BELLBROOK — It was a hug to be expected between father and son.

After C. J. Scohy tapped in his final putt Tuesday on the 18th green at NCR Country Club’s South Course, he received applause from the large crowd that had gathered to see a title contender finish his round. He turned around to walk back to his bag located just off the fringe and put his putter back in for the final time as a high school golfer.

Awaiting next to the bag with arms stretched out was his coach, Jeff. He is more than a coach for C. J. He normally just goes by dad.

The pair have been grinding toward another chance to compete at the OHSAA Division I State Golf Championships for several years. C. J. had qualified as a sophomore but did not have the performance that matched his expectations. That year it was held at Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course.

A third place tournament finish in 2024 earned C. J. First Team All State honors after shooting 73-72 across the two days of competition. Jeff said he knew two rounds in the 80s C. J. shot at state two years ago was not close to his best golf, and not being able to qualify last year after a rough round during the district tournament didn’t give him an immediate opportunity to get back. That left only one more chance for him go after a state title.

When C. J. earned another chance this year, it was in a much more of a comfortable setting for both of them.

The Scohy family are members of NCR Country Club, where Jeff has been a multi-time club champion and C. J. has begun to more than hold his own against his dad and the club’s best golfers. It couldn’t have been set up better for C. J.. Playing his final tournament of his senior year with a chance to win a state title.

“We’ve been members out there his whole life,” Jeff said of getting to play at NCR. “I think he felt tons of pressure on him to be able to get here and play on his home course.”

Two days to compete that had been built up to from years of training at the course where C. J. has honed his game under his dad’s tutelage. It did not disappoint.

“My dad’s always been my coach my entire life, and having him right by my side just makes it so much easier to be free and just play my game,” C. J. said.

The support group the two had couldn’t have been better.

C.J.’s sister, Taylor, was able to make it out for day one before returning to the University of Tennessee-Martin where she is a member of the women’s basketball team. His mother, Khristian, was moving ahead of every shot of the round to get the best angles of seeing the outcomes of every swing along with rooting for the ball to do what it needed to make each short perfect.

Numerous family, friends and teammates made up the gallery that followed them around the near 6,800-yard long track through the early rain and wind until the bright sunshine came out for the final parts of the walk.

“My mom, she loves me to death and I know that no matter what I do she’s there,” C. J. said. “I’m also just grateful for everything and everyone who came out to support and helped me throughout my entire High School golf career, and it was a super great to have them all out here while playing on my home course.”

C. J. was likely one of the favorites to potentially win the individual championship. He proved that to be the case after beginning day two being five strokes off the lead but closing the gap to one during the back nine. Jeff said they knew where they stood as the holes remaining lightened, and he was just happy to see his son give himself a chance to win.

When the round was finished, the moment hit C. J., he said. Potentially sinking in that everything he and his dad worked at was reaching its culmination.

“It was just a sigh of relief,” he said. “I gave my dad a hug. It was sad because it’s my last putt in high school, but it was a great feeling finishing first team all state on my home course.”

Jeff has had plenty of his own accomplishments in golf. He played at the Air Force Academy, is an Armed Services golf championship and has gone on to win many other metro and mid-am titles in the area while also getting to compete at the US. Amateur Championships and latter stages of U. S Open Qualifying. C. J. will move on to begin playing at the collegiate level next year, and Jeff said while he is already extremely proud of his son’s accomplishments, he wouldn’t mind if this is now the first step to seeing his son exceed all of his achievements.

“I’m sad it’s the end of an era,” he said. “He’s probably been the best golfer in Bellbrook history. I’m just so proud of his career and everything he’s accomplished and proud to see what he’s going to do in the future at Wright State. I think his best golf is definitely still ahead of him.”

Contact Steven Wright at 937-502-4498 and follow on X (formerly Twitter) @Steven_Wright_.