The Mingus golfers were “burning the edges” at Verde Santa Fe golf course in Cornville on Tuesday, Oct. 1, and while that may sound like a cool skateboarding trick, in golf it’s definitely not a good thing.
The Marauders’ top two golfers, Gary Baker and Ryan Sullivan, both said they missed putts that rolled past the “edges” of the cup, leading to disappointing rounds for both.
The Mingus golf team took third in its invitational with a score of 172. Coconino and Bradshaw Mountain tied for first at 167.
The Marauders were led by Baker who shot 40, Sullivan shot 41, Orlando Machado shot 42, and A.J. Valenzuela and Kylie Streck both shot 49.
Baker, who missed his fourth state-qualifying score of the season by just one stroke, said his round started out well with a birdie on the first hole.
“Then I had a bogie, and a double bogie right after that — and I had a short birdie attempt on the fourth hole — I missed that,” Baker said. “I had the opportunity to shoot well today but every putt just barely missed by a matter of inches, so it was just mainly the putting.”
Sullivan, who shot a two-under-par 34 at Verde Santa Fe just one month prior, had the same problem as Baker.
“I just could not make a putt, I couldn’t double down and I was burning the edges,” Sullivan said. “It did not go the way I was expecting it to today; I was expecting to play a lot better.”
Mingus golf coach Craig Mai said he’s been disappointed with his team’s play in its last two matches.
“We’re just not playing up to our potential,” Mai said. “We’re close, but I feel like we should be improving and we haven’t been improving. I can’t put my finger on exactly what’s holding us back, so we’ll keep plugging away and keep working at it.”
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, Oct. 2, issue of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
