It wasn’t the most conventional method of qualifying as a team. Nonetheless, all five Warrenton golfers advanced to the sectional playoff round during Monday’s Class 3 District 3 Tournament. …
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Warrenton Qualifies Five for Sectionals
Posted
By Derrick Forsythe, Record Sports Editor
It wasn’t the most conventional method of qualifying as a team.Nonetheless, all five Warrenton golfers advanced to the sectional playoff round during Monday’s Class 3 District 3 Tournament.Making the turn after nine holes, Luke Hawley wasn’t feeling confident about his chances of advancing.“I did not think I would make it on at all,” said Hawley. “I was in a rut.”The junior had carded a dismal 50 halfway through and needed a miraculous comeback to prevent his season from ending early.He delivered.Hawley shot a 40 on his final nine holes, securing the final qualifying spot. He tied teammate Curtis Bauer with a 90.“I was playing the ball to the left on the back, so I tried to just keep it in the middle and it worked a lot better,” said Hawley.He will make his first sectional appearance next Monday.Junior Ethan Luecke led the Warriors with a 74, falling two strokes shy of winning the tournament. He hit his driver and irons efficiently the entire day.“I hit a lot of greens, so that took a lot of strokes off,” said Luecke. “I was pretty happy with the way I played. I held it together.”Luecke was the only Warrenton golfer to qualify for state last season and says he enters each tournament, regardless of the stakes, with the same mental approach.“I’m just going to go out there and play my best and hope I make it,” said Luecke.Senior T.J. Lafaver shot an 82 on the wheels of a consistent performance, pulling through with one of his best rounds of the season.“I lipped out so many putts that it made my round seem worse than it really was,” said Lafaver. “I hit the ball pretty well all day. I can only think of one or two poorly struck shots that I had.”Lafaver was able to compete during sectionals as a sophomore when the Warriors qualified as a team, but he says this time it’s more rewarding.“Last time I rode the coattails of my teammates and was still learning the game,” said Lafaver. “It meant a lot to me to earn my way today by shooting a low individual score.”For junior Chase Nelson, it was bittersweet redemption. Last season a scorecard mishap cost him a trip to sectionals, so on Monday he made certain the disappointment didn’t repeat itself.“Last year was pretty tough, and I was kind of worried about not making it this year,” said Nelson. “I’m really glad I was able to shoot what I did to make it on to the next round.”Nelson shot an 84 at The Falls, overcoming chipping troubles and relying on a strong first nine holes.“I played pretty good on the back nine, shooting three over,” said Nelson. “But then I came over to the front and could not make a par to save my life.”Golfing in the No. 5 spot, Bauer was hopeful, but not overly optimistic about his chances of reaching the next round.“I guess I wasn’t really expecting it, but I tried my hardest,” said the junior. “I started out pretty rough, but then I did a lot better on the final nine holes.”Barton credits assistant coach Mike Holt with helping the Warriors make technique adjustments that he felt were beneficial at districts.“It was great having him there to give the kids some guidance,” said Barton. “He’s been a real asset for the team.”
Warrenton junior Luke Hawley was one of five Warriors to qualify for the sectionall playoffs.
