The Viking Vanguard

No mulligan necessary, golf sixth at State

Tuesday, June 05, 2012 By Jesse Giles

The boys golf team took sixth place out of 24 represented schools at the State tournament May 21-22. The tournament was played at Hangman Valley Golf Course in Spokane . “The golf course was very challenging,” Coach Glenn Halverson said. “Combined with windy and cool weather conditions, it played very hard.” Sophomore Mitchell Baldridge finished highest on the team, taking 18 th place out of 88 golfers. Baldridge began golfing in seventh grade and feels that he has improved his game a lot since then. “I enjoy playing golf because all the guys [on the team] are really close and it’s a lot of fun,” Baldridge said. “I like Coach Halverson a lot; he’s a really nice guy. He always wants to make everyone better.” Junior Preston Gillihan tied for 23 rd place at the tournament. “We had to play through the wind and it was hard to judge each hole,” Gillihan said. “I remember there was a par five that was 620 yards but it was dead into the wind, so it played closer to 700 yards. The greens were pretty hard too.” Halverson takes pleasure in seeing the team take such a high place this year. “I have played golf for about 35 years,” Halverson said. “I started coaching golf to help young players develop their game. It is very enjoyable to see the progress and improvement in our players and the PHS program.” On the par 72 course, Baldridge shot a 78 on the first day and an 80 on the second day of the tournament. “I used to get nervous during tournaments,” Baldridge said. “Not any more. At the tournament, I hit some bad shots on the last three holes. The winner scored only one over for the tournament.” Gillihan shot an 81 on the first day and a 78 on the second day. He has played similar golf tournaments before, so his nerves were calm. “You have to know when to focus; when to amp yourself up,” Gillihan said. “Everyone gets first-hole jitters, like a tip-off in a basketball game.” Gillihan believes that the competition at the tournament was much greater than it was during the regular golf season. “It only gets competitive when you get to the State level,” Gillihan said. “Our team is very lucky to have more good players than most high school teams. So we just dominate everybody in the high school league—not to sound cocky, it’s just how we’ve played for the past few years.” Coach Halverson also admits that the level of competition was high at the tournament. “High school golf in Washington has become very competitive over the last 10-12 years,” Halverson said. “But our players are very dedicated and committed to the game and work hard.” The team was able to practice a month prior to the tournament, according to Halverson. “We play our main season in the fall,” Halverson said. “Then we are allowed one month in the spring to prepare for the state tournament. We practice everyday at High Cedars, working on all aspects of the game: putting, chipping, etc.” Baldridge sees that the practice and training prior to the tournament really came in handy at State. “We practiced every day for about a month as a team but I also practiced by myself at a driving range,” Baldridge said. “With everyone’s help, I was able to get a lot better and really improve my game.” Gillihan, however, sticks to routine practice throughout the year. He is very determined to become a professional golfer and has been since he began at age four. “Tiger Woods, who’s a big inspiration, says ‘Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent’ so I’ve tried to become a permanent golfer throughout my career,” Gillihan said. “I’ve changed my swing and try to focus on the little things in my game.” Gillihan sees the same ambition in many of his teammates, which he claims has led them to their success. “My teammates all want to be good golfers, so we all practice together and push each other,” Gillihan said. “That makes us better in the end.”