Ankeny Centennial senior Zach Hoffman shot a 79 to place 13th in the season-opening Jesse Peck Invitational on Aug. 14 at Briarwood Golf Club. He helped the Jaguars to a fifth-place finish in the eight-team field.
Hoffman is the top returning player from a team that posted a 3-5 record in the CIML Conference last year. He played in 11 events and ranked second on the squad with a 78.5 average.
The Jaguars will face Dowling Catholic and Waukee Northwest in a conference triangular meet on Monday at Jester Park.
Here is some inside info on Hoffman:
Were you happy with your first round of the season?
It wasn’t my best showing, but overall with the weather I can’t be too disappointed.
I know you birdied two of the par-5 holes. Did you make some long putts, or did you stick your approach shots close to the pin?
On 14, the first par-5 I birdied, I had just a tap in because of a nice chip, and the other one I hit the green in two (shots). It was very stress-free both times.
You did have a triple bogey on the par-4, No. 18 hole. What happened there?
I got myself in a lot of trouble from the start by putting my drive into the hazard, and then it just became a struggle to put the ball into the hole after that. I three-putted.
I know it rained off and on throughout the day. Were the conditions difficult to deal with?
The rain definitely made it difficult to focus at times, and the wind forced you to make some shots that normally wouldn’t make a ton of sense.
Your team finished with a 317 total, but was just three strokes behind second-place Ankeny. What did you think of your team’s performance?
With the weather and many players with no varsity experience, I think the team overall did very well handling the first meet of the year. They will definitely improve as they get more experience.
Considering that you were the only returning varsity regular on the team, what kind of expectations did you have coming into the season? Did you think the squad could be pretty competitive?
Although we lost five starters from last year, I knew we had some good players last year that could compete and perform, as well as the talented now sophomores that would make this team competitive.
It seems like your team has a lot of depth because three of the JV players shot an 80 or better, including a 76 by Tiernan Logan that was the best score on the squad. Do you think the varsity lineup could change frequently throughout the season?
It’s great to see for the program the fact that we have a lot of people that can step up when needed to help the team, especially the younger guys. I do believe the lineup will be fluid, and it will definitely help us later in the season.
Your team has a new head coach this season in Andrew Reedy. Has it been a smooth transition thus far?
Coach Reedy has been great. He’s helped all of us with our game with swing tips and course management. He has this program in a great spot this year and in the future.
Goals for the season?
Having a scoring average of 77 or better is my main goal for the year, and of course making state.
Are you excited that the state meet will be played at Otter Creek, because I assume that’s a course you’re pretty familiar with if you can make it to state?
Having state at Otter could be a huge advantage to everyone on our team as it’s a course many of us have played countless times.
Are you planning to play golf in college?
I am not. I plan on going to Iowa State for something in Finance.