Thoughts from the boys, on day one of the NYSPHSAA Boys Golf Championships:

Cam: “The weather didn’t affect me a whole lot. I feel like it only hurt the players that had good rounds going. I thought very many people held it together other than a select. I have confidence in the fact that we can finish top 3 because we can all play better than what we did in the first round!”
 Mitch: “The weather only effected my shots once we got back out there b/c they were spinning off. I would hit a shot in the middle of the green and it’d spin off the front. I think I handled it well tho. Stuck with it and stayed patient. 3rd place is definitely attainable if we all stick to our games and not get caught up in what other people are doing. Just play our games “ Alex: “Having that delay made it very tough for me. I mean I went from almost sleeping to having to play again. My mental game was long gone, I was having a hard time recouping. When I started getting back into it I kinda threw my back out, and then I hit everything right. I was grinding out there. I think everyone was. We’re only a couple shots back of third right now and almost our whole team admitted that they played poor golf today. If we play how we’re capable we will be knocking on the door. No doubt. “
Jack: “I feel like stopping for three hours then starting back up again didn’t help too much for me but the weather held out for a surprisingly long time and that was a bonus in itself.”
Cory: “The rain didn’t bother me at all, I only had a hole left so I was fine. I think the rain did bother others though at the end of the round.”
Connor: “The delay came at a terrible time for me, I started slow and then was on a roll and gaining momentum, but then the rain came after our first 9 and sitting for 3 hours doesn’t help when you want to make a move on the back, but golf is golf, if tomorrow the weather hold which it looks like it will we are capable of coming in 3rd for sure”
Nolan: “Today was a battle for me from the get go. I only had 3 holes to finish after the delay, and I played decent on all three after going back out aside from a 3-putt on 18. Just from those three holes though I could tell the golf course was playing completely different after all the rain. I’m sure it took a bit of adapting from the guys who still had a bit to play. We played okay as a section but I know many of us feel as if there is plenty room for improvement out there tomorrow. No doubt we have the potential to compete for the 3rd place spot as a section if everyone shaves a stroke or two off here and there.”

warm

All the rain that bypassed metro Buffalo on Sunday found a home in Ithaca. The first round of the 2016 NYSPHSAA boys golf championships was delayed for over an hour, but yeoman’s efforts from tournament organizers, coaches and competitors ensured that all players finished the first 18 holes on day one. Section VI came into the event with high hopes for a top finish, and finds itself in the mix for a top-three placement.

Sunday dawned for the western New York contingent with an air of anticipation. From the get-go, veterans Ben Reichert and Nolan Ditcher struggled (ultimately finishing at +8 and +10, respectively.) Fortunately for the area representatives, Mitchell Smith (Orchard Park, 77), Cary Ignaczak (Lake Shore, 79) and Jack Devic (Orchard Park, 79) stepped up on a day when quitting might have seemed easy. (Click for Championship Leaderboard.)

In the early stages of the opening round, Section V of Rochester took a lead when three of its golfers stood under par, in red figures. The rain wore them down, though, and by day’s end, only Nathan Han of Section I (Westchester county) had signed for a sub-par found. Teammate James McHugh fired an even-par 71 and the squad from suburban NYC finds itself in first place, 24 strokes ahead of section XI (Suffolk county.) Section V is in third place, at 547, but that’s where it gets interesting for Section VI.

Counting the five scores mentioned above, plus 80 from Connor Seeley (Wilson) and 81 from Alex Fisher (Ellicottville), the WNY assembly finds itself within nine strokes of a spot on the podium.

 

 

 

r2tt1 r2tt2