More than a dozen golf carts full of family members and friends of the golfers took to the links Monday, March 28 at Shiloh Springs Golf Course.
Platte County had plenty of rust to polish off in its first action since a spring break layoff. Despite the rust and windy conditions the Pirates moved to 2-0 in duals this season with a 180-212 win against North Kansas City in front of a possible record attendance.
“We had great fan support today,” Platte County coach Trevor Short said. “It was awesome. We like seeing fans. We don’t get a lot of non-family member fans, and we did today. The boys liked seeing that. Hopefully, we can start getting a few more out here.
BRYCE MERENESS/Citizen photo
Grass flies as Platte County senior Matt Madill hits an approach shot on Monday, March 28 at Shiloh Springs Golf Course in a dual with North Kansas City.
“It might have been a record attendance. There’s a good chance. It was a record student attendance; we’ll say that.”
Platte County senior Matt Madill earned his second medalist honors in two events with a 6-over 43.
Each of the Pirates four counting scores were in the 40s with Gary Hennessey (44), Peyton Boekhout (46) and Jack Louderoute (47) rounding out the team’s 180 strokes. Madill, Platte County’s lone returning full-time starter and a Culver Stockton College signee, started with a pair of pars before a string of six bogeys in seven holes to close out the round.
However, after the week layoff the scores were higher than some would’ve liked after an 18-hole win against Kearney over spring break.
“Overall, they did OK,” Short said. “It’s early in the season. We’ll just work all of the kinks out as we move forward. It’s a few things here or there. We’ll tweak them a little bit. I think it will help us prepare for the tournaments at the end of the year. That’s our main goal, to do well in those.”
BRYCE MERENESS/Citizen photo
Platte County’s Payton Boekhout hits a tee shot on the par-4 No. 7 on Monday, March 28 at Shiloh Springs Golf Course.
Platte County’s first tournament is scheduled for Wednesday, March 30 at the Winnetonka Invitational. The Pirates won the tournament last year in a 11-team field, but only Only Madill and Boekhout return from the championship squad, but both earned medals at the event for placing in the top ten.
Madill finished in a second-place tie, while Boekhout came in seventh.
“Look forward to Wednesday when we go to Winnetonka,” Short said. “We won it last year. Hopefully, we can defend it.
“We’ll have some new faces to mix in.”
Klint Andrews Invitational
Park Hill South senior Tanner Owen collected another tournament win, posting a 2-under 70 on Monday, March 28 at Longview Golf Course in Lee’s Summit, Mo. The University of Nebraska signee has won both tournaments so far this season after earning all-state honors a year ago in the Class 4 Missouri State Golf Championships.
Park Hill South finished in a tie for eighth in the 20-team field with a 338 team total. Park Hill finished 12th with a 349.
Kris Snodgrass, the Trojans’ top finisher and a returning state qualifier, finished in a tie for 18th, just missing out on a top-15 finish and a medal.
Park Hill South senior Zach Bischler came in with a 15-over 87, good for a tie for 39th. Tate Summa (90) and Matt Dieleman (91) rounded out the counting four for the Panthers.
Park Hill sophomore Davin Dorrell finished in a tie for 43rd with an 88. Randen Plattner and Tim Cation both shot 90s to round out the Trojans team score.
Park Hill South quad
Owen took medalist honors and nearly led Park Hill South to a win in an 18-hole quadrangular matchup Tuesday, March 23 at The Deuce in Parkville, Mo.
Owen shot a 7-over 77 to beat Bischler and Liberty North’s Logan Graybill by three strokes. Liberty North finished with a team total of 331 with all four players at 84 or lower.
Park Hill South carded a 335 with Summa (85) and Dillon Murray and Dieleman (matching 93s) rounding out the lineup.
Park Hill finished fourth with a 394. Dorrel and Plattner led the Trojans, both shooting a 93.