By Duncan Nixon
Correspondent
The Fluvanna County High School golf season is underway, even though the students are not yet back in school. On Aug. 5, the Fluco golf team under Coach Bryan Searcy hosted the George Bockman Memorial Tournament at the Lake Monticello golf course.
There were nine high schools participating and 51 golfers; both male and female teed off in the tournament. Fluco junior Killian Donnelly posted the best score with a very impressive five under par 67. Playing from the white, men’s tees the Lake Monticello course measures a serious 6,296 yards and it is tight and tree lined with a decent amount of water. For high school athletes it is quite a test. A 67 by a rising junior is very, very good. Donnelly shot 32 on the front nine with birdies on #2, #3, #4 and #8. On the back he shot 35, with birdies on #12 and #13 and his lone bogie on #17. Charlottesville’s top player was only one stroke behind Donnelly, but most high school competitors shoot in the 80s or 90s, with a number of competitors coming in in triple figures.
This was a team event and each school may enter up to six competitors, with the best four scores counting toward the team’s score. Depth is important under this format, and Western Albemarle had the necessary depth. They had five golfers in the top ten in the tournament, posting a team score of 307. Rockbridge High finished second with a score of 356, nudging out the Flucos by a mere two strokes, or a single ball in the water by one of the Fluco’s four best scorers.
The Fluco fielded a fairly young team in this event that included two juniors and three sophomores. Their number two finisher was junior Cohen Purviance who shot a 91. Number three for the Flucos was Kessler Potter, a young women, who shot 99. The fourth best score for the Flucos was posted by sophomore Noah Jones with a 101. The female athletes played from the red tees, over a course of 5,051 yards, but they still had to deal with the same woods and water as the male competitors.
The golf team continued its front-loaded season on Aug. 9 competing in the season opening Jefferson District tournament. On Aug. 11 they were away for a three-school match with Monticello and Charlottesville. On Aug. 12 they will play at Louisa. Then they host two three team events. On Aug.17 Goochland and Staunton High will visit the Lake Monticello course, and on Aug. 19 Monticello and Nelson County will be on hand.
The Bockman Memorial tournament is named in memory of George Bockman, who was an outstanding golfer at the Lake Monticello course and a huge contributor to Fluvanna County High School athletics. He coached girls’ softball, was an assistant to the golf coach, and he was a scorekeeper and timekeeper for Fluco sports events at the football stadium. In addition, he built the dugouts and press boxes for the baseball and softball fields at the then new high school.
