Vikings finish ninth in state golf championship

The Cape Henlopen High School golf team finished in ninth place in the 2017 Delaware State Golf Championship. 

Tower Hill won the tournament by three strokes. Esther Park of the Charter School of Wilmington won the individual championship in a two-hole sudden-death playoff against Archmere's Phoebe Brinker, who was attempting to repeat her 2016 victory.

Eleven teams qualified for states, with 31 players from other schools also competing for individual honors. Red Lion Academy failed to make the team cut.  

Sixty-five golfers qualified for the second round at 97 or lower, using the top four scores from each team. The top three scores were used for the second round.

Senior Matt Zehner shot an 88 the second day, and said he had trouble hitting the fairways. Dane Palmer shot an 87, with several pars balanced against a triple bogey. Nolan Brown shot a 91, and said, "I couldn't feel my putting stroke today." Saxon Kalb's 99 on the second round did not count. 

The Vikings (347) held seventh spot after the first round. Zehner tied for 26th at 84, with Brown tied for 32nd at 86, Kalb tied for 41st at 88 and Palmer tied for 44th at 89. Mike Bollig’s 104 (T-83) and Reed Jones’ 108 (T-88) did not qualify for the final rounds.

Zehner said, “I had a lot of bogeys.” Brown admitted to having “a couple frustrating holes” but also had three birdies. Palmer said he had trouble hitting fairways, but Kalb was pleased with his effort, grinning as he said, “I had a lot of pars.”

Cape's two-round 613 total was a single stroke behind Delmar and Polytech, which tied for seventh.

The team finishes were as follows: Tower Hill (540), Achmere (543), Appoquinimink (544), Caesar Rodney (551), Charter (574), Salesianum (590), Polytech and Dover (tied), Cape Henlopen, and Sussex Tech (654).  

On May 26, Cape finished in fourth place in the Henlopen Conference tournament at Maple Dale Country Club, an 18-hole competition.

Zehner led the Vikings with an 85, followed by Palmer’s 89. Brown shot a 93 and Ben Skelley scored a 97. Kalb finished with a 101, with Bollig coming in at 102. 

The Vikings’ final match of the year ended in a close defeat by Sussex Tech May 17 at Heritage Shores, 174-180. Tech’s co-medalists Will Burton and Brady Lingo scored 42s.

Palmer was best for Cape with his 43, followed by Brown’s 44, Zehner’s 46, and Kalb’s 47.

Green Team wins Kings Creek Cup

Kings Creek Country Club held its fourth annual Kings Creek Cup tournament May 21. This team competition uses an 18-hole better ball of partners match play format. 

This year’s Green Team beat the Blue Team 30-26, earning each player a crystal trophy at the end-of-season awards ceremony in October. 

Captained by KCCC head teaching pro Chris Krueger, the winning team included Michael Berger, Sawyer Brockstedt, Chris Brown, Nick DiBona, Jeannine Doane, Tom Forrest, Jason Frost, Vaughn Harman, Katie Heintz, Atom Irwin, John Kiker, Ruth Lauver, Leslie Ledogar, Pattie Magee, Bruce Marine, Duane Maslowski, Gene Musi, Linda Outlaw, Harry Papaleo, Sherry Pie, Tricia Ritthaler, Winnie Sewell, Lisa Smith, Lee Tull, Tony Vari, Judy Wetzel and Joanne Yurik. 

RBCC Talon Cup switches to spring

Rehoboth Beach Country Club held its Talon Cup competition May 19-20, a switch from the traditional fall schedule. The event put 32 two-man teams in nine-hole matches within flights, with flight winners then playing a shootout on the 19th hole for the overall championship. 

Joe Crispin and Mickey Fitzmaurice won the cup. Flight winners included Bob Randa and Gary Hann (Pipeline), Joey Fragomele and Bobby Schluter (Dry Ball), Robert McCarthy and Soc Verses (Happy Ball), Dave Hume and Joe Lawrence (Oasis), Rob Medd and Jeff Wagner (Varsity), and Gil Ekdahl and Dave Coupe (Large Bucket).

Local club competition results

The Kings Creek Ladies 18 Hole group played their game in rainy conditions May 25, as a downpour limited the field.

Nancy Froome won first place, followed by Barbara Hines. Special recognition went to the rest of the players: Nadine Carrick, Debbie Grant, Carol Loewen, Amy Micholas and Joanne Yurik.

The KCCC Ladies 9-Hole group played a Low Net game May 24 in wet weather. Sue Eisenbrey won first place. Sandy Neverett finished second, and also won closest to the pin. 

The RBCC Ladies 18-Hole group held their Opening Day tournament May 17, using a team format.

Britny Whitby, Connie Kotula, Ella Alexander and Linda Welch won first-place net, followed by Carole Medd, Elise Coar, Barbara Markwood and Barb Morgan. 

Joan Crowley, Judy Scrutchfield and Barbara Collins won first-place gross.

The RBCC Ladies 9-Hole group played a Step Aside Scramble May 16, won by Jennifer Barrows, Jane Humphries and Virginia Rettig. April Sweet, Kathy PIazzon, Joyce McCoy and Kim Skonieczki finished second.