May 1, 2023 at 8:09 a.m.
Hodag golfers flirt with win, settle for 3rd in Medford
Hodag golfers flirt with win, settle for 3rd in Medford
That did not happen, but the Hodags still managed a third-place finish in the second leg of the GNC tournament at Black River Golf Club in Medford. The Hodags shot 335 on the day to finish 13 strokes behind the T-Birds, who have not been defeated in GNC play since the start of 2018. Host Medford finished second, six strokes behind Lakeland.
Friday's performance came on the heels of another third-place finish the day prior in the non-conference Medford invite at Black River. The Hodags shot 18 strokes better on Friday than they did on Thursday.
After strong starts by a number of players on Friday, Hodag coach Adam Schmidt said he could not help by check out the live scoring while the golfers played their second loop around Black River's nine-hole layout. He was surprised by what he saw.
"At hole 14, I checked the scoreboard and we had Lakeland by 7 and Medford by 6. It was like, 'Oh my God, this is awesome," he said.
Though the team gave back a few strokes coming in, it still ended up being a solid day for the squad, with three players earning conference points thanks to individual top-10 finishes. Senior Andrew Henrichs shot a career-best 5-over 77 to take sixth overall, Sam Schoppe was ninth with a round of 80 and Brody Kowieski shot 83 to take 10th.
Henrichs had a strong round. Starting on the par-4 sixth hole, he played his opening nine in 1-over 37, including birdies on the fifth and the ninth. He came back in 40 in a round that included just three bogeys and two double bogeys.
"Andrew he was pretty excited," Schmidt said. "He just worked his way. I think he hit like six greens (in regulation) but he was just straight up scrambling, getting up and down for par. He played really good. He found the distance and was content with being just a couple of yards short, which meant he could just get up and down."
Schoppe was Rhinelander's best performer during Thursday's invite with a 79 and backed up that round on Friday. He overcame a slow start that included double bogeys on three of his first five holes. He played his first nine holes in 43 and his second in 37, birdieing the par-5 fifth hole both times. Schmidt said a scrambling par by Schoppe on his second time on the sixth, his 12th hole of the day, helped right the ship.
"On hole 6, he dubbed his drive, hit it like 40 yards, hits a 4-iron like 230, chips it to 8 feet and drains this double-breaker, sidehill putt for par," Schmidt said. "After that, it's like, 'OK, yeah, I can make par."
Kowieski was in contention for medalist honors at the turn, playing his first nine holes in even-par 36, but he was undone by a triple bogey his second time around on the eighth hole. He made another triple and a double coming in to shoot 47 for his second nine.
"The second time he played eight he hit one in the water and it just kind of went downhill from there," Schmidt noted.
Rhinelander had all five players break 100 from the first time in a single match on Friday. Blake Petroff finished 25th with a 95 and Braden Mork shot 99 to take 32nd.
Mosinee's Jett Walters shot a 2-under 70 on Friday to take medalist honors by four shots over Lakeland's Matt Haggart. Antigo's Cody Parsons and Medford's Conner Lingen tied for third with 75s.
On Thursday, the Hodags shot 353 to take third of nine teams in the Medford Invite. Lakeland and Medford again finished 1-2 in that meet.
Schoppe's 79 including three birdies - he also birdied the par-5 fifth both times on Thursday - as he shot 42 for his first nine and 37 for his second nine.
"Every time he played hole 5 he birdied it. That was pretty exciting," Schmidt said.
Kowieski took eighth place with an 81, Henrichs shot 90, Petroff carded a 103 and Mork shot 108.
Haggart shot 74 of Thursday to edge teammate Jack Rubo by one shot for medalist honors.
As a result of the weekend's cold and rainy forecast, Schmidt said the schedule for this coming week has been altered. The Marathon Invite at Pine Valley Golf Course has been moved from Monday to today, bumping what was to have been the third leg of the GNC tournament hosted by Antigo at Bass Lake Golf Club in Deerbrook. That event will now be held Tuesday, May 9, a day after Rhinelander is scheduled to host its leg of the GNC tournament at Northwood Golf Club.
Schmidt said Northland Pines' leg of the GNC tournament, which was scheduled for Thursday at Eagle River Golf Course has also been postponed. The make-up date for that match has not yet been determined.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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