Tiger Boys Golf Team Finishes 14th In State Finals
Tiger Boys Golf Team Finishes 14th In State Finals
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Lachlan Lennox-
Tiger Boys Golf Team Finishes 14th In State FinalsCARMEL – The Warsaw Tigers boys golf team finished 14th at the IHSAA Golf State Tournament after shooting a 343 in the second round Wednesday at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel. The Tigers two-day total was 671.
The Tigers competed for a top ten finish until a slew of bogies on the last three holes derailed their chances.
The team sat at +31 on the round after 15 holes, well under their pace from Tuesday. However, the five players combined to go 24 over par on holes seven, eight, and nine, their last three holes of the tournament.
Tiger head coach Rich Haddad believes his team’s inexperience may have contributed to their decline in play.
“I don’t know if we’ve played in enough multiday tournaments, but it’s important that we learn how to conserve energy, stay hydrated, and sleep well. These are all things you learn and once we do, we’ll come back stronger,” he said.”
Freshman Cal Hoskins sat in the top 20 for most of the tournament and finished in a tie at 31st with a two-day total of 156. Hoskins posted a team best +12 between the two rounds but gained six strokes over his last five holes. On par threes and fives, Hoskins broke even; he gained all twelve strokes on par fours.
An early highlight was the freshman’s birdie on hole 13, the course’s second longest hole at 572 yards, after a perfectly placed hit stopped just shy of the pin.
Chase Byron, the team’s only senior, capped off his Tiger career with a round at 87, finishing in 73rd place at +24 (168) overall. Byron was strong through the first nine holes, entering the turn at three over, but was hampered by fatigue in the front nine.
He was also one of only six players to record a birdie on hole 14, which was regarded by many players as the most difficult on the course.
After wrapping up his high school playing days, Byron will continue his golf career next year at Grace College.
Freshman Jack Yeager ended with a 171, good for 83rd place. Yeager was consistent throughout the tournament; he and Hoskins were the only two Tigers without a triple bogey.
While he failed to record a birdie in the round, Yeager earned praise from his coach for his high floor and consistent play.
“Jack was in and out of our lineup early in the year, but he did very well at sectionals, regionals, and did pretty well here in the State Finals,”?Haddad said.
Also competing for the Tigers were sophomore Tucker Carlile and junior Zach LaLonde. Carlile showed improvement throughout the tournament, finishing at 176. He recorded the team’s only birdie on the final nine with some solid play on hole two. Carlile also made several highlight shots, including a chip-in from the fringe on hole eleven to make par.
LaLonde finished at 185. While he demonstrated his driving power, he was affected by the challenging greens and heavy vegetation at Prairie View.
Regardless of the finish, Haddad stressed the importance of even being invited to the state finals.
“While we’re disappointed about the finish, it’s a real honor to earn our way to the state finals. It’s something we’ll all remember and hopefully we can all be proud about our season.”
Carmel won the tournament by 17 strokes, finishing at 588. Four of their five golfers finished in the top 20, including Nick Dentino, who tied for first at 140. Noblesville’s Clay Merchant managed to tie Dentino in dramatic fashion, recording six birdies in the final round to forge the tie.
