Public course in Warsaw hosting tournament event for first time since 2002
Posted
Dale Hubler-dhubler@timesuniononline.com
Like they have for years, the Warsaw Tigers will host Friday’s boys golf sectional. The difference this year, however, is the 13-team tournament will be played at Rozella Ford Golf Course for the first time since 2002. Stonehenge, which has hosted the sectional each year since 2003, will be the site of next week’s 18-team regional. “It’s a little bit of a change, but the kids are familiar with the course,” said Warsaw coach Ben Barkey. “Historically, Rozella Ford has hosted the sectional more than Stonehenge. When I played in high school, the sectional was always at Rozella Ford. Warsaw Golf has a great tradition at Rozella Ford. Jeff Johnson has done a great job with the course, and it should be a great tournament.” Friday’s tournament field includes Columbia City, Culver Military Academy, Huntington North, Lakeland Christian Academy, Manchester, Northfield, Plymouth, Tippecanoe Valley, Triton, Warsaw, Wawasee and Whitko. The top three teams, as well as the top three individuals not on an advancing team, qualify for the regional. The Tigers are in search of their 27th sectional title overall and fifth in the past six seasons. Richmond (32) and Columbus North (31) are the only boys golf programs in the state with more sectional titles than Warsaw. Now in his 12th year at the helm of Warsaw’s program, Barkey’s Tigers have advanced to the state finals as a team eight times. Only once under Barkey have the Tigers not qualified at least one individual for the state finals. Barkey believes his current squad has the talent to keep Warsaw’s strong postseason tradition alive. “This team has it in them to post some good numbers,” said Barkey. “Really, we’re not playing anybody but ourselves. We can’t go out there and play defense on another team. We just need to focus on what we can control, and that’s our game. I believe in these kids. We haven’t shot a really low team score yet, but we definitely have the capability of doing so.” Warsaw’s best four-man team score of the season is a 303, which the Tigers shot at Tippecanoe Lake Country Club, a par-70 course like Rozella Ford.
