Focused Jay Co. golfers win first dual meet (08/03/07)

Tom Ferguson called an end to a recent practice and told his players they were allowed to leave. Fifteen minutes later, they were all still on the course.

It's that attitude that has the sixth-year Jay County girls golf coach excited about his team's prospects.

"I just want them to keep a positive attitude like they are," said Ferguson, noting that every player stayed after practice for at least an extra 20 minutes that day. "It's just been very nice, and they want to work.

"The kids want to be out here. They're having fun and working hard. ... No one wanted to be the first to leave, I don't think."

Getting their season started several weeks before the rest of the fall sports, the Patriot golfers have already started to see that attitude produce positive results.

After opening 19 strokes worse than last year's team at the Richmond Invitational, the 2007 squad matched the '06 team's effort with a score of 213 on the front nine and a fourth-place finish at the Monroe Central tournament.

Then, in their first dual meet action Thursday, the Patriots bettered last year's team score by nine strokes in a 213-228 victory over the Tri Titans.

And they're doing it without the benefit of two of their top three returning players - Ivy Simons and Jennifer Hunt - who are part of the JCHS marching band.

"It is nice to get wins when you're missing several of your varsity players," said Ferguson after the victory over Tri.

As has been the case for each of the past three seasons, Trisha Champ will lead Jay County.

The senior is a three-time regional qualifier and narrowly missed a state berth last season. She posted two of her five sub-40 nine-hole rounds of the season at the East Noble regional at Cobblestone Golf Club to finish fifth overall and just two strokes short of advancing.

"We have the same individual goal, which is to go down to the state tournament," said Ferguson. "... we really need her to perform at sectional this year, because our team goal is definitely to give ourselves and opportunity to advance to regional as a team. I feel ... that's a realistic goal this year with this team."

Champ has been far and away the top scorer through the first three events of the 2007 season, averaging just over 42 strokes per nine holes. Her nine-hole average in 2006 was 42.2.

She recorded a 3-over-par 40 Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course - a par 37, including the par-6 fifth hole - to easily take match medalist honors. Her round included pars on the first and third holes, then four straight pars on five through eight.

"She's got the long game, the short game. She's got every part of the game," said Ferguson. "She's a good player and a solid putter. She just needs to give herself more opportunities to score this year.

"Trisha has played enough this summer and scored well enough this summer - she's shot in the 70s enough times now - to where she has the confidence that she can do it. ... I think she knows what she's capable of now."

Jay County's solid start has come without Simons and Hunt, the only two returning players other than Champ to post averages in the 50s last season.

Simons was the No. 2 golfer on the team a year ago with two rounds in the 40s and an average of 53.7. Her 105 was the second-best score for the Patriots in the 2006 sectional.

"Ivy's very consistent in her scoring," said Ferguson. "She's going to post a score probably between 45 and 52 on a regular basis this year for nine holes. We can count on a score out of Ivy almost every day.

"One big positive is Trisha and Ivy both played in tournaments this summer ... which is something we've lacked in the program. ... That definitely is going to help those two. ... They're coming in in shape."

Hunt played in about half of the varsity matches in 2006, recording a 56.3 average. She had just one round over 60, and put up her best score in her final varsity round of the year - a 51 against Delta.

"Jennifer has a lot of natural ability," said Ferguson. "Sometimes it takes a while for her to get going ... but then she has a few good holes to counter that."

The remaining two spots in the starting lineup remain up in the air, and the first several matches are serving as de facto playoff for those roles.

Freshman Cara Garringer has made a strong case for a starting spot early on. She was the No. 2 scorer behind Champ in each of the first two tournaments, and finished just one stroke behind Rachel Osterholt for the No. 2 spot against Tri.

After struggling to a 10 on the fifth hole Thursday, she bounced back for three straight bogies to finish at 58. Her average through five nine-hole rounds is 57.40.

Osterholt, who bogied her final hole Thursday for a 57 and has a 58.4 average, and Alex Bunch, who had three pars against the Titans to match Garringer with a 58, are also in the mix for varsity playing time. Brittany Schlater, who has also missed the early action because of band commitments, is also in the hunt after averaging 60 in limited varsity action a year ago.

"We don't really know yet," said Ferguson of the starting lineup. "I feel like I have three solid starters with Jennifer, Ivy and Trisha.

"We've told them all, 'We don't really know who's going to play varsity.' Even in practice I'll take two or three of them out and we'll play four or five holes ... and they know that pretty much they're playing against each other ... And Monday's match was a challenge situation somewhat (for Tuesday's match)."

That kind of intrasquad competition can only be good for the team, for which Ferguson has high hopes. He's looking for the 2007 squad to make a run at an Olympic Athletic Conference title, come through with a winning season after finishing 6-6 a year ago and break 400 at sectional to put them in contention for a regional berth.

Jay County finished second in the four-team OAC in 2006, and was sixth out of 11 teams with a score of 420 at the Norwell sectional.[[In-content Ad]]