Improved Lady Pirates take 3rd in Ronan
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RONAN — In only the second week of the season, the Polson golfers' scores are moving in the right direction – they're dropping and dropping fast.
At the Ronan Invitational at the Mission Mountain Golf Course Friday, all the Pirates and Lady Pirates that competed in the opening tournament either matched or bettered their scores from the week before.
The young and inexperienced Lady Pirates shaved 22 points from their score in Anaconda to finish third with a 399 and a week after not having enough players to qualify for the team score, the Pirates finished in fourth with a 345.
The Lady Pirates number one golfer Amy Williamson, one of the few Lady Pirates with any significant experience, was the highest finisher for Polson, finishing fifth with a round of 93 – a six-stroke improvement from Anaconda. Polson assistant coach Cindy Templar said it's just a matter of time until Williamson is shooting in the 80s.
"Give her a few rounds and she'll start dropping it down," Templar said.
Sophomore Anna DiGiallonardo finished tied for 10th with a 99. Freshman Jaylin Kenney shaved six strokes off her score and finished with a 102 and in her first varsity tournament, Makalah Wilson shot a 106.
"We have some athletes, they are going to chop down their scores, pretty quick," Templar said.
Pirates' number two golfer Hayden Condgon was the Pirates' top finisher with a round of 82. Condgon used a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th to match his score in the season opener.
In his first play of the season, Cody Fischer finished with an 83. Polson coach Bill Owen said it shouldn't take too long for Fischer to be back in the 70s.
"It was his first competition. He's just testing the water again. He'll turn it on down the road," Owen said of Fischer, who was visibly upset after the round. "The fact that he doesn't like it, is a good thing," Owen added.
Dakota Jensen shaved seven strokes off of his score in Anaconda to finish with a 90.
"He (Jensen) works at the course, so he gets a lot of looks at it," Owen said. "He's capable of even lower numbers, once he gains some confidence."
In only his second tournament, Austin Von Tom shot a 96 and Logan Howell finished with a 99, a two-stroke improvement from Anaconda.
"I'm pretty pleased, we went from not placing to finishing fourth out of 15 teams," Owen said, adding that if they keep making gains like they did this week they could be a decent threat at divisionals.
After the Polson Tri, Tuesday, Aug. 24, the Polson golf team will travel to East Glacier Friday.
