The Becker Bulldog boys golf team played three matches this week, finishing  first at home, second in Elk River and second in Little Falls.

 

Tuesday, the boys hosted a Granite Ridge Conference meet on a windy, sunny day.

 

The Bulldogs came out flat and were 14 strokes down to Cathedral after the front nine.  

 

However, Coach Dan Olson’s kids played a little better on the back nine and Cathedral struggled, opening the door for a win.  With great play from Alex Stanz, Jackson Fluck, Zach Stanz and Austin Seavert, the ‘Dawgs were able to pull off a one stroke victory.  

 

Alex Stanz shot a solid 77 for fourth place, followed by Fluck at 79 for fifth and  Zach Stanz and Seavert at 82's for sixth and seventh for a team score of 320.

 

Brandon Abrahamson finished at 86 (12th place) and Gavin Murphy at 89 (17th place) to complete Becker’s scoring.

 

Becker had four golfers in the top seven with Foley’s Preston Kopel medaling with a 74.

 

Becker finished the match with a three-stroke lead in the team standings over Cathedral.

 

Team scores: 1). Becker 320; 2). Cathedral 321; 3). Albany 353; 4). Milaca 363; 5). Little Falls 369; 6-tie). Foley and Mora 386; 8). Zimmerman 410.

 

Wednesday, Becker played at Elk River Country Club, an old school course with a lot of trees and elevated postage-stamp greens.

 

“Big numbers are easy to find,” said Olson, “and the wind was up, increasing those opportunities as well.”

 

The Bulldogs came up  a little short on the nine-hole event, finishing second to Cathedral by three strokes — putting the two teams in a tie for the conference lead.  

 

“It is clearly a two-team race as we are over 100 strokes up on the third place team after four meets,” said Olson. “I hope that we have at least one meet in which our players and Cathedral's players play their best golf.”

Olson says he is glad that Cathedral has been going back-and-forth with his team thus far as the competition keeps his boys focused.

 

Fluck finally shook off some rust and had a round with no big negative numbers to lead the Bulldogs with an even par 36 and first place overall.  Alex Stanz followed with a 37 for second. Abrahamson had a 42 for seventh and Zach Stanz a 44 for 11th place.

 

“Austin and Gavin struggled a bit, but that can happen in their first full year on varsity,” said Olson. 

 

Team scores: 1). Cathedral 156; 2). Becker 159; 3). Little Falls 180; 4). Milaca 182; 5). Albany 184; 6). Zimmerman 200; 7). Mora 201; 8). Foley 205.

 

Thursday, the boys hit the road for Little Falls to close out three meets in three days.

 

Becker struggled a bit and ended up shooting a team score of 320, coming up one stroke short of Cathedral and now trail the Crusaders by one stroke in conference play.

 

Alex Stanz was Becker’s low shooter, tallying a 74 and medaling.  Seavert and Fluck came in with a pair of 81's and Zach Stanz shot an 84.  

 

“We struggled on and around the greens today,” said Olson. “There were a lot of miscues around the green and a lot of putts that lipped out, but that is golf.  Hopefully, we can fix that issue with four solid days of practice before we head to the St Cloud Country Club next Thursday.”

 

Other scorers for Becker were Abrahamson with an 86 and Murphy with an 87.

 

Team scores: 1). Cathedral 319; 2). Becker 320; 3).  Little Falls 342; 4). Milaca 352; 5). Mora 353; 6). Foley 354; 7). Albany 356; 8). Zimmerman 371.