CARMEL
Center Grove’s state finals blueprint often includes waiting until the second day of competition before patiently waiting for the pack come back to it.
However, Tuesday’s early tee times allowed Trojan players the opportunity to experience that a day early. Even so, there is more work to be done if the program is to hoist its third state championship trophy in the last seven finals.
Coach Matt Rodman’s squad fired a 22-over-par team score of 310 on the sun-splashed Prairie View Golf Course to sit tied for seventh out of 18 teams at the halfway point.
Only six strokes separate first-day leader Zionsville (304) from the Trojans and Hamilton Southeastern, setting up what promises to be a battle of wills, nerves and shot-making during today’s final round.
“The golf course was set up for a very good test of golf today,” Rodman said. “It was playing long, playing hard. The pins were tough. The greens were tough. They were running quick, the pins were in some fun spots on a few holes … not a ton of birdies to be had.
“All in all, though, I told the boys that you can’t win a state title on Day 1, but you can certainly lose it. We’ve got a fighting chance. I think a lot of our grit we’ve been developing all season came in to play today.”
Sophomore Nathan Springer carded a 4-over-par 76 for CG’s low score. Junior James Beetz was a stroke back, while Noah Parsetich completed play with a 78 and Brody Holubar a 79. Drew Hardin, another junior, shot 82.
Two of the five Trojans fared better on the front nine, while Springer and Beetz were 3 and 4 over on the front, respectively. Hardin was 5 over on both the front and back nines.
“I would say the toughest aspect was putting,” Parsetich said. “The greens are lightning quick, and they break a lot. You have to tap all those putts.
“It could have been a little better, but overall I played a very good front nine. The back nine, I was a little off. Basically, it’s just the layout of the holes. They look a lot harder, so it’s in your head already how you’re going to play the holes.”
Greenwood Christian junior Noah Reed, fresh off winning medalist honors at the Providence Regional, fired an 80 in his state finals debut.
Reed shot 39 on the front nine, following with a 5-over 41 on the back.
“I would say I was nervous on the first tee, but after I hit my tee shot, I was fine,” Reed said. “I think I kept my composure pretty well. I didn’t lose my mind. I didn’t strike the ball well. A lot of bad iron shots.
“I just think the back nine is harder than the front. Not by too much. You can definitely make birdies if you’re hitting it good, but it will punish you if you’re not.”
Since 2015, Center Grove has captured two team state championships and been runner-up on three other occasions. With this season’s lineup comprised of five underclassmen, it would appear to be a team that is a year away.
Unless, of course, that year is this year.
Remaining composed this morning and afternoon is key, but Trojan players have demonstrated that quality throughout the season.
“Even through tough shots, or bad holes or bad swings, I didn’t see a single bit of bad attitude or them getting down on themselves,” Rodman said. “I think just about every double (bogey) that we had, we rebounded with a par on the very next hole.
“That, to me, shows a lot of their character and their determination with how those boys played today. A great group of kids. They work hard, they play hard and they prepare well.”
