East High Golf - Thursday, April 11, 2024
After kicking off our season with a relatively rough day at Auburn Hills on April 8, the East High golfers got right back at it last Thursday as they took part in the Newton Invitational at Sand Creek Station Golf Course. If you're not familiar with Sand Creek Station, it is truly one of the best courses in the region, and in fact, this July will host its second USGA championship, the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open. It is a challenging course that, coupled with the gale-force winds that were forecasted, would be an extreme test for our golfers.
At Auburn Hills, sophomore Talen Nasone did not get his season off to the kind of start he was hoping for. I was curious as to how he would react in Newton, especially considering how difficult the conditions would be. I think he accepted the conditions as a challenge, because he reacted just fine. He returned to form with a three-over par 75, which included a one-under front nine, an exceptional score with the wind we encountered. Talen finished in third place, his second straight year in the top-three at this tournament.
Junior Anderson Tung also had a solid, steady day, shooting a ten-over par 82, good enough for a T13th. His round was similar to the round he shot at Auburn earlier in the week: he had one score of 6, and on the other 17 holes, he had either 3s, 4s, or 5s. That kind of consistency is exceptional. Truly.
While Talen and Anderson posted nice scores on the day, the rest of our squad continued to struggle a little bit. Senior Owen Knipp did improve from his performance on Monday, but he would be the first to tell you he's not quite where he wants to be. Owen shot a 104 to T88th.
Sophomore Alec Gatzulis got his first taste of varsity action this year, along with his first taste of Sand Creek Station. While Alec did piece together a few highlights, including two pars on the day, he ended up 105th with a score of 119.
I have a difficult time remembering when I have seen junior Donovan Bergen more disappointed on a golf course. It just seemed like nothing was going right for the poor kid. Hopefully it was just one of those days. Donovan shot a 120 to finish T106th.
After Monday's tournament, I came up with a great idea: let's give freshman Kyran Shane the opportunity to make his varsity debut at Sand Creek! As the day progressed, I'm fairly certain that Kyran wasn't viewing it as some kind of honor. The tough course and the wind were just too much, as he shot a 132 to finish 114th. Despite his struggles, I feel confident that he will bounce back.
The tournament was won by Derby senior Jaydon Carruthers, who shot a one-under par 71, a REALLY good score on that particular day. His score card included three 2s (birdies on par threes), which I thought was kinda cool. Derby also took home the team title, while East finished T15th. For complete tournament results, click here.
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