Keagan Lamb got a big final fall off to a winning start Aug. 30 at Verde Santa Fe Golf Course.
The Mingus Union High School senior shot a 38 over the front nine holes in Cornville to finish runner-up individually, leading the Marauders to a solid 12-stroke win over three rivals.
“Keagan should definitely qualify individually, but we should qualify as a team this year [for State],” head coach Craig Mai said. “I think we should win our section. It’s going to be between us and Lee Williams [High School].”
Only Anthem Preparatory Academy senior Kyle Connolly, at one-over-par, shot a better round, edging Lamb by one stroke despite his seventh-hole birdie.
But the Eagles finished a distant third behind the Marauders and Flagstaff High School, with Bradshaw Mountain High School last.
“We’ve had some of the best practices of the summer the last couple weeks,” Mai said. “So I’m excited.”
The balanced 12-man roster is deep enough for the Marauders this fall that their Nos. 4 and 5 golfers both finished in the top five Aug. 30.
Junior Ethan Brogdon finished two strokes back of Lamb, edging sophomore Justin Tanner for fourth place by a stroke.
Tanner overcame bogeys on the fifth and sixth holes to tie Flagstaff junior Jacob Davison for fifth place.
“We’ve got enough experience [and] quality golfers coming back that I’m optimistic we’ll be very competitive at State,” Mai said. “It’s been awhile — five, six years.”
Senior Henry Valenzuela holed out before both of them, along with freshman Noah Daher and sophomore Cameron Machek, of the junior varsity.
“We’ve got seven guys — Henry and Cameron being our [Nos.] 6 and 7 — that’ll be pushing each other,” Mai said. “So I have high expectations.”
Senior Travis Nester, the No. 3 golfer on the varsity ladder, finished in a tie for 10th, while junior Tyre Kim, who started the season right behind Lamb, was 17th out of 19 golfers who finished.
For the full Mingus golf schedule, please see the Wednesday, Sept. 7, issues of the Camp Verde Journal and Cottonwood Journal Extra.
