleenor added 77s while Will Beard finished with a 78.

“Mixed emotions,” BGHS coach Matt Logic said. “We were in position to do what we wanted to do and just didn’t finish it off.”

Blann had an up-and-down round Wednesday. It included five bogeys, a double bogey and five birdies.

Blann birdied No. 16 after a marvelous approach shot put him within 10 feet of the pin. The hole pulled Blann to even-par for the tournament.

He then parred both No. 17 and No. 18, but neither Blann nor Thompson knew exactly what each needed to do to win individual and team trophies.

“I was in the dark,” Thompson said. “I had no idea what anybody behind us was doing and I didn’t know where any of my teammates were. My coach told me on No. 18 to have a good solid hole and I said, ‘Well, I’ll try to make birdie.’”

Ohio County’s Lars King shot the low round of the day at 3-under 69 to finish the tournament at 1-over, one stroke behind Thompson and Blann. Russell County’s Dustin Gosser also finished at 1-over.

Gosser bogeyed No. 8 - his 17th hole of the day - and missed a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 9 that would have put him in the playoff.

Greenwood entered the final round in 11th place and stayed there with a team total of 631. But the Gators’ final-round 312 was seven strokes better than their first round.

It was also 12 strokes better than their performance two weeks ago in the BGIT at Bowling Green Country Club.

“If we had just two more weeks, we might win the thing,” Greenwood coach Blane Embry joked.

Greenwood freshman Cameron Beal and junior Matt Miller joined seniors Cameron Fields and Chris Kendall with 78s on Wednesday, while freshman Lane Embry shot a 79.

“I’m really pleased, especially with our young kids,” Blane Embry said. “This program kind of moves up the ladder, slowly but surely. This was a good experience for them.”