Headed to state

Published 12:01 am Tuesday, May 24, 2011

When Jeff Tobin’s Kamiak boys golf team tees off this morning at Spokane’s Qualchan Golf Course, it will be doing so in a position of strength that the Knights have never experienced.

After capturing the 4A District 1 championship last week at Legion Memorial Golf Course in Everett, the Knights bring all six of their varsity players to the state tournament in pursuit of the team title that will be decided Wednesday.

“That was, of course, a thrill for us to have all of our guys qualify,” Tobin said. “At least on paper it gives us a better chance to do well.”

Team scores are determined by the placements of the top 40 players. The more players making the cut after the first round, the better your chance of winning a state title.

The Knights took state crowns in 2006 and 2007 and with just four state qualifiers both years. All four making the cut was key in winning the championship.

The 80-player tournament tees off at 7:30 a.m., but at the end of the day the field will be cut to the top 40 scorers plus ties. When the tournament was held at the same course in 2006, the cut line was 77 strokes.

The weather may be a factor in the competition this year. As of Monday, the forecast was for light showers, which may be an advantage for the golfers from the west side of the state who have mostly battled wet conditions during this abnormally rainy spring.

“We are kind of used to it after the spring we had,” Tobin said. “It’s not like are guys aren’t used to playing in wet conditions.”

Tobin says usually the schools from the East have the advantage because they are more accustomed to the conditions on their side of the state.

Whereas the teams from District 1 played winter rules (Golfers are permitted to lift, clean and place their balls when off he green). The championship will be played with summer rules (Play the ball where it lies).

The Knights coach also noted in practice rounds that his players were hitting the ball farther because the air was drier and Spokane’s elevation is a bit higher.

Junior Brandon Hill may be Kamiak’s best hope for the individual title, coming into the tournament as the team’s No. 1 golfer. Though freshman Joe Fryer may have been the team’s most consistent player this year. Bellarmine Prep’s James Feutz is the defending medalist and Lewis & Clark won the team title in 2010.

“All of our guys are capable of making the cut,” Tobin said. “The encouraging thing is they’ve all played well enough to compete at this level. Of course they have to do it at under pressure of the state championship.”

Kamiak seniors Mason Tomlinson and Chris Yun will be playing in their last tournament and Abe Kim rounds out the team as the No. 6 player.

Though it is very much an individual sport and the teammates don’t even get to see much of each other during the rounds since they are paired in different groups, Kamiak’s golfers definitely have a team chemistry that could aid the team on its quest for the title.

“It is an individual game in one sense,” Tobin said, “but it really does matter to the guys how the other guys are doing. They really do value their team.”

Jackson, which finished second at the district tournament, also brings a pretty impressive team to the tournament, having qualified five of six players, including Taylor Pirnke who finished second in the district. Joining him will be David Won, Barrett McGinnis, Joe Gallager and Kyle Cornett.