Golf in full swing for local athletes
With the 2016 season officially under way for boys golf, plenty of local athletes in the valley have taken to courses all over the area to hone in their games. Recently, local schools Rifle and Basalt hit the links, starting with Monday’s tournament at Yampa Valley.
At the Moffat County High School Invitational, Basalt finished fourth overall with a team score of 245, while Rifle finished seventh overall with a team score of 258.
For Rifle, Jacob Smith finished sixth overall with a score of 74, just six strokes behind the invitational winner, Trevor Olkowski, of Grand Junction with a score of 68. Wolfgang Smith shot an 86 for the Bears, while Keegan McCarthy shot a 98 to round out the day for the Rifle varsity team.
Holden Kleager had a strong day for the Basalt Longhorns, shooting a round of 79 to finish ninth overall, while Kleager’s brother, Linc, shot a round of 83, finishing just four shots off the top spot for Basalt. Joining the Kleager brothers was Drew Broadhurst, who also shot a season-best round of 83 in competition, tying Linc’s mark for second on the team.
Brandon Benzel shot a 92 for the Longhorns, while Tanner Korn’s round of 98 closed out the tournament for the Basalt squad.
In junior varsity action at the Moffat County High School Invitational, Basalt’s Blake Exelbert shot a tournament-low round of 84, winning the JV competition, while teammate Matt McGarry recorded a round of 98 on the day.
With Monday’s action behind them, the Longhorns played another tournament, Tuesday, this time in Steamboat Springs at the Steamboat Springs High School Invitational.
While in Steamboat, the Longhorns finished fifth overall in team scores with a single-day total of 234.
Linc Kleager led the way with a round of 75, while Holden Kleager finished two shots behind with a 77. Linc’s round was good for seventh overall, while Holden tied for 10th overall.
Along with the Kleager brothers, Blake Exelbert shot a round of 82, while Tanner Korn (91) and Drew Broadhurst (94) rounded out a second straight strong showing for the Longhorns early in the season.
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