Timberwolves Open Eyes In Season Opener
The Timberwolves braved the blistering cold and warnings of freezing rain to open their season at Onondaga. It was well worth the discomfort as they stormed onto the scene with a top two finish, despite not having their top returner for the trip. Connor Marvin stayed behind for family reasons, but was a big part of the green and gold's success in their first tournament.
Ben Hersey led Coach Carpenter's squad with a 76, which tied him for 2nd on the leaderboard, trailing the medalist by 1 stroke. Hersey put up a phenomenal round considering the conditions and could have easily led the tournament were it not for a few slip ups in the final few holes that saw him bogey 3 of 4. His long game, mid range game and putting were on full display all day as he dissected the course. The highlight from his round was a perfectly struck tee shot on the 8th hole that landed within a few feet of the pin and rolled to within mere inches. He would make the short putt for birdie.
Ryan Bussing followed him up with an 80 on the day, placing him 7th on the leaderboard. Bussing used a power game to fight through the course, but more importantly found a unique way to fend off the chill between holes. He was often seen jogging from green to tee box to keep the blood moving, which seems to have worked.
Kyle Wilson and Garrett Stevens fought for the 3rd spot all day, with Wilson taking it 88 to 90. Brett Lloyd rounded out the squad with an even 100.
The team total of 334 was good for 2nd place in the 10 team tournament that doubled as the Mid-State Athletic Conference Championship. They had 1st place aspirations until Niagara's 5th place golfer provided a clutch performance, coming in at 76 to overtake the Timberwolves at the last moment.
Final Standings:
- Niagara
- SUNY Adirondack
- Mohawk Valley
- Onondaga
- Hudson Valley
- Tompkins Cortland
- Jefferson
- Genesee
- Herkimer
- Cayuga
The Timberwolves are right back at it as they stay overnight and compete at Tompkins Cortland on April 15th.