Golfers improve quickly in events

Golfers improve quickly in events

Aug 18, 2001

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

The Panther boys golf team got off to a rocky start but steadily improved with each tournament on a three-day swing to the Grand Junction area for the opening of the 2001 prep season.

Their first stop was at the Tiger Invitational at Bookcliff Country Club in Grand Junction on Monday, Aug. 13. And the host Tigers had four players shoot 74 or better, including a 2-under-par 69 by Kyle Sullivan, to win their own invitational tournament by 12 strokes at Bookcliff Country Club. The Tigers turned in a top-three player 213 score while Aspen was second at 225, followed by Montrose at 228.

"We didn’t fare too well in our first tournament," first-year Montezuma-Cortez High School coach Randy (Jack) Jacobson said. "We finished sixth from the bottom as a team out of 16 teams."

Shea Sena shot a 78, Michael Stroud 86, Keenan Lovett 88, Casey Richey 101, and Alex Stewart 106.

GJHS’ Eric Winder and Ben Hoffman each shot 72 to finish tie for fourth.

Fruita Monument's Chase Wortmann finished in a tie for second at 71 with Aspen's Pat McLennan. Wortmann helped the Wildcats to a fourth-place finish at 230. Glenwood Springs' Mark Gould and Cedaredge/Hotchkiss' David Gillman tied for sixth with 73s.

"The next day we played much better," Jacobson added. "We went to Tiara Rado, which is a nice golf course, and we looked pretty good as a whole. They did a lot better."

The Panthers finished sixth out of 20 teams. But it was the Tigers who won the team title for the second day in a row. Grand Junction had two players shooting under par Tuesday, Aug. 14, at Tiara Rado Golf Course in easing to a seven-stroke win at the Warrior Invitational. Kyle Sullivan earned individual medalist honors for Class 5A golfers as he fired a 4-under 67 to win by two strokes over Winder. But Sena won the Class 4A medalist honors with a 1-over-par 72 on that course.

Overall, McLennan finished in a three-way tie for third with Sena and Jeff Franks of Steamboat Springs. In the sudden-death playoff, McLennan was out early with a bogey while Sena and Franks both made par on the first hole. Sena and Franks both scored par in the second hole. On the third hole, Sena made a nice drive while Franks hit short. Sena made a par and Franks a bogey.

Steamboat Springs finished in second at 223, followed by Aspen with a 226. Fruita Monument placed fourth at 232.

For the Panthers at Tiara Rado, Stroud and Lovett both carded 82s while Richey had 95 and Stewart 101.

"They all improved over the previous day," he reported.

The Tigers won their third straight tourney Wednesday, Aug. 15, finishing with a total of 225 to edge host Rifle by one shot at Rifle Creek Golf Course. Winder and Sullivan lead the way for Grand Junction. Winder shot a 73 and Sullivan 74.

Individual medalist honors went to Rifle's Luke Antonelli. The second-place finisher in last year's Class 4A State Tournament played his first season of the year after missing the first two because he was appearing at a national junior tournament. Antonelli shot a 69, while Wortmann carded a 70. McLennan was third at 71 and Sena fourth at even-par 72.

Aspen finished third in the team race with a 230, followed by Steamboat Springs at 233 and Fruita Monument at 235.

For the Panthers, Stroud and Lovett both shot 88 while Richey had 101 and Stewart improved tremendously with a 94, winning a banana split from his coach.

"We saw improvement which is what we wanted. It was a good opening trip for our guys," Jacobson added. "Shea was even par coming into the final three holes when he double-bogeyed a hole otherwise he would have shot a 69 or a 70. But I’m very pumped up because they all played well at times. They are showing a lot of dedication."

The Panthers return home to host their own tournament on Thursday, Aug. 23, at Conquistador Golf Course.

Joining the Panthers will be players from Vernal, Utah; Montrose; Delta; Fruita-Monument; Durango; Grand Junction High; Central of Grand Junction; Moffat County; Steamboat Springs; and Summit County.

They travel to Durango (at Hillcrest) on Friday, Aug. 24, and then they will go to Pagosa Springs on Saturday, Aug. 25. The month of August has them at Battlement Mesa on the 30th and Delta on the 31st. By that point in the season, much of their season will be in the books before school has even started.

They take quite a break and not playing again until competing at Fairway Pines near Ridgway Sept. 10. The Panthers play at Dos Rios in Gunnison Sept. 13 and at Montrose Sept. 14. Regionals is slated Sept. 17-18 at Tiara Rado. The Class 4A State Tournament is set for Oct. 1-2 at a site to be determined.