Former Lawrence High golfer Ryan Morgan didn’t have any trouble remembering the details of one of his roughly 10,000 days on earth.

Spring of 2000. Alvamar Country Club served as the host course, Free State High the host school for the boys Class 6A state golf tournament. A senior, Morgan knew his toughest competition could come from his friend Charlie Santaularia, a junior at Free State.

Morgan remembers making bogey on the first hole, his tee shot landing on top of a stick, an outcome that screamed bad omen. He also recalls 100, maybe 200, spectators watching him play No. 18.

Morgan won by matching his best score on his home course with a 70. Santaularia, who golfed and worked at Lawrence Country Club, took second with a 71.

The moment Santaularia remembers most fondly captures the spirit of that day’s competition, the respect and friendship the golfers shared and the honor the game of golf brings out in those who play it properly.

Morgan played a couple of groups ahead of Santaularia, who came into No. 18 knowing he needed a birdie to force a playoff. Santaularia’s second shot flew toward the stick and settled toward the back of the green, leaving him a 25-foot, downhill, right-to-left curler.

“I recall Ryan being the gentleman that he is,” Santaularia said. “After I put my bag down, he shook my hand and said, ‘I want you to make this. Let’s have a playoff.’ I thought: ‘He wants me to make this.’ That was a good feeling to have going into the putt.”

Such a gesture wouldn’t work with strangers, but Morgan knew it might break the tension, which it did, according to his competitor.

Santaularia gave the putt an aggressive run, prolonged the suspense and slid it a few feet past on the high side, the pro side. Morgan had his second consecutive state title, Santaularia his second of three state second-place medals.

“I’m a big proponent of the state tournament being two or three days,” Santaularia said. “I don’t know how many states do one day, but I remember everyone I told (from other states) couldn’t believe Kansas had a one-day tournament.”

Santaularia said he was thrilled to read that Free State seniors Connor Klutman, with whom he has played a few rounds, and Evan Schmidt qualified for today’s state tourney at Alvamar CC. Santaularia remembers teaching both when they were junior golfers.

Santaularia went to University of Texas for a year, transferred to Kansas University, said he didn’t perform well on the golf course in either year and decided to concentrate on getting started in the business world while a junior at KU. He has ownership in a pair of investment businesses and lives in Denver.

Morgan graduated from Rice University, was the captain of the golf team his junior and senior years, earned his law degree at Vanderbilt and practices law in Houston.

“I played some of the best golf of my life my junior and senior years in high school, and I never did break 70 from the back tees,” Morgan said.

No matter. He made the exact score he needed to make on his most memorable day there and did so with dignity.