A couple of bad holes is all it took April 18 to put the Dragon golfers in third place on their home turf.
Despite a solid performance on Boulder Pointe’s nine hole ‘dunes? course from junior Alex Waelchli, with 36, and senior Tyler Draggoo with 37, the rest of the team’s score of 41 sank Orion’s hopes at first place. According to Head Coach Monty Gallaher, the final scores proved that ‘every single shot counts.?
?152 was first place and we were in third with 155,? said Gallaher. ‘We missed second by one shot but that’s usually what it comes down to. We played the dunes which we usually don’t practice on but still we should have done better.?
Despite the loss, Gallaher was adamant the team should simply move on and not worry too much about bad holes because ‘it’s more about the process and less about the outcome.?
‘Even when you have that one bad shot you just have move forward and hit the next shot as well as you can,? he said. ‘I really think that’s gotten through to them and they’re not worrying too much, because if they were those scores would be higher.
‘Even professionals like Roy McIlroy, who is the world’s best right now, do things like blow it in the Masters. That’s the game of golf – you’re not always going to have your A-game. You have to make do with what you have and move on.?
Earlier in the week the golfers managed a solid performance on Indianwood’s new course, when in a two-day tournament the team took third place. During the first part of the tournament on Sunday, Orion took first place out of the 20 teams at the event while Waelchli managed to be the second lowest individual scorer. The team faced too many errors during the second half on Monday and finished tenth, for an overall third place.
While traveling on Thursday to a tournament in Traverse City, Gallaher called the April 22 and 23 event a good motivator. He added that the tournaments that are not related to the league are mostly practice for the team.
‘All of this is practice for districts, regionals and state finals,? he said. ‘We seem to really be able to focus when we need to though so I have no doubts this team will rally when it needs to.?
The Traverse City tournament consisted of 18 holes on Friday and Saturday. Gallaher said while he’s not going in expecting to win, he said a victory would not surprise him.
The team played again on Monday at Orchard Lake in the Holiday Inn Express Tournament at the Orchard Lake Country Club. They will golf again in an OAA Red Jamboree today, May 2.