Mitch Calvert
The Muskie golf team failed to use home course familiarity to their advantage at the NWOSSAA championship last Thursday at Heron Landing on Couchiching.
The black-and-gold finished in fourth place overall with a four-person total of 369.
St. Ignatius (Thunder Bay) earned the lone team berth to the all-Ontarios next week with a 338 total.
Dryden’s Brett Getson shot the low score of the day with a 77 while Josh Borton of Red Lake carded a 79.
They earned individual berths to the OFSAA tournament, set for Oct. 13-15 at Twenty Valley Golf & Country Club in Vineland (near St. Catharines).
Hayden Hickey (Churchill) shot an 81 to tie Jordan Potter (St. Ignatius) for third in individual scoring.
Churchill (340) finished second in the team event, with Dryden rounding out the top three (348).
Kevin Jackson led all Muskie golfers with an 87, followed by Cody Ward (92), Zach Jolicoeur (92), and Ryan Mosbeck (98).
“I had a drive right down the middle on [number] three set up for birdie, and then two shanks later I make an eight,” Jackson lamented.
“Just one of those days, but it’s too bad it had to be in the biggest tournament of the year,” he added.
Muskie Alex McDonald, who had an appendectomy just last month, had to withdraw early due to discomfort from the surgery.
“I felt the same pain there in my [practice round],” McDonald explained. “I talked to Brian [Johnstone] and we felt it was better not to push it.
“I’ll be back next year to get another shot at it.”
In girls’ action, meanwhile, the top five individual scores advanced to the all-Ontarios.
Sam Sitar of Superior High School fired a 99 to win the event, followed by Danielle Toth of Thomas Aquinas (102) and Amanda Wheatley of Dryden (104).
Also earning OFSAA berths were Stacy Lefort of Churchill (105) and Dakoda Creed of Thomas Aquinas (110).
No Muskies were entered in the female competition.
