Marble Falls aims for comeback
MARBLE FALLS — Being 17 strokes out of second place at the District 25-4A Tournament does not scare Marble Falls High School golf coach Lonnie Tackitt.
“I told them the story about the 2001 team,” he said. “We were 24 shots down after the first round.”
By the end of the second, Marble Falls was up by nine strokes, Tackitt said.
By contrast, this year’s Mustangs first team shot a 332 and is in fourth place, while Marble Falls No. 2 is sixth with a 348.
Lake Travis No. 1 is in first with a 308, while Lake Travis No. 2 shot a 315 for second, and Lampasas followed with a 325.
The Lady Mustangs also are in fourth with a score of 396. Lake Travis is in first with a 327, and Pflugerville Hendrickson follows thanks to a 376.
The aim is to cut the deficit in half by the end of the first round, the coach said.
“We’ve had great practices,” he said. “We’ve played very well. The guys scored low, and we’re looking forward to seeing if we can transfer it to the tournament rounds. Practices have been fun.”
The second round starts 8 a.m. Wednesday at Star Ranch in Hutto, while the final round is 8:30 a.m. Thursday at Hidden Falls Golf Club in Meadowlakes.
Star Ranch is not as difficult as Shadow Glen Country Club in Manor, site of the first round, Tackitt said.
“You do have wider fairways and less trouble,” he said.
By contrast, Hidden Falls will be more challenging, the coach said.
“It’s the longest field we’ll play,” he said. “You have out of bounds on both sides of each hole. You have to keep the ball in play on course. One of the maximum penalties you get is out of bounds.”
The good news: Hidden Falls is the Mustangs’ home course.
“We’re looking forward to seeing how well we can play,” Tackitt said.
One concern is the weather. Rain is expected the rest of the week.
The weather is a whole other factor because players must think about their rain gear, protecting their clubs and mud to their balls.
“Let’s hope the rain stays away,” the coach said. “You don’t like touching the ball. There’s a lot of stuff.”
The only way the tournament would be postponed is because of lightning.