The Laurel Locomotives are favored to keep rolling along, but the golfers in Whitefish and Polson might have something to say.

The 2022 season begins today for Whitefish, which plays at the one-day Browning Invitational held at Marias Valley Golf Club in Shelby. Polson will be there as well, but the Pirates have a tournament under their belts, having played at the Old Works Challenge on Wednesday.

Whitefish is the lone boys team not named Laurel to win the State A in the last five seasons, doing so in 2020. Laurel swept the 2021 State A titles in Polson last October, and the likes of 2021 boys medalist Carson Hackman and Molly Cooney return.

The Bulldog boys were second, nine strokes behind Laurel.

“We played great,” Whitefish coach Tait Rocksund maintains. “We shot 606— that’s the sixth-lowest Class A scored since they started keeping track.”

Leading the way for Whitefish is Billy Smith, who won the Montana State Junior Amateur in Laurel in June. His two-day total of 145 was better than Hackman (148) and 2020 State AA medalist Kade McDonough of Missoula Sentinel (152), among others.

In other words, he’s an optimal senior leader for a squad that includes All-Stater Johnny Nix.

“It’s great,” Whitefish coach Tait Rocksund said of Smith, who has UNLV among other Division I schools interested. “He’s a great golfer. He shot 63 at a junior qualifier. That’s 9-under. I don’t care what tees you’re playing, you have to make some putts.”

Rocksund said quite a few of his Bulldogs played summer tournaments alongside Hackman and Laurel’s other golfers, experiences that can only help.

Nix played a ton, as did Riley Brown. Brown and senior Matthew Peschel, Rocksund said, give Whitefish “four really solid golfers. We’re looking forward to a good season.”

Vying for the fifth spot are senior Tag Walker and sophomores CJ Thew and Christian Schwaiger.

“The boys get together and play a bunch of golf,” Rocksund said. “It’s just fun to coach a team that is that close.”

Polson was third last year and has already squared off with Laurel this season, shooting 309 at the Old Works Challenge. Laurel won at 302, in a four-team meet that included Billings Central and Hamilton.

The medalist was Polson’s Carson Hupka, who fired a 70 to outduel Hackman (72). But that’s just one Pirate to watch for.

“We’ve got everybody back,” Polson coach Cameron Milton said. “On both sides.”

Libby can boast Reese Malyevac and Ronan has Nash Niemyer, Cooper Clary and Trey Samsel. But Polson is loaded.

Hupka was sixth at state last year; Christian Lund, Hunter Emerson and Torrin Ellis were all All-State (top 15). Add in Espn Fisher and that’s a squad.

“It’s an exciting season for us,” Milton said. “We return five all-staters: The four boys and Ashley (Maki).”

Maki was sixth among the State A girls, and Polson was fourth as a team, some 131 strokes off the pace set by Laurel. But on Wednesday the Locomotives shot 394 to win at Old Works, where Polson shot 395.

Maki, Kylee Seifert, Kila Cannon and Clare Konen fared well. “It was kind of a tough, hot, windy day,” Milton noted.

Alyssa Pretty On Top of Ronan is another top golfer returning in the Northwest A; she missed being All-State in 2021 by just three strokes.