The Legacy Golf Club in Norwalk proved to be a huge challenge for the 66 golfers competing in the Waukee Northwest Invitational on Thursday.
Only one of the 11 teams in the field managed to break 300. Defending Class 4A state champion Valley shot a 294 to capture the team crown, finishing 11 strokes ahead of Waukee.
“I think my team said it best today, ‘What a grind,'” said Ankeny coach Mike Weddingfeld. “Between the heat, wind and tough golf course, my team was tired both physically and mentally after their rounds. Legacy is the type of course where there are no easy holes and the greens and pin placements were extremely challenging so they felt like there were no holes where you could relax. Even the short putts that you usually feel are tap-ins felt like a challenge.”
Ankeny and Norwalk both posted a 308 total, but the Warriors won the tiebreaker for third place. They had a better fifth score.
“I thought we played extremely well and looking at the scores from all the teams today, the scores were higher than they have been and that is a testament to the course and the weather,” Weddingfeld said. “The field was extremely talented and to come away with a third-place tie, I was thrilled with our finish. We beat some very tough teams today, and it was definitely a boost to our confidence.”
One of those teams was Ankeny Centennial, which posted a 310 total along with Southeast Polk. The Jaguars won the tiebreaker for sixth place.
Ankeny and Centennial have now split four meetings this season. The Jaguars had won the previous two matchups.
“It was a tough day scoring-wise,” said Centennial coach Andrew Reedy. “There were tough conditions along with the course setup. It was hot, windy and the course was unforgiving. There are some lessons to learn from this, and we will be better as a result.
“As a whole, we didn’t do a great job of adjusting to the speed and slope of the greens. The hole locations were all very tough–on slopes, tucked behind bunkers, close to the edges–and most of our guys hit it well; they just struggled with the greens/hole locations. It was a day that you had to be patient, take what the course gives you and hang on for the ride. We tended to try to force things on the greens and ended up paying the price with a lot of three-putts,” he added.
Valley was led to the victory by Braeden Nelson, who carded a 3-under-par 69 to finish two shots ahead of teammate Aidan McGreen. Nelson has been the medalist at multiple meets and leads the state with a 68.2 average.
Evan Hodapp and Duncan Beelner each fired a 75 to lead the Hawks. They placed seventh and ninth, respectively, after a cardoff.
“Duncan started off 3-over after his first four holes and played par golf the rest of the round,” Weddingfeld said. “Evan finished the day 2-under on his last three holes.”
Ankeny’s Gavin Ross and Caden Weddingfeld each shot a 79. Kyler Crimmins had an 82, and Breck Hughes added an 85.
“To put up four scores in the 70s was an accomplishment,” Weddingfeld said. “Gavin shot 2-over on his first nine holes and Caden was 2-over on the back nine so I am very proud of the team and how we battled. Some of the guys still had a few more putts than we would have liked, but we are not used to those tough greens and the amount of break they require you to play. We can always improve, but the team showed a lot of heart today and I am proud of them.”
Nathan Boehlert carded a 76 to lead the Jaguars. He placed 13th overall.
“Nathan hit the ball so well!” Reedy said. “He struggled on the greens considerably, but hit it so well he was able to post our lowest round. His ball striking is really good right now.”
Centennial’s Jett Lovanh took 18th with a 77.
“Jett just keeps being steady,” Reedy said. “He made some bogeys, just one double bogey, a birdie and a bunch of pars. Pars are always a good number, but especially on a day like today. I was happy with how he bounced back after his (rough) day on Tuesday.”
Tiernan Logan shot a 78 for the Jaguars. Charlie Morrissey fired a 79, McCoy Miller had an 80, and Jackson Lewis finished with an 81.
The Hawks will host the Ankeny Invitational on Wednesday at Otter Creek. Centennial will also be part of the 12-team field.