Jay golfers beat Rebels to score third win (09/11/03)

PORTLAND — Another solid day from Deanna Drinkut and an extreme personal best lifted the Jay County girls golf team Wednesday.

The Patriots defeated the Muncie Southside Rebels 233-243 in their final home meet of the 2003 season. It was their third dual meet win after some early-season struggles in tournament play.

Drinkut scored a 55, which was good for a one-stroke advantage over her opponent at No. 1, but it was Angie Stultz who put Jay County over the top.

Stultz had two bogeys and a par on her opening four holes en route to shattering her personal-best score with a 56. That was seven strokes better than her previous best number of 63.

“We’re getting scoring from different people that we haven’t gotten all year,” said Jay County coach Doug Tipton. “Deanna is starting to get solid. We can count on her.

“(Angie is) the hardest working kid I’ve seen in a long time. A lot of things came together for her today. She’s really starting to swing well.”

Stultz started well, dropping a bogey on the 289-yard, par-4 10th hole as the teams played the back nine at Portland Country Club.

She scored her lone par of the evening on the next hole, a 260-yard par 4.

Like everyone on both teams, she struggled with the difficult pin placement on No. 11. The pin was located in the front left corner of the heavily-sloped green, with that corner protected by a bunker.

Drinkut had the team’s low score on the hole, a double-bogey seven. Stultz took a nine on the 11th, but bounced back nicely.

She scored her second bogey of the night on the 101-yard, par-3 12th and was on her way to the best round of her short career.

“Definitely my drives (were better),” said a happy Stultz after her round. “My chipping was really good today too.”

Drinkut didn’t have her best round, but found her way to several bogeys to keep her score down.

After a seven on the opening hole, she hit an great drive on PCC’s 11th, leaving herself just 50 yards to the pin. She knocked her second shot onto the green and three-putted for the bogey.

She added back-to-back bogeys on holes 15 and 16 for the best round of the day by any player on either team.

Behind Stultz was senior Blake Hendricks, who out-dueled Rebels No. 3 player Tammy White by three strokes. Hendricks had some difficulties in her round, but rallied late even after taking a 10 on the 16th.

She rebounded for a double-bogey on the 17th, and then scored her lone bogey on the 120-yard, par-3 18th to close with a 60.

Shonda Sutton used 27 strokes on her first three holes, but played the back side’s three par-3s well to finish with a 62. She bogeyed the 13th hole, and finished on the 18th hole with one of the team’s three pars on the day.

Brianne Morrical also had a par — on the 125-yard, par-3 15th — on her way to a 64. In her first varsity match, Alissa McMillan shot a 74.

Tipton said he’s happy with the progress his young golfers are making as the season wears on. He also credited a host of local golfers who have been at the course helping to teach the team.

“That’s the future of our golf team,” he said. “The young kids are coming around and being more consistent.

“These girls are getting a lot of coaching from a lot of people. It’s starting to pay off.”

Jay County plays at Delta today at 4:30 p.m.

The Patriots will then move on to tournament play in the Olympic Athletic Conference meet at Muncie Southside Monday at 10 a.m. Norwell will host the sectional meet at Parlor City Country Club in Bluffton Saturday, Sept. 21 at 9:30 a.m.[[In-content Ad]]