Colby golf kicks off 2021 postseason
The Colby Hornets varsity golf program kicked off the 2021 post-season last week, participating in the Cloverbelt Conference Championships on Tuesday, May 25, at the 18-hole Skyline Golf Course in Black River Falls.
“We departed at 5:45 a.m. to get to the course in time for some range time prior to teeing off at 9 a.m.,” Hornets head coach Brandon Butkus said. “The course conditions were truly some of the best, if not the best, we have seen all season. Weather was beautiful with only a slight shower right at tee off.”
That early start seemed to have made a big difference as the Hornets posted some of their best scores for the year, and against some of the best competition in all of central Wisconsin.
“Jaden Underwood carded his best 18 hole score of the year, with Justin Hill and Carson Rau right on his heels.”
The McDonell/Regis Saints continued their dominant season, clinching the conference meet and the regular season titles on May 25. The Saints won the meet 321 strokes to Columbus’s 363. Fall Creek was third with 185.
The Saints won the regular season title by finishing with 110 points, with Columbus/Spencer totalling 84.5 points. Points were awarded for team placement at each conference meet over the season.
Colby finished with 23.5 points, edging out Thorp’s 22.5 and Owen-Withee’s 14 points to place ninth in the Cloverbelt Conference’s regular season standings.
“We as a team would like to congratulate McDonell Regis on their conference championship, and Columbus/Spencer on their second place finish,” Butkus said after the meet was over.
At the Skyline Golf Course, McDonnell/ Regis and Columbus/Spencer took eight of the top ten spots. Colby finished ninth overall with a team score of 467.
Underwood led Colby on May 25 by carding a 104 at Black River Falls to finish in 33rd overall. Hill and Rau were not that far behind. Hill finished just one stroke shy of matching Underwood, placing 35th overall with 105 strokes.
Rau was only five strokes of Underwood, placing third for the Hornets in 43rd place with a 109. Kyla Kaphamer and Tony Derrico were the fourth and fifth golfers for Colby. Kaphamer carded a 149 to place 51st overall. Derrico finished with a 155 for 52nd overall.
“I witnessed multiple missed opportunities that would have helped us advance up the scoreboard, but in the end the scores have been coming down,” Butkus said as he evaluated his players’ performances. “It is hard to compete against the top couple teams who have deserved their rankings.”
The Hornets next meet will be the WIAA D-3 regional at the Pine Valley Golf course in Marathon City on Tuesday, June 1. Results and story for the regional meet will be in next week’s paper.
