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Golf

Cape golf team wins matches, goes 3-0 on season

April 4, 2011

The Cape Henlopen High School golf team picked up right where the Vikings left off with their first-match March 22 victory over Smyrna, earning two more wins to take the opening month of competition to a 3-0 record.

Despite being depleted by illness and unavailability, the squad turned back a spirited challenge from the Milford Buccaneers March 29, winning 177-182 on the front nine at Rehoboth Beach Country Club.

Senior Devin Medd led all scorers with a fine two-over-par 38, earning his first medalist honors of the season. “My game is finally coming through,” he said. “I had a string of constant pars, except for bogeying the sixth and seventh holes.” Medd admitted to three-putting both of those greens, like a champ, he said ironically.

Nick Purnell bounced back from his opening day self-described debacle, and shot a 43. “I messed up the beginning holes. I was five-over par after three holes. I bombed my tee shot into the water on the par-3 [third] hole.”  Purnell recovered, however, and finished with a nice birdie on the par-5 ninth hole. “I hit my drive into a fairway bunker, and hit a layup shot from there with my 4-hybrid. Then I hit a wedge to about 10 feet and sank the putt,” he said.

James Fenstermaker continued his steady play with his 45. “I doubled the third hole, but I also had a bunch of bogeys and pars. On the eighth hole, I hit my approach shot with a six-iron, and it went left and rolled off the green. It was [about a foot] out of bounds. I ended up with a triple on that hole, but I did okay on the last one,” he said.

Sophomore Michael Johnson finished the team scoring with a 51 in his second varsity match of his young career. “I had a nice birdie on the eighth hole,” he said. “I hit my 6-iron for my approach, and it ended up real close. I made a 4-foot putt.”

Shane Ghigliotty and Matthew Dernoga were not available for the day’s match, so head coach Dave Inglis slotted Casey Bittner and Nate Griffith into the round for their first varsity matches of 2011. Bittner said, “It was definitely an experience. I don’t think I will be as nervous next time.” Bittner finished well with a bogey on the last hole.

“I’m really very pleased with our team score,” Inglis said.

The Vikings’ second win of the season came March 24, in an away match against Sussex Central at Sussex Pines Country Club. Since they played in the immediate aftermath of a heavy rainstorm, the squad’s 174-251 victory was impressive because of the difficult playing conditions.

“Water was everywhere,” Medd said. He shot a 43, which included a triple bogey on the eighth hole. Purnell shot a 44, with one double bogey and two pars. He also mentioned that despite the rain, the teams competed without resorting to the lift, clean, and place option often used in wet weather. “We played the ball down everywhere, except in casual water. And there was a lot of that,” Purnell said.

Ghigliotty’s 41 against Sussex Pines gave him medalist honors for the day, while Fenstermaker and Dernago scored a pair of 46s. Despite the iffy conditions, Fenstermaker wasn’t too pleased with how he played Sussex. “It wasn’t that good of a round. I’ve got to work on some things, and then it’ll come around,” he said.

Inglis said, “It was not a good day for golf. We were the only ones out on the course. I’m glad we were able to get the round in, however. It was also nice to be able to throw out one of the 46s.”

The Vikings next play two away matches April 4 and 6, against Polytech and Seaford, respectively.

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