GHS golfers scrap at River Valley

The GHS varsity girls golf team faced tough conditions at River Valley Ranch Golf Course in Carbondale on April 16. Although the Cowboys shot higher scores than normal, the girls gained valuable experience playing fast undulating greens, and uneven lies from the fairway.

Head Coach Kevin Mickelson said the round prepared the girls for the regional and state tournaments at the challenging Gypsum Creek and RainDance golf courses.

“All of the greens are elevated, and they’re big greens with lots of movement on them,” Mickelson said. “It’s the kind of golf we don’t see often, and that’s why we want to play there. It was a good golf experience for them in the long run, and I think that will bode well for them.”

Ahead of the trip to Carbondale, the Cowboy golfers opened the season with impressive scores in the early season. Junior Aiden Tomlin led the way with a fourth-place finish in Montrose, and a seventh-place performance in Grand Junction.

But River Valley presented an entirely new challenge. The course is one of the longest on the Cowboys’ schedule, boasting a handful of lengthy par 5’s with water hazards lurking at every twist and turn. And, as the girls have grown accustomed to, spring in Colorado presents uncooperative weather, like powerful wind and scattered storms.

It was a brutal test for the golfers, who finished with a ninth-place score for the team. Tomlin again led the way, taking 13th overall with a 95. Sophomore Norah Abila placed 28th, shooting a 108, while Faith Pederson took 35th overall. Sophomore Althea Stansbery wrapped up the Cowboy scoring with a 125.

The Cowboys returned to the Dos Rios range this week —again accompanied by high winds — to make small strides ahead of the regional tournament in mid May. But first, the girls will host a tournament on their home turf on May 5, with tee times starting at 9:30 a.m.

“We went back to Dos Rios, and like Scottie Scheffler says, ‘Always go back to the basics,’” Mickelson said. “We worked on trying to make good contact and good passes on the mats.”

(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@gunnisontimes.com.)