The Mingus golf team started off its season by winning its own invitational in Cornville on Thursday, Aug. 29, by four strokes over second-place Flagstaff.
Ryan Sullivan easily took medalist honors, shooting a two-under-par 34 to breeze past second-place finisher Josh Lovett, of Flagstaff.
“I started off really hot,” Sullivan said. “I made two birdies out of the gate and then I kind of started hitting a little bit thin the next few holes off the tee-boxes.
“But my putting was really on today. I think I only two-putted two or three holes and then I put them down on the rest.”
Despite the fact that Sullivan was the only Mingus golfer to shoot a state-qualifying score, as a team Mingus came just three strokes from the state-qualifying standard of 162, with its top five golfers totaling 165. Flagstaff was second in the team scores with a 169 while Coconino and Bradshaw Mountain tied for third with a 174.
“I’m kind of surprised that, as poorly as we played, we still came that close to qualifying as a team. So if we play to the level of our ability, we’ll be just fine,” Mingus golf coach Craig Mai said. “I know that our team’s expectations are reasonable — we can meet them and make it to state as a team if we continue to improve.”
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, Sept. 4, issue of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
