Hodag golfers take 3rd in GNC Open

After 36 holes early this week in Wisconsin Dells, two things are clear —there is plenty of top-end talent in the Great Northern Conference, and the Rhinelander High School golf team has enough of that talent to be competitive. 

The Hodags shot rounds of 330 and 328 Monday and Tuesday to finish third in the GNC Open at Trappers Turn. Rhinelander’s two-day total of 658 strokes was only three behind Mosinee for the runner-up spot and 37 off the pace of defending GNC champion Lakeland.

Five of the seven GNC schools attended the two-day meet — though Medford fielded only its junior varsity squad in Tuesday’s final round while its varsity team played in Marshfield. Still, coach Hodag coach Adam Schmidt said he was excited to see his team post competitive scores right out of the gate. 

“We think we can definitely be competitive this year,” he said. “We’ll see how it shakes out but just by how we played today, you look at the scores the last couple of years and 320s is always first or second. Now we got some lower scores but I think if we can shoot there, we’ll definitely be top three, I think all along.”

Junior Sam Schoppe, a returning state qualifier, led the way for the Hodags. He finished third in the field with a 36-hole score of 8-over 152. He opened Monday with a round of 77 and played a steady round Tuesday in breezy conditions. Schoppe had 15 pars and three bogeys as he carded a 75.

“Sam was hitting the ball well. He said he could work on his wedges but I think today he hit 11 greens,” Schmidt said. “He didn’t putt the greatest, but had a lot of longer putts. But he still shot well. You can see there’s room for improvement.”

Fellow junior Brody Kowieski was fifth overall with a 160. His opening round 79 included two birdies and an eagle. He posted another birdie on Tuesday as he shot 81, but the par-5 18th hole was his undoing both days. He took a triple bogey there Monday and a double bogey there on Tuesday.

“Brody had a couple of big-number holes and on the big-number holes, just had a couple of things that didn’t go right,” Schmidt said. “He hit the ball well. He just had a couple of mistakes he made and things he can improve on, but overall he played really good.”

    Rhinelander’s Blake Petroff displays a souvenir flag after recording a hole in one during the GNC Open tournament at Trappers Turn Golf Course in Wisconsin Dells Tuesday, April 16. Petroff aced the par-3 16th hole (Hole No. 7 on the Canyon 9) as part of a round of 83. (Submitted photo)
  

The highlight of the tournament belonged to sophomore Blake Petroff who recorded a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th hole — the seventh hole on the 27-hole venue’s Canyon 9 — on Tuesday. It was part of a back-nine 38 as he shot 83 on day two, 10 strokes better than Monday and finished in a tie for 14th. 

Schmidt said Petroff used the contours of the green to funnel the ball into the hole — not that dissimilar to another par-3 16th hole that received plenty of television time last weekend in Georgia. 

“It was only playing 105 yards today and they had the pin in a sweet spot where the green kind of funnels down,” Schmidt said. “If you hit it to the right side it kind of funnels to the middle. The pin was in a spot where it was set up for it. It was cool to hear him get a hole-in-one. 

“He said his goal today was to break 85 and he did it. Yesterday he pulled the ball a lot and today he figured it out, got his shoulders aligned better. Every hole I followed him on he hit the ball very well.”

The Hodags had two freshmen round out their varsity lineup — Hank Kowieski and Chase West. Kowieski, Brody’s younger brother, had a solid start Monday, shooting 81. He followed with an 89 on Tuesday, but his two-day total of 170 was still good enough to finish alone in 10th place. West, meanwhile, posted rounds of 98 and 96 to tie for 21st at 194.

“They both hit the ball good. It was good to watch them and see what they can do,” Schmidt said. “Hank really stepped up and was hitting the ball really well. They’re both really young. You can tell they’re young, they make some silly mistakes, but that’s what you do when you’re young. As they grow up and get bigger and stronger, they’ll definitely be pounding the ball.”

The Hodags brought virtually its entire team down for the tournament. Junior Sam Strong led the team’s JV competitors, shooting 224, Will Gretzinger shot 226, Ryan Morien shot 228, Drake Nelson shot 233 and Carter Nelson shot 313.

Lakeland’s Jack Rubo took medalist honors. He shot even par on Tuesday to finish at 1-under 143 for the tournament, which was five strokes ahead of Mosinee’s Jett Walters. Walters shot 78 Tuesday after holding the opening-round lead with a 2-under 70 on Monday. 

The Great Northern Conference tournament opens this coming Tuesday at Inshalla Country Club in Tomahawk.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].