The gold medal needed a bigger ribbon to fit around the necks of both Christopher Obert and Sam Holmes of Glendale. Each shot a 73 to tie for low score of the day and made the Glendale Falcons the clubhouse leader at the Hickory Hills Country Club High School Invitational with a combined 303.
Obert said he didn’t have a goal coming out today, except to take it shot by shot and hit as many fairways and greens as possible.
“Not any part of my game stands out, just the combination of everything that makes a great round,” Obert said. “Just playing consistently and keeping the ball where you can see it is key.”
Holmes finished strong, ending on his best stretch of the day. He finished two under on his last five holes to tie for top individual.
“I actually felt really good out there today,” Holmes said. “My tee shot was the best it’s been this year so far and I just tried to take each shot one at a time.”
This was the second team win in as many tournaments for the Falcons who took the top spot at Missouri State University’s team relays last week. Coach Chris Obert said the team isn’t focusing on results and is instead working on building on their success and learning each time they step foot on the course.
“Every day we go out, it’s basically about taking advantage of the effort they put in on a daily basis and their practice in the off season,” Obert said. “They put in a lot of effort and are always learning something new. Even though they had a good day today, each one can walk away knowing they learned something out there.”
Alex Locke and Graham Sherard shot 77 and 80 respectively to round out the Falcon squad that took first place in the field of 18 teams from all over the Ozarks.
Nevada’s foursome of John Quitno, Levi Palmer, Jacob Hammontree and Patrick Ferry combined for 317 and took second place honors. Quitno’s 75 tied Catholic’s Nick Walz for second best individual score of the day.
Bright sun, warm temperatures and slight breeze made for ideal conditions on the course, something the players haven’t been used to thus far in the season. But playing in cold wind made today’s round seem like a breeze.
“The conditions were good—warm and not much wind,” Holmes said. “It was a great change for our last tournament but it actually gives you more confidence. If you can hit it well in the wind, you can hit it anytime.”
Final team scores:
1. Glendale 303
2. Nevada 317
3. Catholic 324
4. Logan-Rogersville 327
5. Nixa 330
6. Greenwood 337
7. West Plains 338
8. Kickapoo 343
9. Aurora 349
10. Webb City 353
11. Ozark 360
12. Willard 379
13. Carthage 381
14. Hillcrest 389
15. Branson 396
16. Joplin 400
17. Central 440
18. Parkview 457
