On March 24, the WHS boys golf team traveled south to Jumping Brook Country Club for their first tournament of the season. After a long-awaited offseason, the Blue Devils took home second out of 24 teams. Their opener consisted of four players, senior Matthew McKenna, and sophomores Chase Simms, Tommy O’Brien and Jack Brouillard.
Though it was the team’s first match of the season, the weather was as unfriendly as possible. With cold temperatures, whipping winds and rain, the Blue Devils faced some adversity.
McKenna, a four-year player on the WHS golf team, said, “The weather was a huge factor for everyone. Rain makes it difficult to keep clubs and grips dry, while the cold forces you to layer up, making it harder to swing.”
Sophomore and two-year member of the WHS golf team, Jack Brouillard, said, “[The weather] made things slightly harder as we had to wait a bit before [playing], which is why it was hard to think about the first tee. Then, on the course, [the weather] made me have to take a different approach to shots.”
The team manifested a good day as Simms secured fourth overall with a 77, and O’Brien came in 55 overall with an 89. Ultimately, the Blue Devils tallied a final score of 324 together, just shy of 14 strokes of Mainland Regional, who finished the tournament in first.
Brouillard and McKenna both scored rounds of 79 and finished tied for 20th individually. As for the positives, McKenna felt as though his short game was super friendly. He said, “I felt the best part of my game was putting. The greens were really quick, which I prefer, and I ended up making a lot of putts.”
Brouillard attested to the same, saying, “My best part was lag putting and putts within 10 feet.”
With this tournament being a four-count-four format, every score mattered, but the team dealt with the pressure with ease. Head coach Ryan Daly was pleased with the team’s efforts. “I am most proud of them for playing for each other and fighting through some tough conditions. They handled the pressure very well,” he said.
This result sets the tone for the rest of the season and gives them momentum going into their matchup against Dayton at Echo Lake Country Club on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
Daly said, “We have a great team with a lot of depth, and our guys want to be in these competitions. These events allow us to show our skills and character, and to be able to play as a team is what we are all about.”
