Bulldog golf improves steadily
JULIE ENGLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 1 month AGO
Julie Engler covers Whitefish City Hall and writes community features for the Whitefish Pilot. She earned master's degrees in fine arts and education from the University of Montana. She can be reached at jengler@whitefishpilot.com or 406-882-3505. | September 20, 2023 12:00 AM
Buffalo Hill Golf Club hosted the Kalispell Invite last week and Whitefish Coach Tait Rocksund said the Bulldogs played well.
The Glacier Wolfpack won the boys team title, while the Whitefish boys finished in seventh place.
After Trevor Cunningham of Glacier and Carson Hupka of Polson ended up tied at the end of 36 holes at the Kalispell Invitational golf meet, they had a long playoff. They remained tied after playing the 18th hole four times.
The winner was determined on the “19th hole,” a makeshift par-3 that employs the practice green near the clubhouse. Hupka ended up well short of the green before Cunningham knocked his tee shot to around five feet. His two-putt par won it.
Bulldog Riley Brown shot a 156 in the two-day tournament.
“Riley Brown and Otto Klein continue to anchor the team with Aiden Rickels posting numbers consistently in the 80s now for us as well,” Rocksund said. “If our boys team can be focused on course management and making good decisions during tournament play, I like our chances to get a team to state this year.”
Polson was the top girls team with a team score of 731. Glacier’s Chloe Tanner took medalist honors for the first time on the girls side. Tanner shot Wednesday’s low round of 77 to win by one.
The Whitefish girls team continues to improve as the season progresses and they earned seventh place with Leia Brennan and Ryhlee Scott finishing in the top twenty with scores of 188 and 198, respectively.
“Leia Brennan and Ryhlee Scott both put together two solid days of golf to lead our girls team,” Rocksund said. “Our goal is to be around 400 to have a shot at making it to state.”
The team plays the Western A Divisionals on Sept. 21 at the Whitefish Lake Golf Club.
Results:
Boys Team scores — 1, Glacier 578; 2, Missoula Sentinel 595; 3, Polson 606; 4, Hamilton 661; 5, Missoula Big Sky 663; 6, Great Falls CMR 672; 7, Whitefish 675; 8, Great Falls 691; 9, Columbia Falls 703; 10, Missoula Hellgate 727; 11, Bigfork 778.
Whitefish Boys in top 25:
Riley Brown, Whitefish 77-79—156
Girls Team scores — 1, Polson 731; 2, Great Falls CMR 761; 3, Hamilton 768; 4, Glacier 775; 5, Hellgate 784; 6, Sentinel 818; 7, Whitefish 827; 8, Flathead 843; 9, Great Falls 843; 10, Bigfork 859; 11, Columbia Falls 918.
Whitefish Girls in top 25:
Leia Brennan, Whitefish 92-96—188, Ryhlee Scott, Whitefish 103-95—198
