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Polson golf in midseason form

| August 25, 2016 12:28 PM

By JASON BLASCO 

Lake County Leader 

The Polson High School boys golf team just began its season and already Coach Bill Owen said he is “confident” about his Pirates’ potential.

Polson finished fourth at the Highlands Invitational on Aug. 15 in Butte with a score of 332. The team finished behind Bozeman (316), Butte Central (319), and Hamilton with a 324.

The Pirates had two golfers place in the top 10 including Matt Hobbs, who finished seventh shooting a 77 and Carson McDaniels finished with a 79.

“The Highlands Invitational isn’t a very challenging course and I felt like we could have played a lot better than we did,” Owen said.

Owen also expressed his optimism about the Pirates ability in this early juncture of the season.

Polson also captured first at the White Fish Invitational by firing a score of 327. Other teams that placed in that tournament included second place Columbia Falls (351), and third place White Fish (377).

The Pirates had golfers finish in the top three of the invitational. Carson McDaniel led the pack shooting a 72. Polson High School golfer Matt Hobbs finished second with a 78, and Trey Kelley finished two strokes behind Hobbs shooting an 80.

“We scored competitively and we shot the type of scores that help you at the state tournament,” Owen said. “We just happened to be at this point of the season, and we are just starting.”

Though the Pirates finished first in the tournament, Owen said the tourney pool wasn’t as traditionally tough as it was in years past.

“It was not as tough as it was traditionally,” Owen said. “There weren’t as many teams as in past competitions. White Fish is always in contention (for state) and we were quite a bit ahead of them.”

Pirates girls start off strong

The Polson High School girls golf team followed suit with the success of their boys counterparts in the first two invitationals of the season.

The Lady Pirates, who are competing with only four players, are forced to all shoot well because of their lack of numbers, according to Owen.

“Because we have only four players competing, there is a little more pressure to shoot well because we don’t have that extra player’s score as a buffer,” Owen said. “I think they are shooting fairly well given the circumstances and the pressure to perform.

Lady Pirates’ golfer Kyara McCue finished fourth shooting a 95 at the Highland Invitational this past Wednesday in Butte, and the Lady Pirates tied for second with Dillion shooting a 438.

The girls then finished second shooting a 424 last Wednesday. McCue led the Lady Pirates by finishing fourth overall in the tournament with a score of 93. Cali Cannon also finished in the top 10 shooting a score of 108.

Because of the lack of numbers, Owen said he felt McCue has already taken on a leadership role for her younger team.

“McQue has been great, and the other three girls have stepped up, are doing their job, and have a great team attitude,” Owen said.