All three local teams participated in Friday's Reeths-Puffer
Invitational, and out of 18 teams, the Rockets had the best local
finish, placing sixth with a team score of 327 - their best 18-hole
score of the season.
That score had R-P 21 shots behind winner
Mona Shores. Whitehall and Montague tied for 14th place with a team
score of 356, and R-P also fielded a second team that shot a 397 and
placed 18th.
Kristian Brown topped the Rockets with a
sixth-place overall finish, shooting a 76. He made three birdies in the
round. Ian Vokal shot an 81 with a birdie along the way, and Beckitt
Johnson added an 82. Jordan Benkert picked up the No. 4 scoring honors
for R-P with an 88.
Rockets' coach Matt Pallett said Brown,
who was only three strokes away from the top individual spot, could've
scored even better, but played aggressively down the stretch to try to
become the medalist and was unable to parlay that into success, scoring
double bogeys on two of his final four holes - the only times all day he
shot worse than bogey.
“It was a great day for golf for the team," Pallett said. "It
was great to see four guys put good rounds together for once. I am very
proud of my team. I look forward to seeing how we finish the season.”
Ethan Balon shot a 79 for Montague, including a birdie, and Jones
McDowell paced Whitehall with an 82. Tanner DeVries posted a 90 for the
Wildcats, followed by Michael Flanagan with a 92 and Jonah Henderson
with a 95. For Whitehall, William Burger had a 90, and Gabe Gilbert and
Rylan Johnson each shot a 92.
