By TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
OWEGO — The Owego boys golf team honored its seniors Thursday, shuffling its usual lineup and dropping a 214-216 STAC battle to Waverly at The Golf Club at Owego.
“I have no qualms whatsoever about starting seniors,” Owego coach Chris Evans said. “This is golf, and they deserved it and they earned it and we're here, and did it bite us a little bit? Maybe. Who knows? I think they had fun and we'll take that. I'll take an ‘L’ any day for that.”
The Wolverines have six matches scheduled in the first nine days of, plus the Section IV Class B tournament on Monday, and have won the first two. They topped Horseheads, an independent, on Wednesday.
“Huge. Big win,” said Waverly coach Marc Felt. “They showed a little sign of life yesterday with our first win and I think they're all right around their season best, so today it was really good to see that.”
The Wolverines have a nice mix of experience to work with, and a growing program made mostly of underclassmen.
Owego’s Duke Snyder and Waverly’s Griff Walter posted matching 38s on the par-35 back nine to share medalist honors while German exchange student Tammo Bruns, who was playing in the No. 6 spot, carded a 39 for the Wolverines.
“I don't think the number six has been close to that all year, but good for him,” said Owego coach Chris Evans.
“Score of the day for our team was our sixth guy,” Felt said. “Tammo Bruns shot a 39. I don't know that he's broke 50 yet this year. And he had a birdie on 16 I think, so great round from him, a senior foreign exchange student, which is really cool to have, and he's all sorts of excited.”
Walter and Snyder both had birdies, as did Waverly’s Daniel Fischer, and Owego’s Sawyer Prentiss finished out his round with an eagle.
“I think he's probably shot three or four rounds in the 30s this year,” Felt said of Walter. “He's playing really well. I'm excited for him to see what he can do at team sectionals on Monday.”
“Duke Snyder played great,” Evans said. “Shot 38, played really well. I watched him hit some shots and he was on his game. He played really, really well. Hit a great shot on 15. Hit some super approach shots.
“Sawyer ended up shooting a 40 because he had that eagle on 18,” Evans said. “He put that thing within about 10 feet uphill and hit the perfect putt, perfect speed, so good for him. Great finish for Sawyer.”
In addition to Snyder’s 38 and the 40 by Prentiss, Connor Kotski, Carter Rieg and Tyler Lewis all shot 46. Cal Smith had a non-scoring 52.
Evans noted the team struggled with getting approach shots close to the pin.
“The same issues all year long. Our first putts are not within tap-in range. We're still leaving ourselves five-footers or six-footers for par. That hurts.”
Mac Talada scored a 44, Daniel Brady added a 46 and Daniel Fischer rounded out the team scoring with a 47. Trevor Allen had a non-scoring 50.
Owego is off until Monday’s sectionals at Soaring Eagles while Waverly will get a preview of the course Friday when it plays Horseheads again.
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IN PHOTO 1: Duke Snyder. IN TOP PHOTO: Sawyer Prentiss. … PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR (PHOTO 19 COURTESY OF PRISCILLA PRENTISS).
