Senator golf takes second at state

RENO - Carson High golf coach Rod Butler predicted scores at the NIAA 4A State Tournament would be lower as the winds died down and players got to know Somersett Country Club a little better.

Butler was right on target.

Unfortunately, despite shaving 11 strokes off its own score, the state championship the Senators craved didn't materialize.

Spanish Springs, with three players shooting 79 or better, shot a 397 to wipe out Carson's first-day lead and edge the Senators 817-823 to win the 4A title Tuesday afternoon.

Bishop Gorman, which was given a 10-stroke penalty for practicing on the putting green on Sunday at Somersett prior to the event, was third at 833. Green Valley was fourth at 836, Palo Verde was fifth at 838 and Coronado was last at 849.

"I'm pleased with the way the guys did," Butler said. "I'm sure they will all think about shots they missed. We have nothing to be ashamed about. I'm more than happy. We've been consistently between 400 and 410. First would have been great. If they (Spanish Springs) shoot under 400, my hat's off to them.

"The big thing this shows me is that we can play with them. Kevin (Goles) was our only senior this year. The next couple of years there could be some shootouts."

Three of Carson's scoring players - Kevin Goles, Isaac Holt and Sam Staub - shaved strokes off their first-day scores.

Goles, the Senators' top player, went from an 80 to a 4-over-par 76. Holt went from an 85 to an impressive 2-over-par 74. Staub went form an 87 down to an 84.

Zack Rispin shot an 85 and Jon Singer carded an 87. Rispin was bemoaning the fact that he shot seven strokes worse on Tuesday, but his first-day 78 is a big reason why Carson was able to grab the 18-hole lead.

Holt played consistently throughout the day, racking up birdies at Nos. 4, 9 and 12. He should have had a fourth birdie, but he missed a 3-footer at No. 3.

Holt two-putted from 30-feet for a birdie at No. 4, and on No. 9, he hit a sand wedge to 5 feet and one-putted for a birdie. On No. 12, his birdie putt was 2 feet.

He doubled both the 16th and 17th.

"It was a good round," Holt said. "I'm disappointed because I was 1-under. If I stayed there we could have won."

Goles. who missed winning or tying for a medal by one shot, had hoped to cap his prep career with a state title.

"I felt I could have contributed more," said Goles, who shot 1-over-par on the back nine Tuesday. "I really wanted a state championship."

Goles birdied the opening hole, but dropped to 1-over par when he doubled the par-3 third thanks to a bad tee shot which landed down in the sagebrush about 30 yards down the hill from the green. His second shot was just short of the green. He chipped on and two-putted.

He birdied No. 4 with a 10-foot putt, parred the fifth and double bogeyed No. 6, a downhill par-3. Doubling both par-3s rankled Goles, who finished the front side at 40, 3-over par.

Goles played much stronger on the back side. Probably his most impressive hole was the par-3 12th when he got his tee shot all the way to the back of the three-tiered green and drained a 10-footer.

"I played OK," Goles said. "I definitely could have played better. There were a couple of short putts I missed. I hit the ball mediocre. I did improve my ball striking from Monday."

Staub recorded birdies on No. 9 when he hit a pitching wedge to 2 feet and No. 12 when his tee shot landed less than a foot from the cup.

"The wind was quiet today," Staub said. "I enjoyed it better."

Staub tripled the 16th when he drove his ball into the water and ended up three-putting.

Foothill's Matt Nolasco and Coronado's Scott Lewis tied at 146 for the individual championship, and Nolasco won in a sudden-death on the first hole with a short birdie putt after Lewis lipped out his birdie attempt.

Nolasco shot a 2-under 70 on Tuesday, the only under-par round for 4A golfers.

FAITH LUTHERAN CRUISES

Faith Lutheran, led by medalist Charlie Harrison's two-round total of 143, rolled to the 3A championship.

Faith Lutheran carded a two-day total of 825, a whopping 27 shots ahead of Boulder City. Fernley was third at 865, Lowry fourth with 866 and Incline was fifth with an 878.

Harrison carded a 5-under-par 67 on Tuesday, the lowest round for either division.

Dayton's Andrew Palmer finished with a two-day total of 168.