Shelby junior Titan Carter earned his second straight bid to the
state finals Tuesday at the Division 3 regional tournament, played at
The Falls Golf Course in Barber Creek.
Shelby placed sixth as a
team with a score of 357, 22 strokes behind the Mustangs for the final
team qualifying spot. It was the best finish by any of the six West
Michigan Conference schools in the tournament.
Carter was one
of four players who tied for medalist honors at the regional, shooting a
six-over par 78. Carter joined Calvin Christian's Will Orme and North
Muskegon's Luke Jones as individual qualifiers with that score, while
the fourth, NorthPointe Christian's Cameron McDonald, qualified with his
Mustangs team.
Carter got out to a terrific start Tuesday,
sitting at even par through 10 holes thanks in part to his eagle on the
par-5 17th hole, his second hole of the tournament, and a birdie on the
course's fifth hole. He then hit a speed bump, scoring bogey and triple
bogey on the next two holes.
"He was missing
the greens and told me he 'wasn't feeling it,'" Shelby coach Fred Inglis said of Carter. "But I knew he was
motivated to return to the state finals, and if one part of his game was
in trouble, he'd find a way to compensate. That way was his putter. First (he) made a 12-foot putt for a bogey,
then sank an eight-foot putt for par, and finished with a six-foot par putt to
clinch that state finals appearance.
"As he walked off the final (green) he smiled, 'I have to make it hard for myself, don't I?'"
Inglis said Carter earned his state spot through all the "hard work" he puts in both in and out of season.
"I know his passion and his willingness
to put in the hours and hard work," Inglis said. "If he struggles with one part of his
game, he'll spend extra time to find a way to correct it. He's on a path
to a championship that he and his family mapped out for a long time."
Freshman
Ivan Carter was second in scoring for Shelby with an 86, and Rafael
Davis shot a 90. Davis made three birdies in his round, while Ivan
played consistently, making nine pars and four bogeys.
Also for Shelby, Andrew Arquette closed the scoring with a 103, and Ryan Schouten scored a 122.
"All five of these
players are eligible to return next year with greater experience and
expectations," Inglis said.
Hart also competed at regionals
and finished in 17th place as a team with a score of 428. Wyatt Johnson
led the Pirates in scoring with a 93. Logan Dean shot a 105, Colton
Samuels had a 112, and Braydan Baron and Joel Knobel tied for the fourth
scoring spot with a 118.
