Mother Nature was a bit cruel to the Chaminade golf team Monday afternoon.
The Red Devils were cruising along with a score barely above par at the Class 5 state tournament at Silo Ridge Golf and Country Club in Bolivar when a rainstorm forced a halt to the action for about four hours.
“We had a six-stroke lead before the heavens opened,” Chaminade coach Jack Wilson said. “The two teams that were behind us, their guys were all done, except for one kid from Helias, so they were sitting back at their hotels when we had to go back out and play in the mess.”
Chaminade compiled a team score of 296 to lead second-place Rockhurst — which was the only Class 5 team to advance five golfers — by one stroke.
“It's actually the score I pulled out of thin air and predicted, so for us to land that is good,” Wilson said. “When you're handcuffed with only playing with four golfers instead of five, everybody has to be firing on the same cylinders, so it was good for them to do that.”
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All four Red Devils carded scores in the 70s — juniors Bubba Chapman (72) and Charlie Kramer (73) and seniors Clayton Becher (75) and John Guerra (76).
“For all of them to shoot mid-to-low 70s, it was exciting,” Wilson said. “I would pass a parent and they'd ask how the other guys were doing and I'd say, 'I don't ask them their scores.' I just want to know they're focused shot to shot and not thinking about their scores.”
Among other area Class 5 teams, CBC (311) is in fourth place, Marquette (313) sits sixth and De Smet (322) is eighth.
On the individual side, SLUH freshman Harrison Zipfel fired a sizzling 3-under-par 69 to tie Liberty North sophomore Caden Mickelson for the lead after the opening round.
“It was a great start to the tournament,” Zipfel said. “Even though it's not, from the get-go, I just told myself it was just like any other tournament, and I was able to keep myself cool, calm and collected and play some pretty good golf.”
Zipfel was one of five Class 5 players to post under-par rounds with four more at even-par.
“I got a little lucky because I had an early tee time, so I was able to get out and complete my round before the rain delay, which I think really helped,” he said. “Almost everything was working really well for me today. The driver was just perfect. I couldn't have asked for anything better. My putting has been the best it's ever been. Combine those two things together, you're probably going to have a really good round.”
Another area freshman, Liberty's Cole Packingham, is among three players that shot a 1-under 71 to finish in a three-way tie for third place.
Eureka senior Logan Forister and Chaminade junior Bubba Chapman are part of a quartet of players tied for sixth at even-par 72.
Chapman was 4-under through 11 holes before bogeys on Nos. 12 and 13. He then was one of the players who fell victim to the soggy 18th hole with a double-bogey.
“The last hole, which was incredibly soggy and almost unplayable, cost us five strokes because Bubba and John took a double and Charlie took a bogey,” Wilson said. “He had a great putt or he would have doubled, too.”
Four more players are tied for 10th at 1-over 73, including Kramer and another SLUH freshman Nick Vilela.
“Nick was just lighting it up with the irons, I heard,” Zipfel said. “I think he got caught up a little bit by the weather, which is unfortunate, but he was still able to piece together a pretty good round.”
At the Class 3 tourney at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club in New Bloomfield, St. Charles West senior Ian Hollander is the only area player in contention with a 5-over 77.
“It actually didn't go too bad. I just missed a couple putts. I actually hit the ball really good today. Got up and down when I needed to,” Hollander said. “I kept it steady and battled the weather off and on all day, putting clothes on, umbrella, keeping everything dry. Not too bad for the conditions given.”
Hollander had an even par 36 on his first nine holes and was tied for the lead at one point. A pair of bogeys put him at 2-over and then he was tripped up by a triple-bogey on his next-to-last hole, No. 8.
“I played what I like to call boring golf, just tried to go for pars and get the job done,” he said. “I had a great round and it kind of (hurts) to end it that way, but there's 18 holes tomorrow and I'm only four shots back.”
Defending Class 2 champion Trigg Lindahl, a Hermann High junior, fired a 2-under 70 at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield to enter Tuesday's final round two strokes behind California junior William Boyd.
“It was the first day. I was a little nervous going into it, so I wanted to go in with a plan. I tried to hit 18 greens, went for the center of the green, didn't attack any pins all day, and I think it worked out,” said Lindahl. “Tomorrow is going to be trying to shoot 64 and firing at some pins when I have wedges in my hands, trying to go low with a really good number.”
Lindahl's first-round score this year is the same as last year when he had a five-stroke lead. Even though he's not leading after the first round like last year, he said he likes where he's at even better this year.
“I actually like playing from behind,” Lindahl said. “Five up was a really intimidating number just because I almost choked it last year. I was really nervous after that first day. Like, what if I mess this up? My game is where I want it to be and I know I can chase that guy down.”
The Bearcats are fourth in the Class 2 team standings at 346, while Lutheran St. Charles (360) is sixth and St. Pius X (395) is eighth.
The second and final round of all five Missouri boys golf state tourneys will take place on Tuesday.
