Fischer, DiGiallonardo shine on cloudy day in Libby
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LIBBY — Two Polson golfers fought their way through wet and slippery conditions to finish at the top of the leaderboard at the Libby Invitational Friday – sort of.
While Cody Fischer was awarded first place for his round of 78 at the Cabinet View Golf Course, Lady Pirate freshman Anna DiGiallonardo’s name was taken off the board after she signed an incorrect scorecard, which was kept by another player in her foursome.
Polson coach Bill Owen said that DiGiallonardo broke 90 and would have finished well ahead of Browning’s Ashton Smith, who won the invitational with a 91.
“I admire the way she handled it. She handled it with a lot of composure,” Owen said.
He said while other golfers would be upset after having the championship taken from them because of somebody else’s mistake, DiGiallonardo realized that the Libby Invite wasn’t that important and has her sights set on this weekend’s divisional tournament in Ronan.
Fischer ran away with the championship, beating his closest competitor by four strokes.
“That’s a heck of score, considering the conditions. I’m really impressed with that,” Owen said of Fischer’s 78.
The course was wet enough that the lift, clean and place rule was put in place.
Fischer was in need of a good score Friday, Polson’s number one golfer at the start of the season headed into the invite scuffling and was moved to the third position, but seemed to get his game turned around right in time for the postseason.
“For him to shoot so low, everything must have been working. It’s a pretty tight course, so he had to be accurate,” Owen said.
Dakotah Jenson was the only other Pirate to finish in the top 10. Jenson shot an 89 to finish tied for 10th. Hayden Congdon shot a 90 to finish one shot outside the top 10. Austin Von Tom scored a 107. The Pirates finished tied with Columbia Falls for second with a 361. Glacier won the meet with a 357.
With DiGiallonardo disqualified, Makaliah Wilson was the Lady Pirates’ top finisher, coming in third with a 99. Wilson, a newcomer to golf this season, matched her season best in unfavorable conditions.
Amy Willamson, the Lady Pirates’ top golfer, had an off day, finishing fifth with a 103.
“If you’re going to have an off day, that was a good time to have it. I’m sure she’ll have it all together at divisionals,” Owen said.
Freshman Jaylin Kenney shot a 107 to finish seventh.
The Lady Pirates won the invite with a 420. Columbia Falls came in second, 16 strokes behind Polson, and Ronan was third with a 438.
The Polson golfers started the week at the Hamilton Invitational Tuesday, with the Lady Pirates finishing second.
The Lady Pirates combined for a 411. Anaconda won the invite with a 389. Williamson was the Lady Pirates top golfer. She shot a 91 for third place. Owen said he would like to see her in the 80s, but it was a difficult course.
Kenney shot a 101 to finish seventh. Freshmen Lauren Dupuis and Katharina Medland each shot a 108 and another freshman Nicole Clairmont finished with a 117.
The Pirates combined for a 355 for fourth. Congdon was their top golfer coming in eighth with an 82. Jenson came in 10th with an 84.
