Staff writer
The Marion County Golf Meet, held Friday in Marion and Hillsboro, provided the opportunity for 14 teams to compete in three tournaments while playing only two.
All teams played in 18-hole tournaments hosted by Marion High School and Hillsboro High School on their home courses, playing one course in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
Results were tallied and awards given for each tournament, and then golfers’ scores for both were combined to determine the overall champion for the 36-hole marathon.
Hogan Lovelady was the best Warrior performer on a day in which Marion’s collective team scores placed them at the bottom of all three tournaments.
Lovelady shot an 80 on the Marion course, good enough for 11th place. When his score of 84 on the Hillsboro course was added, Lovelady dropped to 13th in the 36-hole competition. He did not place in the Hillsboro tournament.
“Hogan did very well today. There were two or three holes he let a few putts get by. He could have very well shot in the 70s, but a couple of holes is all it takes,” Marion coach Thane Schwartz said.
Wiley Lundy had a difficult time negotiating the Hillsboro course, carding a score of 101. He rebounded in the afternoon playing at his home course, shooting an 84 to finish 22nd.
“There’s no place for these kids to go to hit a bucket of balls before the tournament to get their rhythm. The first tournament was finding his rhythm, and then he came over here and did something with it,” Schwartz said.
“It’s a lot of golf. It pushes them, separates the wheat from the chaff on that last 18,” Marion coach Thane Schwartz said. “I’m tired and I didn’t even play.”
The heat and wind made conditions even more challenging, Schwartz said.
“It was very warm. If you didn’t keep your electrolyte balance up, it was going to be hard to score. It was pretty windy.”
The Warriors wrapped up the regular season Tuesday in the Heart of American league tournament at Hesston. They travel Monday to Osage City for the regional tournament.