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Lawson blisters Holdrege course
Bison golfers
place second
behind GICC
HOLDREGE -- McCook Bison golfer Tyler Lawson set the nine-hole scoring record at the Holdrege Invitational on Tuesday with a five-birdie, four-under 32 on the backside of the Holdrege Country Club.
Lawson ended 18 with a three-under 69 (37-32) to take top honors at the tournament. Lawson's 69 is the second lowest 18 hole score in the tournament, one shot shy of Chris Wiemers‚, a Bison alum, who shot a 68 from McCook's 1992 season.
Tuesday's round was only the fifth time a Bison has shot a 60 and Lawson's second time to shoot in the 60's while playing for the Bison.
Last season, Lawson shot a 66 to win the state title.
"I felt pretty good. I played pretty well on the front, but began making the putts on the back," Lawson, a Nebraska Wesleyan recruit, said. "I'm playing well, but I know I can play better. I just need to be more consistent."
Lawson's hot shooting withstanding, nothing could slow down Class C1 powerhouse Grand Island Central Catholic as it captured the team title with a blistering one-under 287 and placed three players in the top five.
"That was a great score by them. Their whole team are seniors and they were running on all cylinders," said McCook head coach Ron Coleman.
Even though McCook didn't win Coleman was happy with how his team shot on a course that McCook has traditionally had a tougher time playing on.
"Shooting a 297 on this course, you've got to be pleased with it. With one guy in the 60s and three in the 70s there's no doubt about that," he said.
"Even with a 297 a couple of guys still felt disappointed with how they played."
McCook had two other golfers place in medalist positions.
Bobby Gaulke finished in sixth place with a 74 (39-35) while Brandon Crick's 76 (38-38) was good enough for 12th place.
Brett Chmiel turned in a 78 (41-37) and was beaten out in a card playoff for 14th and 15th.
Rounding out the scoring for McCook were Kelly Maiden with an 84 (43-41) and Mitch Hazlitt firing an 87 (45-42).
Coleman is pleased with Chmiel's gradual improvement this year.
"Brett has improved from 84s and 85s at the start of the season to 78s the last two tournaments. He's going to continue to gradually get better and work into the mid-70s," said Coleman.
Coleman's squad averaged a team score of 304 and individual scores of 76 in April.
"I'm not going to complain, but we've got to work to get better. We've had a very good April," said Coleman. "We want to get all five of our cylinders clicking by mid-May."
The Bison's next tournament will be a triangular with North Platte and Ogallala at Ogallala's West Wind Golf Course on Monday.
Coleman said that he isn't interested as much in his team's scores but that they inspect the course as West Wind will serve as the district golf course for McCook.
"I'm not concerned with we play," Coleman said. "it's more about observing the course."
Team Scores
1. GICC 287; 2. McCook 297; 3. Broken Bow 306; 4. Lexington 310; 5. Holdrege 332; 6. Minden 333; 7. Gothenburg 334; 8. York 336; 9. Cozad 345; 10. Kearney JV 347; 11. Grand Island JV 378.
Individual Medalists
1. Tyler Lawson, McCook, 69; 2. Matt Jarosz, GICC, 70; 3. Michael Hoch, GICC, 70; 4. Sean Zapp, Broken Bow, 72; 5. Dusty Sorahan, GICC, 72.
6. Bobby Gaulke, McCook, 74; 7. Nate Jaeger, Lexington, 74; 8. Cory Shield, Holdrege, 74; 9. Ben Hanssen, GICC, 75.
10. Jake Linch, Lexington, 75; 11. Preston Foster, Broken Bow, 75; 12. Brandon Crick, McCook, 76; 13. Scott Wissing, GICC, 76; 14. Adam Aden, Gothenburg, 78; 15. Alex Steckler, Broken Bow, 78.
McCook Scores
Tyler Lawson 69 (37-32); Bobby Gaulke 74 (39-35); Brandon Crick 76 (38-38); Brett Chmiel 78 (41-37); Kelly Maiden 84 (43-41); Mitch Hazlitt 87 (45-42).