Jay slams Tigers (04/20/07)

The Patriots made their home-course advantage count.

Playing at Portland Golf Club for the first time this season, the Jay County boys golf team posted its second-best score in five rounds this year for a 171-203 victory over the visiting Bluffton Tigers.

"Our course is a little bit tougher than some of the other courses we've played," said JCHS coach Butch Gray, noting the fairly quick greens. "I'm looking for the five that are going to be consistent, and still haven't found that. It's one of those years where the JV some nights could out-shoot them."

The Patriots gave Gray four scores of 44 or better for the victory, including a team-best 40 from his son Adam.

The top score for Bluffton was a 47 by Jason Cook. Clint Baumgartner followed at 48, Simon Knoise shot 51 and Jacob Mayer finished the team score with a 57.

Adam Gray has been the top scorer for Jay County in every meet thus far, and got off to a good start at PGC as he played the first five holes of the back nine at even par.

His lone birdie came on the 498-yard, par-5 12th, where he was on the green easily in two shots. He left a downhill eagle putt short and to the left of the hole, and rolled the ball in from inside of two feet for his birdie.

Gray also had pars on the opening 348-yard, par-4 10th, 150-yard, par-3 13th, 520-yard, par-5 14th and 354-yard, par-4 16th to finish with a 40.

The sophomore has been under par twice already this year, including a round of 34 at Albany Golf Club Monday when the Patriots put up their season-best 166.

"In those two (rounds) I thought he really focused on kids he was playing against - (Drew) Imel from Norwell and (Chase) Wright from Delta," said Butch Gray. "It was kind of a personal challenge. As far as his concentration, I've been very, very happy."

Jonathon Fennig came up big for the Patriots as he turned in the team's No. 2 score for the second straight meet.

Fennig was the only Jay County player other than Gray to notch a birdie. He played the 16th hole at 1-under to go along with a par on the 14th as he finished at 43.

Gray Suman and Justen Moser rounded out the team score as they each shot 44.

Suman was consistent throughout his round, bogeying seven of the first eight holes. He picked up his lone par of the evening on the long 14th, joining Gray, Fennig and Chris Shannon in playing the hole even.

Moser found the water hazard and struggled to an eight on the opening hole of the night, but didn't let that faze him. He bogeyed the 370-yard, par-4 11th, then posted back-to-back pars on the 12th and 13th holes. He added another par on the 16th and bogeyed each of the final two holes for his 44.

"The thing that I'm seeing that I'm liking out of them is that when those kids start with eights, they stick with it and don't give up and throw it in," said Gray. "We're just looking for that consistency."

Shannon had one par in his round as he finished at 54.

Jay County also had a pair of junior varsity players on the course, while Bluffton did not field a JV team.

Luke Darby turned in an even-keel round with two pars on the way to a 43. Cook matched Moser's eight on the 10th hole, but came back with three pars and a birdie on No. 13 for a 44.[[In-content Ad]]