By David Paulsen
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
What a way to earn a trip to state.
The Waterford High School boys golf team had to play one extra hole Tuesday at the WIAA Division 1 golf sectional, but in the end it was worth it.
The result is that the Wolverines are headed to the WIAA State Team Golf Meet to be held at the University Ridge Golf Course in Madison on Monday, June 3, and Tuesday, June 4.
“It was real exciting,” head coach Mike Harmeling said.
Brookfield Central won the sectional with a team score of 300. Waterford and Waukesha West tied for second with a 311 total. Sectional was played at Wanaki Golf Course in Menomonee Falls.
Harmeling said that at the turn, his team knew they were in the mix for a possible state berth. At that point, he said Waterford led Waukesha West and Brookfield East by one stroke.
Since only the top two teams at sectional advance to state, the two teams had to participate in a playoff to determine which team went to state.
In the playoff, all five members of each team participate, with the scores of the top four counted.
Both teams went to the par-four No. 1 hole for the playoff. Earlier in the day when the two teams played that hole, Waukesha West’s top four carded a 17 and Waterford an 18.
This time, though, the top four Waterford scores totaled 18, while Waukesha West’s top four scores totaled 20. That meant Waterford was headed to state.
Zack Nash and Grant Beck parred the hole, while Garrett Buri and David Zahn bogeyed it. All four of those Wolverines are juniors.
At what point did the team feel they had the playoff won?
“After Grant made his par putt, we had a pretty good idea because we had two pars and a bogey at that point,” Harmeling said.
Nash, a junior, led Waterford with an even-par 71 (36-35) and shared the low score with Brendan Paule of Menomonee Falls.
“Zack had to play for the medalist playoff and he won that,” Harmeling said, noting that this playoff also took place on No. 1.
Junior Garrett Buri shot a 78 (38-40), followed by junior David Zahn with an 80 (38-42). Rounding out the team scoring was junior Grant Beck with an 82 (42-40).
Sophomore Adam Dewane carded an 88 (47-41), but that score did not count toward the team score.
The team will be able to practice on the University Ridge Course on Sunday, June 2, with the two-day state meet beginning the next day.
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