In his first trip to the state golf finals, Brandon’s Ryan Bilkos finished in the upper quarter of competitors.
Bilkos, a junior, shot rounds of 76 and 75 to finish with a combined score of 151 during the Division 2 state golf finals Oct. 20-21 at Forest Akers East Golf Course in East Lansing. Bilkos? two-day total placed him 19th among 90 golfers at the state meet.
Matt Thompson of Battle Creek Lakeview won the individual Division 2 title with a score of 138.
‘It’s loaded with the best players,? Bilkos said of the state meet. ‘It was the most stacked tournament I’ve ever been in.?
Bilkos, who said he had never played Forest Akers East prior to the tournament, said the temperatures were a little chilly on both days, with a little bit of rain on the second day.
Brandon coach Wayne Thompson said he figured one of the golfers in the tournament would shoot a 70 for both days and would set the pace for the rest of the field. Nonetheless, he said Bilkos fared well for himself.
‘He had a good day, although I’m sure he was a little disappointed it wasn’t better,? Thompson said. ‘Any experience like that will definitely be helpful. The more you can do that, the better. It’s only going to help him down the road.?
Bilkos also said the state tournament experience will be beneficial in the future.
‘It really gave me some confidence that I could put two decent rounds together back-to-back,? he said.
During the summer, Bilkos said he will play in the Powerbilt Tour, which conducts tournaments throughout Michigan, and the American Junior Golf Association, which conducts tournaments throughout the country.