Boys golf team plays in first match of season

The Outlaws golf squad played at the Prineville Country Club (PCC) on Tuesday, April 16, in their first match of the season, along with five other Central Oregon teams.

PCC is unique in that it is just a nine-hole course that golfers run twice. Competitors play from different tee boxes on the back nine, and some of them at different angles. One example is hole No. 5 where it’s a par three on the front nine, and the back nine is a par four.

Summit took first-place honors with a team score of 325, and Bend High was runner-up at 385. Other scores were: Ridgeview 439, Sisters 450, and Crook County No. 2 finished at 570.

Dan Schmidt is the Outlaws’ number-one player, and he led his team with an individual score of 106. Dan shot a 56 on the front nine, and cut his score by six on the back nine for a 50.

Coach Bill Mitchell said, “Dan showed lots of potential last year, and has improved a lot. He’s at every practice and works very hard. His ball-striking with his driver is very good. Everyone is still so raw with their putting because we just haven’t been able to play, but I expect Dan’s putting to improve as well as the season progresses.”

Dan commented on his round and his par-three birdie.

“I didn’t feel super-prepared because the snow kept us from practicing, so I can definitely do better,” said Schmidt. “Overall, I think it was a good start to the season. On my birdie, I hit my seven iron to within three feet of the hole, and then hit a straight tap-in for birdie.”

Felix Leahey shot a 113, Christopher Lundgren recorded a 115, and Dylan Vantress and Connor Crowe both carded a 116.

By the time players got to the back nine their nerves had calmed down and they’d gained confidence. All of them lowered their score on the back, and most were by six or seven

strokes.

The Outlaws were to play at Sand Pines in Florence on Monday, April 22. It’s a brand-new course for the Outlaws and Mitchell can’t wait to find out how the team responds to the new challenge.