Park Hill has a conference champion golfer for the first time in more than a decade.
On Monday, April 22, Ryan Graves fired a 7-over 72 to win the Suburban Conference Gold Division title at Adams Pointe Golf Course in Blue Springs.
The Trojans senior got the winning score by winning a ‘card off’ with Blue Springs South’s Grant Wall. Both shot 79 so the rules meant the player with the better score on the No. 6 hole would win. Wall had a double bogey and Graves took a bogey, giving him the medalist honors.
On that hole he hit it into the bunker but on his second shot he chipped it to within 10 feet of the hole.
“It feels good,” said the Baker University pledge. “It has been a rough season so this is good momentum going into the postseason. It is pretty cool and it feels good. It is something I will talk about for a long time, but I’m not done.”
He shot a 79 last year at the conference meet but that was only good enough for a top five finish. He had his lone birdie on the day at No. 14.
Graves is the first Trojan to win a conference title since Ryne Kloeppel did so in 2007. He ended up playing at Central Missouri, helping the Mules win a MIAA title.
Park Hill had one other medalist — Grant Schumacher, who shot 81 and took seventh place. Joey Keeth took 16th in the standings, part of a four-way tie with 87s.
Park Hill finished third in the team standings with a 342. Blue Springs South won with a 320, while Blue Springs took second at 336.
SUBURBAN CONFERENCE BLUE
League newcomers Smithville took first place at the Suburban Blue meet on Monday, April 22 at Shiloh Springs Golf Course.
The Warriors shot 329 to win the league title, while the host Pirates came in second with a 354. Fellow league newcomer Grain Valley took third at 363.
Kearney’s Payne Gallagher shot 76 to win the championship.
Platte County’s Logan Hessemyer shot a 9-over 80 to finish in a tie for third with Smithville’s Nick Nielsen. Brady Wright shot 84 for the Pirates and took sixth, giving Platte County two first-team all-conference picks.
Blake Minyard shot 93 and took 12th, giving him honorable mention all-conference honors.
“We had a pretty good day today,” Platte County coach Trevor Short said. “We knew going into the tournament that Smithville had a strong team and it showed today. We posted some good scores, but it just wasn’t enough to regain the title. I am very proud of the way that the team played today and was able to take second place overall. We fell just a bit short of one of our team goals for the season, but we still have another opportunity to reach our second team goal of advancing a team to the sectional tournament.”
SUBURBAN CONFERENCE RED
Park Hill South’s Jay Threadgill and Jack Bjorn each shot 83s to secure a top-10 finish at the Suburban Red meet held at WinterStone Golf Course on Monday, April 22 in Independence.
Threadgill finished ninth, while Bjorn took 10th.
The Panthers were fifth overall with a team score of 348.
Liberty won the team title by shooting 321, while Tanner Collins of Liberty North was the medalist with a 1-over 73.
OTHER MATCHES
Park Hill 169, Platte County 180
In the showdown for the Bragging Rights Trophy, the Trojans picked up an 11-shot victory on Wednesday, April 17 at Tiffany Springs Golf Course.
Medalist honors went to Ryan Graves, who shot a 37 to claim a two-shot victory over Platte County’s Logan Hessemyer.
The next lowest scores were 43s from Park Hill’s Grant Schumacher and Vince King.
UP NEXT
The three area teams will compete in the district tournaments on Monday, April 29. Platte County will head to the Class 3 District 8 meet at Paradise Pointe in Smithville. The Pirates will be on the Outlaw Course.
On the Posse Course, Park Hill and Park Hill South will play in the Class 4 District 8 meet.
Platte County will play the on the Smithville course on Wednesday, April 24, against Smithville and Kearney in the 92 Showdown Match. Park Hill has a match on Friday, April 26 against Rockhurst at Swope Park Golf Course.