Up for the challenge
The Coeur d’Alene High boys golf team finished a distant second to Twin Falls in the State 5A tournament last year at Lewiston.
Both teams returned four of their top five golfers this year. So Coeur d’Alene believes it can challenge for the state title.
It will be a daunting task, though. Largely because the tournament will be held on Twin Falls’ home course.
“I’m telling the boys we’ll have to shoot even par,” CdA coach Bryan Duncan said.
The Vikings are certainly capable. They shot even par recently at a tournament at Prairie Falls, breaking the school record.
CdA’s four seniors – Tyler Johnson, Kyler Gable, Taylor Porter and Cody Mee – all will continue to play in college. In fact, Johnson, Gable and Porter will play on the same team. They signed letters of intent with Community Colleges of Spokane. Mee is leaning toward North Idaho College.
Johnson, who finished runner-up in the chase for medalist honors last year at state, is averaging a team-best 74.1 while Gable and Porter are tied at 74.6. Sophomore Alex Pounds is next at 79 and Mee, who struggled mightily the first half of the season, has averaged 86.4, but he has had his best two rounds, 78 and 75, in his last two matches.
Duncan has been amazed that his team has played as well at it has considering the horrible weather conditions this spring.
The Vikings dedicated themselves to chasing a state title immediately after last year’s tournament. During the winter, they hit frequently in nets set up in the upper gym in Elmer Jordan Court. They also drove a couple times to Lewiston where the weather wasn’t as brutal as it was in CdA.
The Viks’ home course, Avondale Golf Club, opened the lower nine holes two weeks ago and finally had the entire course open for the first time last Friday. This week was the first time CdA played a full practice round there.
“They’ve turned themselves into mudders,” said Porter’s father, Dan, the head pro at Avondale. “They’re golf rats.”
To a player, you won’t hear the Viks complain much about the weather. They hope come state, it will be to their advantage.
“I’m pretty happy overall with how I am playing with the conditions,” Johnson said.
Gable has made the most measurable improvement. He averaged 79 last year and has trimmed five shots off this season.
“I think my mental game has improved a lot,” Gable said. “I’ve matured. Last year I’d have a bad hole, and it would bother me. If I have a hiccup this year I don’t dwell on it.”
Gable said the Viks haven’t let the bad weather slow them down much.
“We’ve been out here hitting balls in the snow,” Gable said.
Gable thinks the Viks are on pace to do well at state.
“If we keep doing what we’re doing now, it’s going to keep getting better,” Gable said.
What Duncan especially likes about the team is the Viks are competitive within the team.
“That’s what drives the machine,” Duncan said. “That’s what you want. They really push each other.”
Porter has been CdA’s Steady Eddy the last two years. Still, he thinks he can be playing better.
“I really haven’t hit the ball well, but I’ve been putting well,” Porter said. “When my swing comes around I should be good.”
Mee shot so poorly during March that he lost his spot on varsity. He shot 75 last week and earned it back. He has been spending extra time at the driving range trying to fix his problems.
“I was having problems with everything – from my swing to school to everything,” Mee explained. “It was really rough. Things are starting to come around.”
Pounds has gone from shooting in the low 90s as a freshman to threatening par.
“I need a little more consistency,” Pounds said. “(Par) is within my ability. It’s just a matter of saving strokes.”
CdA has won six of the eight tournaments/matches it has played this year.
“I think we’re on track,” Johnson said. “By state we should be shooting par.”