Marble Falls golfers learn from first tourney
The Mustangs’ first team shot a 315 during the two-day State Preview Invitational at the Jimmy Clay course in Austin. The state’s top teams were in attendance to play the course the University Interscholastic League has deemed the site of the state tournament.
“I was pleased the second day,” head coach Lonnie Tackitt said. “We came back and played well – more along the ways this team is capable of doing. We tended to play one round well and the other round not so well. We have to figure out how to be consistent.”
Logan Clark and Ethan Turner led the way with 163 each during the two-day event. J.W. Harlin shot a team low 76 Oct. 4. Turner added a 78, while Ben Causgrove’s 80 and Clark’s 81 rounded out the last day of scoring.
“We played well (Oct. 4),” Tackitt said. “We competed with all the teams. It was much closer.”
Zack Wagner’s 88 was the squad’s low Oct. 3.
“On the first day, we didn’t play well,” the coach said. “Some of them weren’t hitting the ball solid, some were.”
The Mustangs skipper said he asked his players their thoughts on the first round. Most of them agreed they did not make solid contact with the ball and misjudged the speed of the greens on putts.
“Pretty much across the board, we did not putt well,” Tackitt said. “To me, we didn’t read the greens well. There were times when we were trying to make them, we didn’t have good speed. We were going too far. On second putts, we were too firm.”
The result was 35 lipouts or balls that caught the lip of the hole but rolled around to stay on the green.
“Part of it is just a misread,” the coach said. “It was too firm, catches the lip and spins out.”
So during the warm-up, Tackitt said he emphasized the players need to relax and drive the ball without thinking so much about the mechanics. And when it came to putting, he added they needed to aim for the entire hole, not just a part of it.
“We spent a lot of time in putting the green and concentrating on speed,” he said. “I think we focused better on what we were doing.”
The Mustangs skipper also saw a drop in three-putts, the number of putts it takes to make par on the green.
“We had 12 three-putts compared to 25 or more the first day,” he said. “On the second day, we were down to 12.”
The Marble Falls boys second team played in the San Antonio Southside Invitational, site of the Class 4A Region IV tournament as well.
Nick Steffek fired the low round each day, an 80 Oct. 3 and an 85 Oct. 4.
Matt Hering had an 82 in the first round when the team shot a solid 333.
Daniel Karrasch added an 85 with Spencer Dunavant shooting an 86. Hunter Smith also competed.
“They shot well the first day,” Tackitt said.