Joey Payeur
It may not have been a passing of the torch but the Muskie golf program appears to have a new keeper of the flame.
Kendyn Faragher put his inexperience in the rearview mirror and forged a round of 86 to put the Grade 9 golfer in a tie for seventh in the boys’ division at the NWOSSAA championships last Thursday at the Strathcona Golf Course in Thunder Bay.
If there was any negative in the rookie’s biggest tournament of his young career, according to Muskie coach Brian Johnstone, it was the unfulfilled potential of what might have been.
“I was lucky enough to get assigned to his group as a course marshal so I got to follow him all day,” noted Johnstone.
“And he could have been a whole lot better if his putter had behaved better than it did.
“But he did great for only being in Grade 9,” he stressed.
Jeremy Kirk of St. Patrick’s (Thunder Bay) posted a 75 to cruise to a four-shot victory over Cam Zappitelli (Dryden) and Owen Stebnitsky (St. Thomas Aquinas) to lock up a spot in the OFSAA championships Oct. 15-16 in Stratford.
The top two from the NWOSSAA competition advance to OFSAA, but the winner of the tie-breaker between Zappitelli and Stebnitsky was unknown as of press time.
Faragher’s result balanced out the disappointment accompanying the outcome for last year’s lone Muskie participant at NWOSSAA, Tyson-Skylar Morrisseau.
The 2014 silver-medalist from the North American Indigenous Games in Regina injured his shoulder during Fort High’s home tourney Sept. 17 at Heron Landing that forced him to withdraw after six holes.
He then managed an 11th-place showing in the NorWOSSA finale in Kenora to qualify for NWOSSAA.
But Morrisseau only lasted eight holes in Thunder Bay before pulling out for what
Johnstone termed “health reasons.”
Two late additions to the Muskie roster for NWOSSAA fared well in their coach’s eyes despite being lower down the standings in the 56-player field.
Austin Geurts carded a 95 to be part of a five-way tie for 30th place.
“That’s pretty darn good for him,” lauded Johnstone.
“It’s encouraging being that he’s young and this is his first season of playing any kind of competitive golf,” he added.
Sheldon Jourdain Jr., meanwhile, fired an even 100 to slip into a three-way tie for 40th.
“Sheldon and Austin only found out the day before they were going [to NWOSSAA],” noted Johnstone, whose tandem got the nod when a pair of Red Lake Rams declined their berths.
“That’s not a lot of time to mentally prepare,” he noted.
Still, Johnstone said the team already has an eye to what he sees as a promising future.
“It’s great when the young guys play well at this level and are excited to do it again next year,” enthused Johnstone, who is appealing to the public to help fundraise for the team to help cover entry fees.
He also is hoping to recruit more players to the team next year.
Anyone interested in playing is asked to contact him at Heron Landing (274-5678) before the course closes Oct. 13, or via e-mail at dogg_269@hotmail.com
