The start of the match was delayed by approximately 20 minutes due to thunder in the area. The Virginia High School Association rules require that an outdoor event like a golf match may not begin, or continue, until 20 minutes after the last sound of thunder in the area.
As a result of the delay, this match, which was scheduled to be played over the front nine holes of the Lake Monticello course, was limited to only seven holes.
The Flucos finished in a close second place, with a total stroke total of 151, only four behind Waynesboro. Spotsylvania was far behind at 181.
Fluco golf Coach Bryan Searcy explained that the format for high school matches such as this one is that each team fields six golfers, with the best four scores counting. The golfers play from the white ( men’s) tees. The match is medal play, which means that all strokes count and no putts are conceded. All players must play the holes to completion. There is no picking up in frustration and saying “put me down for eight or nine.”
In this match, the Fluco players were: senior Zach Hubbard, in the number one threesome, freshman Jack Stanke in the number two slot, Senior Derek Weaver playing at number three, junior Nick Yancey playing at number 5, junior Christian Baber at number five, and sophomore Tristen Porterfield in the sixth slot.
Coach Searcy obviously has a balanced team. The four best scores in this match were posted by the number one player, the number two player and the number four, and number six player. Hubbard, Baber and Porterfield all posted scores of 37 for seven holes, and Stanke posted a 40.
It is interesting to watch young players and see how they develop. Coach Searcy noted that number one play Zach Hubbard has worked very hard and has developed his game in an impressive manner over his years on the squad.
For casual recreational golfers, issues such as course management, club selection and local course knowledge can be important. These factors are even more important in competitive situations such as a high school golf competition.
For example, in this match, on the short par four second hole, Hubbard teed off first. He went with an iron off the tee and hit his drive to an excellent location on the right side of the fairway about 125 yards from the green. The number one players from Waynesboro and Spotsylvania pulled out their drivers and boomed away. Both out drove Hubbard, but both were in the rough on the left side of the fairway, with much more difficult angles for their second shots, which required clearing a bunker with very little room to the pin. Hubbard was only able to bogie the hole due to a too long second shot, but one of his opponents ended up with a triple bogie seven on an easy hole.
This was the Flucos second match of the season. In their first outing they traveled to the Mill Quarter course, which is the home venue of the Powhatan High Scholl team. They competed against the entire Jefferson District, including new District powerhouses, Albemarle High and Orange County High. While the Flucos did not finish high in the standing, Coach Searcy noted that the teams’ overall score this year was forty strokes better than last year.
On Tuesday Aug. 27, the Fluco golfers will host Albemarle High School in a dual meet, and on Thursday they travel to the Lake of the Woods golf course to compete in a dual meet with Orange County High.
