|
Nine-team Tiger Invitational ends with Bears 4th overall
by Gregory R. Norfleet · Sports · April 20, 2017
Boys golfers took fourth place out of nine teams at an 18-hole tournament at Tipton Golf and Country Club.
Out of the Class 2A teams, West Branch finished second to Wilton.
West Branch finished the nine-and-nine event with 348.
Mount Vernon took first with 326 and fellow Class 3A Solon took second just a stroke behind, with 327. Other scores: Wilton 342, West Branch 348, Durant 349, North Cedar 353, Tipton 363, Maquoketa 376, West Liberty 384.
Brady Lukavsky led the team with 41-48 84, followed by Ted Bridges with 46-41 87. Trevor Thein shot a 42-46 88, Evan O’Neil shot 45-44 89, Matt Whaley shot 47-46 93, and Jack Robertson shot 53-47 100.
The best four scores from the front and back contributed to the overall scores.
“We kind of assumed it would be pretty tough to get to Solon and Mount Vernon,” Head Coach Randy Sexton said. “We set a goal to try to win our conference and we were able to finish second to Wilton.”
On the way, the Bears recorded their best nine-hole score of the season so far by shooting 174 — twice, which pleased the coach.
Further, Lukavsky and O’Neil shot personal records that day and both contributed to the score. Robertson also set a personal best score for 18 holes, the coach noted.
The nine-hole course used different tees for each round. A couple of players were just a few strokes away from breaking into the 30s when a bad hole kept them out.
“We have several guys capable of getting into the 30s and we’re getting closer,” the coach said.
Sexton said he cannot remember when he saw a whole team strive so far to cut strokes.
“No disrespect to past teams, but their desire to get better is unlike anyone I’ve ever had,” Sexton said, noting that some players put in time at night and weekends — including after meets — on their own.
“They are very focused on getting better,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we get more than one in the 30s this year.”
One of the trickier holes at Tipton was No. 1/10. When playing the tee designated for hole No. 1, most players shot 6 on the par-five, while Whaley shot par. But when the returned to the hole to play off the tee designated for No. 10, scores went up.
Sexton said he is very interested in talking to the players more to see what happened there. The day was about 65 and sunny, but there was an inconsistent, in-your-face wind that may have tricked golfers into hitting too hard or too soft while trying to also avoid a creek that cuts through the middle of the fairway. There’s also a large tree which some may avoid off the tee by overcompensating, he said, causing some to shoot out of bounds.
The coach noted that the team shot 23 over on that hole alone.
Yet the team did a good job shaking off bad holes, too. Four of the six moved on to No. 11 and shot par and one shot bogey, for example.
Sexton said Bridges came off the first round unhappy with his score, then bounced back by cutting five strokes on the back nine.
“He was able to shake off that poor round,” the coach said.
More than a third of the way through the season, Sexton said he “really likes the path we’re on.”
“They continue to work hard and get better,” he said.
Eight players vying for varsity slots are sharpening each other’s performances, too.
“They know they have to get better because other boys are waiting to take their spots,” Sexton said.
The coach praised the newly reopened Cedars Edge Golf Course for “being so accommodating” to the team when they want to practice.
“I hope we continue to make progress,” he said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
