Wednesday’s Ankeny Invitational at Otter Creek showed the Ankeny boys’ golf team just how difficult it is to post a low score from one day to the next.
After shooting a total of 277 on Tuesday at Willow Creek, the seventh-ranked Hawks struggled to a fifth-place finish among 11 teams in their home tournament 24 hours later. They finished with a score of 306, edging No. 12 Ankeny Centennial by one shot for fifth place.
“Today was not quite like (Tuesday) in more ways than one,” said Ankeny coach Mike Weddingfeld. “It was much cooler, the wind blew harder, and our scores were definitely higher. I didn’t think that we played our best today, but I did fear our ability to go out after a record-setting day and go low again. I think the boys sometimes feel that once they shoot a low score then they should be able to shoot that same score every day, and that is just not how golf usually is for the average player. Golf is such a mental game, and it is a learning curve to be able to accept some higher scores from day to day. The weather changes, the course changes, and your scores change.”
Still, the Hawks avenged their one-stroke loss to Centennial at the Waukee Northwest Invitational on Thursday at The Legacy Golf Club in Norwalk. The Jaguars lost to their crosstown rival for the fourth time in five meetings, despite shooting their second-lowest score of the season.
“We had four pretty solid scores, but each of them came with some mistakes that cost them,” said Centennial coach Andrew Reedy.
No. 6 Southeast Polk shot a 290 to capture the team title, edging No. 5 Dowling Catholic by one stroke. No. 9 Valley was third with a 294.
The Maroons were denied a third consecutive crown.
“We play some of the toughest competition in the state every tournament so it is hard to always finish on top,” Weddingfeld said.
Carter Yurgae of Dowling shot a 3-under-par 68 to earn medalist honors, finishing one stroke ahead of Southeast Polk’s Landen Van Erem. Yurgae made three consecutive birdies beginning with the No. 3 hole.
Ankeny’s Drew Hensen, who entered the day leading the entire state with an adjusted average of 35.7 for nine holes, placed sixth with a 72. He was at 3-under after 13 holes, but then bogeyed four of the last five holes.
Jacob Adams placed 15th for the Hawks with a 75. Duncan Beelner carded a 79, which included a double bogey on No. 9 and a triple bogey on No. 17.
“Drew and Jacob both played solid rounds again today, and Duncan played really well except for two holes so we really can’t complain too much,” Weddingfeld said. “We didn’t get that third score in the (low) 70s, and no one went really low so our team score was obviously higher.”
Ankeny’s Kyler Crimmins fired an 80. Evan Hodapp had an 83, and Nick Meyer finished with a 91.
Tate Logan and Charlie Morrissey each shot a 76 to lead Centennial. Morrissey had a 37 on the front nine, while Logan finished his round with a 36 on the back nine.
“Tate struggled a bit early and then played really solid the rest of the way,” Reedy said. “Charlie got back to being steady after struggling a bit last week. He has the perfect demeanor for golf–never too high or too low. Whenever I am with him during his round, he is engaged, has a nice pre-shot routine and doesn’t let mistakes compound as a result of being angry.”
Zach Hoffman carded a 77 for the Jaguars. Nathan Boehlert had a 78, Tiernan Logan shot an 85, and Kaden Schulz added a 92.
“Nathan played a solid round again,” Reedy said. “He is a guy I feel like is close to a breakthrough. There are stretches where it looks like he can play with anyone, which is a good sign and normally indicative of being close to putting it all together.”
Both teams will compete in the Turk Bowman Invitational on Monday at Veenker Golf Course in Ames.
“We have a couple days now to get back to the putting green and range and work on a few things and then we will see what Monday brings at Ames,” Weddingfeld said.