MUSKEGON — For the second straight season, very cold and windy conditions provided an extra challenge to golfers at the GMAA meet Wednesday. This time, a steady rain fell too, creating an intimidating atmosphere at Chase Hammond Golf Course.
The three area teams seemed to be affected, as they struggled to finishes below where they were hoping. Reeths-Puffer placed sixth with a team score of 361 - just 11 strokes out of third. Whitehall took seventh with a 364, and Montague was eighth with a 369.
"All the players learned a lot today about being prepared for any kind of weather," Whitehall coach Bill Borgman said. "It was a grind out there for everyone and the ones that were ready for the conditions did the best."
"Today was as difficult a day to play golf as we have faced since last year's GMAA tournament," Montague coach Brad Tate added.
Though his team ranked third of the three area schools, Montague's Michael Flanagan topped individual finishers with a solid score of 81, good for fifth place overall. (Mona Shores won the meet with three of the top four finishers, led by Cruz Beckstrom with an impressive one-under par 71.)
The freshman Flanagan got better as the day progressed, shooting a one-over par on his final nine holes, including a birdie on the 11th hole of the course. He didn't make worse than a bogey all day.
"There were a lot of good teams and very good players at the GMAA today and he was very consistent and mentally tough," Tate said. "I look forward to seeing our young team continue to grow and mature this season."
Flanagan led three local players in the individual top 10, one for each school. Kristian Brown placed ninth with an 84 to lead R-P in scoring. He hit a couple of bumps along the way but was largely solid to finish the round. Like Flanagan, he birdied the 11th hole.
“Kristian did not have his A game today, but I am proud of him as he battled all day and went at every next hole as a new challenge," R-P coach Matt Pallett said. "His attitude and grit was still able to get him in the top 10.”
Whitehall sophomore Gabe Gilbert rounded out the top 10 and shot an 85. He made birdie on the 10th hole, capping a six-hole stretch where he shot even par.
"This is his first year on the team, and a top 10 in his first city match is exciting," Borgman said.
Rocket freshman Ian Vokal shot an 87, and Beckitt Johnson and Beckett Mathes each shot a 95 to close R-P's scoring.
For Whitehall, William Burger shot an 87, followed by Jones McDowell with a 90 and Finn Novy with a 101. McDowell scored a birdie on the third hole.
Ethan Balon shot a 92 for Montague, with Tanner DeVries going for a 94 and Jonah Henderson adding a 102.
Tate said battling the conditions was a great way for his team to grow in the game mentally, a sentiment each coach on the course Wednesday had good reason to share.
"This game is mostly mental and we are learning a lot of valuable lessons early on in our season," Tate said. "I know that we are a good team who just had a tough day overall."
