May 3, 2021 at 8:34 a.m.
Three Hodag golfers score in GNC opener
Three Hodag golfers score in GNC opener
Though three of the Hodags' four golfers placed in the top 10, Rhinelander managed only a fifth-place finish in the first leg of the GNC tournament hosted by Lakeland at Minocqua Country Club.
Junior Kole Gechas broke 80 for the first time in his high school career and tied for second overall, while Garrett Kulhanek and Andrew Henrichs each shot 88s to tie for tenth and earn a split of the final point awarded in the individual conference standings.
Overall, the Hodags shot 364 on the day, 34 strokes behind meet winner Lakeland, but only 14 strokes behind runner-up Mosinee.
"Kole played well. Andrew really played well," coach Adam Schmidt said. "Andrew had a 20-stroke improvement from last time. That was pretty awesome. Garrett said he had a few things he couldn't quite make it happen, but he still shot 88. That was still good."
Gechas had a strong round, with a birdie, six bogeys and a double. He played a seven-hole stretch from 8 to 14 in 1-under, with a birdie on the par-5 ninth hole. His only double came on the short par-4 sixth as he carded a 40 on the front nine and a 39 on the back. Gechas finished tied for second with Antigo's Frank Volpentesta and Lakeland's Cody Olson, six strokes back of meet medalist, Kaeden Nomm of Lakeland.
"Kole hit 10 fairways and 12 greens. He had no penalty strokes, so he kept the ball in play today. He was just getting it done. All the holes I watched him on, it was nice and smooth," Schmidt said. "He played well. I talked to him and he said he just played smart, kept the ball in play and hit fairways and greens. It proves he can get it done ... I think it was the best round he's played in high school. That was very exciting."
Kulhanek kept pace with Gechas on the front nine, making the turn in 41, but he failed to make a par on the back nine as he came back in 47. Henrichs, conversely, shot a back-nine 42 to get into a tie for 10th with Kulhanek and three others. Carter Gaber shot 109 to round out the Rhinelander contingent.
Schmidt said it took a bit for the team to adjust to Minocqua Country Club, which held the Wisconsin State Amateur in 2018. It was the first time that the GNC staged a conference meet at the private club.
"It was just a cool opportunity," Schmidt said. "How many times are you going to have an opportunity to go play a course like that. It was just a cool course. That was really a nice treat that Lakeland got a match out there for the kids. Even early in the year like this the greens got really fast. As soon as the sun came out, they got fast."
Ashland Invite
Conditions were a little more difficult for the Hodags Friday in the rescheduled Ashland Invite at Chequamegon Bay Golf Club. Rhinelander shot 391, but still managed to place fourth overall in a 10-team field.
"It was kind of a rough day," Schmidt said. "A couple of kids said they putted OK and the others said they didn't putt so well. Andrew and Carter said they didn't putt very well. The greens were kind of fast and kind of hard to read. Chequamegon's greens are pretty quick and the pins were in some really tight spots today."
Kulhanek was Rhinelander's low scorer for the day, shooting an 87. That round included a back-nine 41 highlighted by birdies on the 10th and 15th holes. Gechas shot 91 to place 11th overall. Henrichs shot 99, Gaber carded a 114 and Will Rutkowski shot 128.
"As a team, I know we missed a lot of greens in regulation," Schmidt said. "That kind of hurt us a lot. Then the guys said they can work on their chipping around the greens. Watching them, they'd chip it and leave it 30 feet short, or they'd chip it and they'd roll off or something. That's something we've got to work on. Just some fine-tuning yet."
Schmidt said one of the highlights of the day was turned in by Rutkowski, a player new to the game. In just his second 18-hole round lifetime Rutkowski recorded his first career par on his last hole of the day, the par-5 first.
"Will, it was his second 18 holes and he was really positive," Schmidt said. "That was one thing that was really cool. He was always so positive. Even if he had a bad shot or a bad hole he's like, 'Ah, at least it's a nice day.' I told the other kids it should be infectious. You should see how positive he is. He doesn't let a bad shot or a bad hole bother him. He just moves on."
Lakeland picked up another team win, shooting 347 to edge Superior by seven strokes. Nomm shot a 2-over 74 to take medalist honors by six strokes over Superior's Andrew Rude and Northland Pines' Logan Kramsvogel. Northland Pines (379) was third in the field while Medford (407) placed seventh.
Up next
The Hodags kick off a busy three-day stretch of golf today in the second round of the GNC tournament at Inshalla Country Club in Tomahawk. Rhinelander heads to Green Lake tomorrow for an invitational at another former State Am venue - The Links Course at the Golf Courses of Lawsonia before heading to Indianhead Golf Course in Mosinee Thursday for the third leg of the GNC tournament.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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