Golf Dogs go low enough to repeat
Toolbox
By Carleton Laird Staff Writer - Published: June 11, 2009
MIDDLEBURY — It's wasn't the kind of scoring that Burr and Burton coach Paul Kelley and his Bulldogs were hoping for, but they'll take it.
BBA looped the Ralph Myhre golf course in a higher-than-average 341 on Wednesday, but it was good enough to beat Lyndon by three strokes and win a second consecutive Division II championship.
Those two schools have had the stranglehold on the championship as the Vikings won the three previous to Burr and Burton breaking the streak last year.
"The sectionals and the states were a little higher than we can shoot," Kelley said. "But today was good enough.
"I'm just happy for these guys. It's a good way for my three seniors to go out."
The Bulldogs were led by their No. 1, Casey Komline, who posted an uncharacteristically high 80. Ben Pierce carded an 85, followed by Oliver Adams at 87 and Jay Saling at 89.
Lyndon got an 80 from Arik Bergeron, 85 from Tyler Card, 89 from Cole Newton and 90 from Taylor Cota.
Lake Region, paced by Nick Lussier at 79, was third at 346. U-32 came in fourth, led by Ryan Shea's 81, while Fair Haven, which got an 84 from Jody Fabian, was fifth at 366. Randolph trailed the field at 393, led by Pat Lucenti at 89.
The back nine, which plays at a par 36 compared to 35 on the front, proved to be the nemesis of many Burr and Burton players, particularly Komline.
He made a bogey on the fifth and turned at 36. But bogeys on 10, 11, 16 and 18, along with a quadruple 8 on 13, ballooned him to 44.
"The back nine proved to be the telling tale for these guys," said Kelley. "They played steady, solid golf on the front."
The five Bulldogs averaged 41.4 on the front and 45.6 on the back, or 3.2 shots higher relative to par.
Greg Scott of Mount Abraham played as an individual and won the individual title with a 78. He bogeyed the very first hole but birdied No. 7 to make the turn at even par. Then his struggles began. A bogey on the tough, par-5 11th and another on 14 put him at plus-2.
He continued to struggle a little, sandwiching pars on 16 and 17 between double bogeys on 15 and 18.
"It was kinda rough," the junior said. "I started OK and was hitting good shots, but the putts weren't falling.
"I three-putted 10 and that started the train. I was still hanging around until 15 when I hit my second shot in the water and then I doubled 18."
His teammate, Mike Sundstrom, also qualified as an individual and tied for second at 80.
Scott felt pretty comfortable that he was still in the lead on the 18th, but he was "more worried about the New Englands." The top 12 across all three divisions qualify for Monday's tournament at Bretwood Country Club in Keene, N.H.
carleton.laird@rutlandherald.com
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