JC out-pars Stars (05/11/07)

They don't get to play their home course very often. But when they do, the Patriots make it count.

Jay County's boys golf team matched its best score of the season Thursday, posting a 166-186 victory over the South Adams Starfires at Portland Golf Club.

It was just the second home match for the Patriots, who only have four out of 11 dual and three-team meets scheduled at PGC this year. And they matched the top score they put up April 16 at Albany despite playing from the gold (championship) tees, which adds more than 200 yards to the course.

"I'm very pleased with a 166 with the varsity kids playing the gold tees," said JCHS coach Butch Gray, whose team's only other home match was a 171-203 victory over Bluffton. "I can't remember very often ever playing gold tees with varsity kids, but I thought (it was a good idea) going into conference on Monday and getting ready for sectional. They always move everything back and stretch the course out. I thought the kids played well.

"When you have a 39, a 41 and two 43s, the kids have played well."

Adam Gray led the Patriots (5-4) with a 4-over-par 39, and his seven pars were more the entire South Adams team (six). Gray had two sets of three consecutive pars - on holes 10 through 12 and 14 through 16. After a double-bogey on 17, he rebounded to close with a par on the 194-yard, par-3 18th.

Gray got excellent support from the rest of the squad with a 41 from Justen Moser and matching 43s by Gray Suman and Chris Shannon to complete the team score.

Moser trailed Gray with three pars, and played especially well on the 12th and 13th holes.

He hit each of his first two shots right down the middle of the fairway on the 508-yard, par-5 12th and finished with a par. He followed with a birdie on the 163-yard, par-3 13th, and closed his round with back to back pars on 17 and 18.

"Since the Winchester Invitational when he had a 90, he has just got that confidence level coming up," said Butch Gray. "And as I watch Suman over the last couple of days, his swing has been much (more free) and he's just been hitting the ball and playing like he's able to."

South Adams' top score was a 43 from Phil Goodwin, and Landyn Waugh had the lone birdie for the Starfires as he finished at 44. Randy Potts had a 47, and Thurman Pursley rounded out the SAHS score at 52.

Shannon matched Suman for the Patriots with a 43 despite an adventurous opening hole.

His second shot on the 363-yard, par-4 10th bounced on the main road to the clubhouse, and he ended up with a triple-bogey 7.

But the senior immediately bounced back, hitting his second shot on the 381-yard, par-4 11th hole to the dead center of the green. He rolled in his birdie putt, came up with back-to-back pars on the 14th and 15th and scored a second birdie on the 366-yard, par-4 17th.

Gray said he felt his players were well-prepared for the challenge of playing from the gold tees.

"The nice thing was we had practiced at three different sets of tees during the week just to give them variety," he said. "So, the golds didn't scare them. The toughest thing they had to play were the greens and the pin placements."

He also credited the weather as a reason for his team's progress.

"We're able to be out here more and play more," said Gray. "That gives us a chance to improve."

Johnathon Fennig also shot a 45 for the Patriots, and Aaron Daniels finished at 52.

Junior varsity

Chase Wellman led Jay County to a 187-208 victory over the Starfires.

Wellman had a shaky start on No. 10, but came back with a par on the next hole. He added back-to-back pars on Nos. 14 and 15 for a 45.

Luke Darby and Kyle Wellman each shot 47, and C.J. Comer had a 48.

Stuart Poulson had the top SAHS score with a 49.[[In-content Ad]]