Monday proved to be a special day for the Montague and Reeths-Puffer programs, as they competed at the Captain Sally Invitational at prestigious and Jack Nicklaus-designed American Dunes Golf Course in Grand Haven, an event featuring some of the top teams in the state. Invitations to the event, which commemorated women in military service and was named in honor of former military pilot Erika "Sally" Wynne, were based on performances from last season and this season.
The Wildcats were one of four Division 3 squads to compete, and they beat each of the other three, taking sixth place overall out of the 15 scoring teams with a team score of 380 on the very challenging course. Among the teams in the field were the top two ranked teams in Division 1 and two top-5 ranked teams in Division 2.
Reeths-Puffer stars Sophia McCollum and Olivia Ambler also were invited to compete, and McCollum was her usual self, securing medalist honors with a 79. Ambler added a 91.
However, the golf was largely secondary to the participating teams honoring veterans; American Dunes supports the Folds of Honor group, which provides scholarships to families of fallen or disabled members of the military. Each team selected one veteran to honor on the course.
Montague's chosen veteran was Nancy Williams Frye, who also recently received the Home Town Hero award at Montague's veteran salute football game. Frye is the only woman to have served as commander of Whitehall's American Legion post, and later served as commander at the district level and a vice commander at the state level.
Reeths-Puffer selected Geneva Williams, a 1972 Rocket alum who served in the Marines before returning to the R-P community and raising a family. Williams, part of a four-generation military family, still remains part of the district, working as a receptionist.
On the course, McCollum enjoyed a big-time performance, making three birdies in her round, and she looked to be approaching the kind of form that made her a 2025 state champion. Ambler added a 91, connecting on several impressive shots.
“That was a big victory for Sophia," Rockets' coach Matt Pallett said. "There were a number of girls who have (been) or will be all-staters in the field today.”
Montague, as usual, showcased its depth at the meet. Even battling against the difficult course, all four scoring Wildcats broke 100, led by Marguerite O'Connell, who shot a 91 to tie for 19th place overall. She scored a birdie on the par-3 16th hole to highlight her day.
Also for the Wildcats, Addi Smith posted a 94, Molly Mulder shot a 97 and Brynlee Kessler had a 98. Smith also made a birdie during her round, on the par-5 13th hole.
"American Dunes provided the toughest test and most difficult course the girls have faced all season, and they battled all the way through," Montague coach Phil Kerr posted to the team's social media pages.
The day provided both programs a chance to not only go up against a high-level course, but salute women in the military at the same time.
“Ultimately, this was more than just about golf today," Pallett said. "It was a great way to honor our veterans. Hats off to (club pro) Ian Ziska and his staff from American Dunes for a well run and great experience for all the players.”
