Warriors go to 3-0, Bulldogs going lower
Published 9:56 pm Monday, August 15, 2011
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Nansemond River’s Jacob Foster reads a birdie putt on No. 18 on Monday at Portsmouth’s Bide-A-Wee Golf Course. Foster finished with an 84 as the Warriors beat Oscar Smith 320-424 to remain undefeated through three matches.
PORTSMOUTH — Nansemond River was the only Suffolk golf squad to come away with a win on Monday as Bide-A-Wee played a tough host to three Southeastern District matches.
King’s Fork and Bulldog head coach Calvin Mitchell can be forgiven if they feel confident, if not victorious, three matches into the season.
A week ago, the Bulldogs opened the season with a 401 team score. KF lopped 31 shots from its score in beating Oscar Smith on Wednesday. The Bulldogs improved by 25 more shots on Monday despite a 313-345 final score against Great Bridge.
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King’s Fork’s Griffen Saylor watches his shot from a fairway bunker to the No. 18 green at Bide-A-Wee Golf Course in Portsmouth on Monday. Saylor shot 82. The Bulldogs lost 313-345 against Great Bridge. In the first three matches of the season, KF’s team scores have been, in order 401, 370 and Monday’s 345.
“The whole team is better. We had three players in the 80s today. That’s a major improvement,” Mitchell said.
Andrew Womack led the Bulldogs with an 81. Griffen Saylor shot an 82. William Crow shot an 89 and Jordan Gist completed the four Bulldog scores with a 93.
“We’ll keep working on things we’re having trouble with and hopefully, I think, we can keep dropping at least 10 strokes a round and that will get us really competitive,” Mitchell said.
Great Bridge’s top player, Lauren Kruszewski, carded the best round of the day through all of the district matches, firing a three-under par 69.
Griffin Genier birdied three straight holes, Nos. 15-17, to be the medalist in the Nansemond River and Oscar Smith match, shooting 75. The Warriors won 320-424.
Genier birdied No. 4, a 180-yard par-three, but made the turn in five-over par 41. He was six-over par until catching fire on the last four holes.
On No. 15, a short par four, Genier laid back off the tee with a four iron. He almost holed out with a lob wedge and tapped in from two feet for a three.
Genier hit a seven iron onto the green at the par-three No. 16 and made a 25-foot putt.
On No. 17, a par five, Genier played his second shot clear of the water hazard, going short and right of the green. He chipped onto the green and made a 10-foot birdie putt.
Genier, a sophomore, played the back nine in two-under par 34. He said it was his first time, competitive round or not, stringing together such a birdie streak.
Travis Johnson shot 80. Bryce Strong shot 81. Shanice Mason and Jacob Foster each shot 84.
Lakeland got a fine round from its top player, senior Ryan Sigler, but fell to Hickory 321-392.
Sigler birdied three holes in shooting a 79. Sigler birdied No. 8, a 421-yard par-four, No. 11, the shortest par four on the course and the final hole.
Evan Norris and J.T. Potts each shot 96 for the Cavaliers.
Lakeland (0-3) and King’s Fork (1-2) meet on Thursday, not on one of Suffolk’s five courses, but at Elizabeth Manor Country Club in Portsmouth.
Nansemond River (3-0) meets Grassfield on Wednesday at Elizabeth Manor. Elizabeth Manor is a new course for the Southeastern District, for season matches or tournaments.
“Grassfield will be our first true test. They have a very good team, so we’ve got to get focused at practice (Tuesday),” said Nansemond River head coach Craig Stephenson.