New Richmond's Middle Border Conference golf lead down to one point

• Tanner Wisemiller

Sophomore Tanner Wisemiller tees off at one of the par three holes at the Amery Golf Club last Friday.

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The sizeable lead the New Richmond boys golf team built up in the first half of the Middle Border Conference golf season has dwindled down to the slimmest of margins.

The Tigers went into this Tuesday’s MBC tournament with a one-stroke lead. Osceola has been charging hard to catch the Tigers. The pressure will be on the Tigers at the conference meet, because Osceola will be playing on its home course, Krooked Kreek Golf Course.

The Tigers didn’t play badly in last Friday’s MBC match at Amery, but their fourth place finish put them in a major bind. Osceola won the match by shooting 164. Somerset and Amery tied for second with 165 and New Richmond was fourth with a 168. Somerset’s Jake Green, Osceola’s Mike Henck and Amery’s Austin Byl tied for medalist honors by shooting 37.

A week earlier New Richmond held a six-point lead over Osceola but most of that was dissolved with the fourth place finish. Sophomores Connor McCann and Tanner Wisemiller shot 40 and 41, respectively, to lead the Tigers. Ben Norman shot 43, Kole Hallmark 44 and Kyle Montgomery 46 at Amery.

Tiger coach Jim Saliny said the day before the conference meet would be spent trying to rebuild the team’s confidence. In an attempt to neutralize Osceola’s home-course advantage, Saliny planned to take the Tigers to Tuesday’s meet extra early, with the plan of walking the back nine to better familiarize the Tigers with the Osceola course.

Saliny said if the Tigers had been able to finish in second or third at Amery on Friday, they wouldn’t be in such a tight predicament. Now the Tigers have to beat Osceola on Tuesday to win the conference season championship.

Tuesday’s results also continued the battle that Somerset and Amery are waging for third place in the final MBC standings. Somerset went into Tuesday’s MBC meet with a two-point edge over Amery for third place.

Green’s 37 showed the tough edge the senior has developed. Somerset coach Bill Powers was concerned that Green would have an off day Friday because he was suffering from a migraine headache. Instead, Green came through with a 37, one stroke better than defending MBC champion Charlie Danielson of Osceola. Tuesday’s conference tournament will determine whether Green or Danielson will be individual conference champion this season.

The rest of the Spartans played well at Amery too. Matt Skoglund finished at 42, Zach Bahr and Hunter Iverson at 43 and Danny Green at 48.

WIAA regionals

The boys golf post-season begins next Tuesday and Wednesday with regional meets all over the state. New Richmond and Somerset will both be hosting regionals.

The New Richmond Golf Club will be the site for the WIAA Division 1 regional meet on Wednesday, May 23, with a 9 a.m. tee time. Teams joining the Tigers in the tournament include Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire Memorial, Eau Claire North, Hudson, Menomonie, Rice Lake, River Falls and Superior.

Somerset will host the Division 2 regional meet at Bristol Ridge Golf Course next Tuesday. Tee time is at 9 a.m. Teams joining the Spartans in the tournament are Amery, Baldwin-Woodville, Durand, Ellsworth, Grantsburg, Osceola, Prescott, St. Croix Central, St. Croix Falls and Unity.

Siren Invite

Somerset’s golfers ruled in last Wednesday’s Siren Invite.

The Spartans won the 13-team tournament with a team score of 327, 13 strokes ahead of second place Amery.

Jake Green won the medalist honors by shooting 74. He had a large margin of victory over the second place golfer, who shot 80. Bahr tied for fourth in the tournament by shooting 83. Skoglund and Iverson were among the golfers who tied for sixth, with rounds of 85. Danny Green finished with an 87.

Tags: sports, tigers, golf, prep