Boys Golf: Youth is served

Jake Jensen (with coach Jon Holmes) ranked 5th in the Missota Conference

Despite a varsity lineup that included but one senior and one junior the Tigers put together a quality season, holding on to the fifth spot in the Missota Conference standings and setting a positive tone for the future.

"I'm very proud," Tiger coach Jon Holmes said. "I had a ton of fun with this group of boys.

"They are all multi-sport athletes and I think that had  a lot to do with their success. They are very well-rounded individuals and embody some of the personal characteristics I appreciate most. That made for a very productive, competitive and enjoyable season."

The six members of the varsity squad earned varsity letters for their contributions to the 2014 season, including senior Tyler VanWinkle; junior Sam Newcomb; sophomores Jake Jensen and Lucas Berg and freshmen Darby Grengs and Isaac Ferm.

Jensen had an outstanding spring, ranking fifth among individuals in the Missota Conference, the highest for a Tiger since state meet performer Greg Werner graduated.

Holmes also singled out two members of the junior varsity team, Brock Lange and Andy Meyer, who each improved his game during the season and will be counted on to contribute next spring.

"We lost six of our top eight players from last season, so the outlook coming into this season was murky," Holmes said. "But looking back we accomplished a lot.

"We finished second at the conference meet at Fountain Valley, our highest place ever, and we had a couple of meets in a row where our team score was under 310. That's also a first in a very long time."

Holmes said the major obstacles to even more success were consistency and, of course, youth.

"We still need more tournament experience and several of our players will be getting that this summer," he said. "That will also help the mental approach to the game that only comes with experience."

With that said, Holmes is excited about the next few years of Tiger golf.

"Our future is very bright," he said. "I can't wait to work with this group over the summer."

Unlike some of the other Tiger sports programs, Holmes doesn't expect to see a drastic change in competition level when Farmington moves to the South Suburban Conference next fall.

"The Missota was a very competitive golf conference," he said. "I think we will fit right in with the South Suburban. We just need to keep playing and improving."

Boys Golf: 3 Tigers make second round

Lucas Berg

Unsettled spring weather played havoc with the Section 1AAA tournament played Saturday and finally Tuesday at Montgomery National Golf Course in Montgomery.

Heavy rains suspended play on Saturday and wet grounds postponed play on Monday, so all teams returned on Tuesday to complete round one and play round two.

The Tigers didn't make the final eight in team competition based on opening round scores but still played on day two as three individuals--Darby Grengs, Lucas Berg and Sam Newcomb--did qualify in individual play.

"Nerves got to us the first day," coach Jon Holmes said, "and that took us out of the team competition."

Berg had the low opening round (83) for Farmington and drew some positive words from coach Jon Holmes

"Lucas played solid and stepped up," Holmes said. "He's got a very good mental game and is able to get up and down to save pars and bogeys...It was awesome to see him be rewarded with consistently lower scores as the season progressed."

Isaac Ferm

Newcomb and Grengs joined Berg in the final round with identical scores of 87. Isaac Ferm and Jake Jensen finished the opening day at 88 and Tyler VanWinkle shot 91.

For the two days, Berg and Ferm carded 162, Jensen 167, Grengs 173 and VanWinkle 174. Newcomb could not finish his second round after being hit with an errant shot and taken for medical treatment.

"All in all, it was a valuable experience for our young team," Holmes said. "I'm excited to work with them this summer."

Boys Golf: 5th in the Missota

Jake Jensen won all-Missota honors

The Tigers didn't quite meet their goal of a first division finish in the Missota Conference, but they did capture the fifth spot in final eight-team standings.

Farmington was a point and a half out of fourth heading into Thursday's final conference get-together at the Northfield Club where it finished fifth.

Chaska won the last-ever Missota meet with a team total of 304 strokes, 10 fewer than runner-up Chanhassen. Shakopee placed third with 330, followed by New Prague 331, Red Wing 331, Northfield 342, Farmington 343 and Holy Angels 353.

"We started off the first five holes as a team very rocky," Farmington coach Jon Holmes said. "All of our guys were well above bogey golf... The nerves were very apparent in most of the groupings and these types of situations are key for our young players to be in to build experience."

Jake Jensen and Darby Grengs led the Tiger efforts with respective rounds of 82 and 83. Jensen's score landed him a spot on the all-conference team. Grengs finished one stroke away from all-league honors.

For the day, the other Tiger players--Tyler VanWinkle, Isaac Ferm, Sam Newcomb and Lucas Berg--carded with identical rounds of 89.

"All in all, it was a good Missota run this year," Holmes said. "We are looking forward to entering the South Suburban next year with some seasoning and, of course, having a nostalgic Missota Conference Invite each year to keep the historic competition rolling."

Saturday the Tigers head to Montgomery National Golf Club in Montgomery for the opening round of the Section 1AAA Championships.

Boys Golf: Tigers runner-up at Southern Hills

Jake Jensen two-over par 73

The temperatures warmed, the winds calmed and the scores came down at the Southern Hills Invitational played Tuesday afternoon at the par-71 course north of Farmington.

Eagan won the six-team get-together with a low team score of 300 strokes. The Tigers recorded their best score of the weather-battered spring season with 305, followed by Rosemount 307, Bloomington Jefferson 323, Bloomington Kennedy 347 and St. Thomas Academy incomplete.

Jake Jensen led a foursome of Tigers who finished in the 70's with a two-over par 73, one shot behind the individual co-leaders. Darby Grengs carded 76. Lucas Berg 77 and Isaac Ferm 79. Tyler VanWinkle and Sam Newcomb rounded out the Farmington scorecard with respective rounds of 83 and 84.

"This was the first time in my history here where we had four scores in the 70’s," coach Jon Holmes said.  "It was also very reassuring to see the boys back up their last Friday’s 311 with an extremely solid 305.  

"Shooting those scores puts you in the top tier of golf teams in the state. We have the ability to do it and to even replicate it, but the real measurement will be when we are able to shoot those scores on an abundance of courses...Getting two freshmen and two sophomores to shoot in the 70’s on the same day is very exciting."

Holmes is helping for similar results next Thursday when the Tigers play in the Missota Conference Championships at the Northfield Golf Club.

Boys Golf: Still in the hunt for fourth

Jake Jensen shot a two-over-par 73

The Tigers remained squarely in the hunt for a first division finish in the final Missota Conference standings with a fifth place effort at the fourth of five league meets played Friday at Southern Hills.

Chanhassen won the tournament with a meet low total of 296 strokes. New Prague finished six strokes back at 302, followed by Chaska 303, Shakopee 309, Farmington 311, Red Wing 312, Holy Angels 322 and Northfield 331.

"The scores were low today with the wind down," coach Jon Holmes said. "The boys were a tad disappointed they didn't finish in the top three since to many of them Southern is their personal home course, but all in all, it was a fun day. 

"The head-to-head match between us and Shakopee stayed hot and will get even hotter on Monday with only one point separating us."

Jake Jensen turned in his third top five performance in four meets with a team low round of 73. Sam Newcomb had a tough first hole but rallied to break 80, finishing at 78.

Lucas Berg shot 79, Darby Grengs 81, Tyler VanWinkle 82 and Issac Ferm 89 to round out the Farmington scoring.

 The fifth and final conference meet takes place Monday at Stonebrooke Golf Course in Shakopee.

Boys Golf: A bump in the road

Sam Newcomb shot 85 at River Oaks

After back-to-back strong showings in the first two (of five) Missota Conference meets, the young Tigers hit a little bump in the road at Tuesday's league meet at muddy River Oaks Golf Club in Cottage Grove.

Farmington finished third and fourth respectively in its first two conference encounters but fell into a sixth place tie with Northfield in meet No. 3.

Chaska continued to lead the Missota pack with a meet low 302 strokes at River Oaks. New Prague finished 12 shots back at 312, followed by Shakopee 317, Chanhassen 318, Holy Angels 323, Farmington 334, Northfield 334, Red Wing 336.

After three meets Farmington trails fourth place Shakopee by half a point in the cumulative team standings.

All six of the Tiger varsity golfers finished in the 80's at River Oaks with Darby Grengs leading the way with 80. Jake Jensen fired 81, Sam Newcomb 85, Tyler VanWinkle and Lucas Berg 88 and Isaac Ferm 89.

"We have been so good this year at not allowing the things we cannot control to affect us," Farmington coach Jon Holmes said,"but yesterday we allowed some things to get under our skin and in golf that mental road block will cause damages that are irreparable.

"We must put ourselves in a position to stay in front of Shakopee going into the championship meet.  The fight now is for fourth.  We certainly still could move into the top three with some stellar play, but we also are in a head-to-head battle with Shakopee to get into the top four."

The fourth conference tournament will be held Friday at Southern Hills with the league championship meet scheduled for next Monday at Stonebrooke Golf Course in Shakopee.

Boys Golf: Third place after second round

Jake Jensen (left) ranks No.4 in the conference standings after two meets

Farmington continued to defy the pre-season prognosticators with another solid showing in the second of five Missota Conference meets.

The young Tigers placed fourth in Monday's league tournament played at the Chaska Town Course and stand deadlocked with Chaska in team points heading into Tuesday's meet at River Oaks Golf Club in Cottage Grove.

Chaska won Monday's meet on its home course with a low team total of 309 strokes, three fewer than runner-up New Prague. Chanhassen ranked third at 317, followed by Farmington 323, Shakopee 329, Red Wing 334, Northfield 343 and Holy Angels 366.

Jake Jensen topped the Farmington leader board with a round of 76, putting him fourth in the individual conference rankings after two meets.

"Jake is very high up in the points right now and with that start it should give him some confidence going into the final few conference matches," coach Jon Holmes said.

Isaac Ferm also broke 80, checking in with 79.

"Issac has started to find his consistency," Holmes said. "He still has more matches ahead of him that will surely bring some ups and downs, but by managing his mishits well at the Town Course he has seen some light at the end of the tunnel."

Darby Grengs carded  82, Tyler VanWinkle 86, Andy Meyer 95 and Sam Newcomb 96 to complete the Tiger scoring.

"As a team we have not been this high up in the Missota for as long as I can recall," Holmes said, "and we are really determined to fight for that spot over the next few matches."

After Tuesday's meet in Cottage Grove the Tigers make the short trip to Southern Hills for the fourth conference together on Friday and then close out the league season on Monday at Stonebrooke Golf Course in Shakopee.

Boys Golf: Tigers 7th at Dakota County Invite

Tyler VanWinkle shot 83 at Emerald Greens

Farmington posted its second lowest team score of the spring but still finished seventh in a quality nine-team field at Saturday's Dakota Invitational played at Emerald Greens.

Eagan edged Rosemount 308-309 for the team title. Simley ranked third at 314, followed by Lakeville South 317, St. Thomas Academy 317, Eastview 319, Farmington 327, St. Croix Lutheran 350 and Trinity incomplete.

Sam Newcomb had his best outing of the season and topped the Tiger scorecard with a round of 79, one stroke better than Jake Jensen. Tyler VanWinkle checked in with a season-low 83, followed by Lucas Berg 85, Isaac Ferm 87 and Darby Grengs 88.

"We need to continue to work on tempo and our short game," assistant coach Terry Holmes said. "We need to develop a short memory after a bad shot."

The weather-plagued spring has caused next week's schedule to turn into an endurance test. The Tigers will play in Missota Conference meets Monday (Chaska Town Course); Tuesday (River Hills) and Friday (Southern Hills).

Boys Golf: Berg leads Tigers at Stonebrooke

Lucas Berg

Farmington ranked ninth with a team total of 338 strokes in a quality 12-team field at the Shakopee Invitational played Monday at Stonebrooke Golf Course in Shakopee.

All six of the Tiger varsity players finished in the 80's with Lucas Berg (41-41) leading the way with a round of 82. Jake Jensen checked in at 84 (39-45) with Darby Grengs (38-48), Sam Newcomb (43-43) and Isaac Ferm (41-45) all carding 86. Tyler VanWinkle was a shot back at 87 (39-48).

"It was a good warm up and a look at Stonebrooke which will be the site of this year’s Missota Conference Championship," Tiger coach Jon Holmes said.  

"The theme of the day was that the boys started slow and struggled on the back nine (their first nine) and finished strong on the front nine. They were able to take some good notes on how to approach the course next time and I am hoping it will pay off in the final week of the season."

 

Boys Golf: Bad weather, great start

Jake Jensen scored an eagle on No. 7

The conditions were anything but ideal but a little cold, wind and rain weren't enough to prevent the Tigers from finishing second in the first Missota Conference meet of the season played Wednesday on their home course at Fountain Valley.

Coach Jon Holmes' upstarts finished with a team score of 321, just four strokes behind pre-season conference favorite Chanhassen. New Prague finished three shots back at 324, followed by Shakopee 326, Chaska 327, Red Wing 340, Holy Angels 364 and Northfield 365.

"Our boys battled the conditions and kept their mindset throughout the round," Holmes said. "It was 36 degrees and raining. Just being outside, let alone playing a four-hour round of golf can wear on anyone.

"It was a very solid start to the conference season for us and it will surely be a benchmark that we must now aim for the rest of the year." 

Jake Jensen shot a career-low round of 75 (39-36) to trail meet medalist Andrew Keisow of Chaska by a single shot in the individual standings.

Included in Jensen's day was an eagle on the par-four seventh hole where he holed out a 132-yard wedge shot.

Darby Grengs also played extremely well for the Tigers, shooting 80 (40-40) in the soggy conditions. Sam Newcomb finished his first-ever conference meet at 82 (42-40). Tyler VanWinkle carded 84 (45-39); Isaac Ferm 85 (43-42) and Lucas Berg 92 (47-45).

 "These guys live and breath golf and when you have a group of players that do that poor weather is always in their favor," Holmes said, "They just want to be out there no matter the conditions. Other players often find an excuse in the weather so it was a good test for our psyche to battle through it."

The previous day Farmington traveled to Stoneridge in Woodbury for a big meet that featured many of the top-rated teams in the state. Gusty winds and a tough course kept the scores higher than usual with the Tigers finishing well back in the pack at 345.

Grengs topped the Tiger score card with a 77  round that earned him a top-ten overall finish. Jensen shot 84, VanWinkle 91, Berg 93, Newcomb 94 and Ferm 98.

The Tigers hit the course again Monday when Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska plays host to the second Missota Conference meet of the season.




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Boys Golf: Young Tigers see first action

Darby Grengs

The young Tigers finally got in an official meet on Monday, finishing sixth in a seven-team field at the Chanhassen Invitational played at Deer Run Golf Course.

Missota Conference power Chaska edged Edina 296-297 to claim team honors. New Prague ranked third at 305, followed by Chanhassen 320, Holy Family 342, Farmington 349 and Benilde-St. Margaret's 379.

Darby Grengs carded a round of  40-41 to lead the Tigers. Jake Jensen checked in at 88 (46-42), Lucas Beg 90 (46-44), Isaac Ferm 90 (44-46), Brock Lange (93 (48-45) and Tyler VanWinkle 97 (51-46).


"All in all it was a good event to get our boys some much needed experience," Farmington coach Jon Holmes said. "Each of them need more tournament experience to get acclimated and accustomed to playing under pressure.

"This is a group of golf rats that loves to be at and on the course and I am confident that with a few weeks of tournament experience they will be able to shake the jitters that go along with tourney golf."

Berg, Ferm and Lange all made their varsity debuts at the meet; Jensen, Grengs and VanWinkle each saw at least some varsity playing time last spring.

The Tigers get back into action Tuesday with a trip to Stonebrooke Golf Course for an appearance at another rmulti-school non-conference invitational.

Boys Golf: Green as grass

Sophomore Jake Jensen gets some advice from coach Jon Holmes

Last year a relatively young Tiger team placed fourth in the Missota Conference and advanced to the final round of the Section 1AA team tournament.

The loss of three seniors to graduation and two top underclassmen who did not return this spring, however, leaves coach Jon Holmes with a 2014 squad greener than the fairways at Augusta National.

"With everyone back we were looking for a move up to second or third in the conference," Holmes said. "Now we will be more focused on the end of the year and next year with all of the young and inexperienced players we have."

Three veterans return form last season: senior Tyler VanWinkle, who played primarily with the junior varsity last spring, sophomore Jake Jensen and ninth-grader Darby Grengs.

Holmes is also counting on junior Sam Newcomb and three freshmen--Isaac Ferm, Lucas Berg and Andrew Meyer--to make major contributions to the varsity effort this spring.

"The guys that are out are definitely range rats and golf enthusiasts," Holmes said. "Hopefully by having so many golf junkies we will be able to make some big strides."

One area that Holmes want to stress to his young team is short game improvement.

"The courses we traditionally play in the Missota Conference are not extremely long," he said. "If we can get the newcomers to be more obsessed with their short games rather than average driving distance it will help. We'll need to make up strokes around and on the green in pressure situations. That will be our focus."

Holmes said defending conference champion Chanhassen should again be the team to beat in the Missota with Chaska, New Prague and Shakopee all expected to field strong teams. The always-tough Section 1AA field gets even tougher in 2014 with the additions of Lakeville South and Hastings.

"It will be a huge accomplishment for any individual or team that advances to day two in one of the best sections in the state," Holmes said.

The Tigers coaching staff remains a family affair with Holmes' father Terry Holmes returning as junior varsity coach.

Weather permitting, the Tigers open their season Wednesday, Apr. 16, at the Prior Lake Invitational at the Wilds Golf Club.

Boys Golf: Young Tigers look to future

With a lineup as green as the fairways at Fountain Valley, coach Jon Holmes knew going in the spring of 2013 would be one of transition.

Six of the seven letterwinners from the last year's fifth place finishers in the Missota Conference were lost to graduation, leaving freshman Erik Holmstrom to shoulder much of the scoring load.

Holmstrom did his part, winning all-Missota Conference honorable mention honors, and despite their youth and the lousy spring weather, the Tigers managed to finish sixth in the conference race and advance to the final round of Section 1AAA team play.

"This season was a whirlwind," Holmes said.  "It went really fast once the matches started rolling, but with the late start, we were able to concentrate on other aspects of golf that in a typical spring season we wouldn't have time for. We were able to address conditioning,  nutrition and the mental part of the game."

Erik Holmstrom-ACHM

Three seniors--Grant Hauswirth, Garret Heidelberger and Nate Anderson--were among the seven players to earn varsity letters this spring. Others included Holmstrom, sophomore Jake Trippel, freshman Jake Jensen and eighth-grader Darby Grengs.

"We moved up to fourth place in our final conference meet and it's been four straight years now that we've qualified for the second round of the sections," Holmes said, "so we had some good things happen...Our younger players got some much-needed varsity experience."

The weather may have been the biggest handicap. The late-arriving spring kept the Tigers off the course early, leaving little time for practice once the busy meet schedule kicked in.

"We also missed playing at some pretty cool courses like Hazeltine and Stone Ridge due to the weather," Holmes said.

Holmes will field another young team in 2014 but he is encouraged by his squad's summer playing plans.

"This is the first year in my experience with the boys' program where we will have kids not only playing in junior tournaments, but also getting golf lessons from a PGA professional," he said.

"We need to play often and play under pressure. We need to get into as many tournament settings as humanly possible."

Golf season hits the clubhouse

Erik Holmstrom

The Tigers boys' and girls' golf seasons came to an end Monday in the final round of the Section 1AA Championships played at Bellwood Oaks Golf Course and Cannon Valley Golf Club respectively.

The boys finished seventh in the final team standings at Bellwood while Brianna Swenson competed in the girls' individual tourney in Cannon Falls. The Tiger girls did not qualify for the final round of section team play.

Lakeville North claimed the boys team championship with a two-round team total of 613, thirteen shots better than runner-up Rochester Century. Winona took third with 629, followed by Owatonna 636, Albert Lea 657, Red Wing 663, Farmington 687 and Rochester Mayo 696.

Erik Holmstrom led the way for the Tigers with 80, followed by Garrett Heidelberger 85, Darby Grengs 86, Grant Hauswirth 88, Jake Jensen 88 and Nate Anderson 94.

"It was some much needed experience that our team earned," Tiger coach Jon Holmes said of his team's second round effort.  "We also got to send off a few of our seniors with one more shot at the tourney...We didn’t light it up by any means, but we gained some experience that will pay dividends next year."

Brianna Swenson

At Cannon Falls Swenson matched her first round score of 107 to finish at 214 in 43rd place among 49 competitors. The section finals appearance was the second in a row for the Tiger junior.

Boys Golf: Tiger advance in Section 1AAA

Coach Holmes and Jake Jensen discuss shot strategy (photo by Terry Holmes)

The Tigers advanced to the final round of the Section 1AAA tournament with a seventh place finish in Thursday's opening round at Bellwood Golf Course in Hastings. The top eight in the 12-team field earned a berth in the second round slated for Monday back at Bellwood.

Lakeville North will take a nine-stroke lead into the final round after out-shooting runner-up Rochester John Marshall 309-318 on Thursday. Winona ranked third at 321, followed by Owatonna 326, Albert Lea 327, Red Wing 341, Farmington 348, Mayo 349, Faribault 350, Austin 352, Northfield 354 and Rochester John Marshall 373.

"We were without Jake Trippel who was out with the flu," coach Jon Holmes said, "and that is too bad because he is a solid player who most likely would have supplied another score in the low 80's for us.

"When we finished I knew the scores would be a little higher due to the wind, rain and mud, but I didn't think we were a shoe-in by any means to get to Monday. Our scores were high and obviously so were everyone else’s... I was proud of how the boys stuck with their rounds.'

Erik Holmstrom and Darby Grengs had the low Tiger rounds of the day, finishing at 85 and 87 respectively.  Jake Jensen and Garrett Heidelberger shot 88, Grant Hauswirth 89 and Nate Anderson 94.

Holmes said his team is looking forward to its return trip to Bellwood Oaks and hopefully some better playing conditions.

"This will give some much needed experience to our young team and be a nice added bonus for our exiting seniors to have one more shot," he said.

Boys Golf: Tiger tie for 4th in Missota finale

Low Tiger scorer Erik Holmstrom

The Tigers saved their best for last, tying for fourth place at the fifth and final Missota Conference meet of the season played Monday at the Red Wing Country Club.

Farmington ended the five-meet run in sixth place in the eight-team conference.

Chanhassen claimed the 2013 league title with a 301 stroke total. Chaska and Shakopee tied for seocnd at 324, followed by Shakopee 328, Red Wing 328, New Prague 338, Northfield 340 and Holy Angels 358.

" It is a short course that gives you uneven lies all of the time," assistant coach Terry Holmes said. The elevated greens gave us some trouble. When you miss them it is hard to get up and down in two."

Erik Holmstrom again led the Tiger scorers with a round of 80, one shot better than teammates Garrett Heidelberger and Jake Trippel.

"We need another golfer to shot in the low 80's," Holmes said.

Jake Jensen shot 86, Darby Grengs 89 and Grant Hauswirth 90 to round out the Tiger scoring.

Head coach Jon Holmes could not be present for the conference finale but commented he was encouraged by his team's showing, its best of the league season.

"A fourth place finish in the last conference meet is really good for us," he said, "especially with the section coming up."

Section 1AA team play begins Tuesday, May 28, at Bellwood Oaks Golf Club in Hastings. The Tigers tune up for post-season play with a dual meet against Rosemount Thursday at Emerald Greens.

Boys Golf: Tigers stay in hunt for 5th in Missota

Senior Grant Hauswirth finished with a round of 84 (photo by Terry Holmes)

The weather was perfect for the fourth of five Missota Conference meets held Wednesday at Stonebrooke Golf Club but the Tigers couldn't pick up any ground in their race for fifth place on the league leader board.

State powerhouse Chanhassen 291 continued to dominate the team standings, shooting a 291 to outpace runner-up New Prague by 27 strokes. Chaska was a stroke behind the Trojans at 319, followed by Red Wing 320, Shakopee 332, Farmington 329, Northfield 345 and Holy Angels 352.

Tiger freshman Erik Holmstrom bounced back from a so-so third conference meet to lead the Tigers with a 37-38 round of 75. Holmstrom tied for fifth overall in a field of 48.

Jake Jensen and Grant Hauswirth tied for second on the Farmington score card at 84. Darby Grengs made his varsity debut with a round of 86. Nate Anderson finished at 90 and  Jake Trippel shot  93.

"If we limit the bad holes to bogeys and even doubles we would improve our team score quite a bit," coach Jon Holmes said. "That coupled with hitting the four-footers would catapult our scores in a hurry.

"But all in all, I am glad to see our steady progression. With a young team it's tough to know what to expect day in and day out, but the more experience and more success stories they have, the better our chances will be in the post season."

Next Monday the Tigers travel to the Red Wing Golf Club for the final Missota Conference meet of the season.

Wednesday they take on Rosemount in a dual meet at Emerald Greens in preparation for the Section 1AA Championships that start Tuesday, May 28, at Bellwood Oaks Golf Course in Hastings.

Boys Golf: No home course advantage

Darby Grengs low Tiger round of the day

The Tigers hosted the third of five Missota Conference meets Tuesday at Fountain Valley Golf Club but couldn't take advantage of their familiarity with the home course, finishing sixth in the eight-team field.

"We played so-so today," coach Jon Holmes said. "We'll need to bounce back in the next two meets to regain the fifth spot for the season."

Garrett Heidelberger had the best round of the day for Farmington, finishing at 81. Erik Holmstrom, Jake Jensen and Grant Hauswirth tied at two shots back with rounds of 83. Jake Trippel shot 86 and Nate Anderson 91.

Darby Grengs of the Tiger junior varsity made the biggest splash of the day, firing a five-over par 77.

"That was our lowest score of the day," Holmes said, "and would have put him in the top eight of all of the varsity players."

The Tigers tuned up for Tuesday's meet with a trip to Southview Golf Club to take part on a unique format where the golfers played in two-man teams. They finished seventh in a 17-team field.

 Garret Heidelberger shot 81 (photo by Terry Holmes)

"The boys had fun with the format," Holmes said. "It was a nice change, especially since we have been playing so many meets in so few days. It gave them the competitiveness aspect mixed in with the excitement of strategizing."

The team of Hauswirth/Anderson posted the low Farmington score of 78. The duo of Jensen/Grengs finished at 79 and the tandem of Holmstrom and Trippel shot 81.

Wednesday makes it three meets in three days for the Tigers when they go to Stonebrooke Golf Club for the next Missota Conference meet.

Boys Golf: A slip at Missota #2

Jake Trippel team medalist at Missota No. 2

The young and mostly inexperienced Tigers slipped a couple of notches in the second round of Missota Conference play held Thursday afternoon at Bluff Creek Golf Course in Eden Prairie.

After finishing fifth in the inaugural league meet last week Farmington dropped to seventh in the eight-team field.

Chanhassen kept its place atop the team standings with 308 strokes, followed by Chaska 320, Shakopee 321, Red Wing 328, New Prague 332, Holy Angels 343, Farmington 347 and Northfield 363.

Jake Trippel returned to the lineup after missing the last meet and led the Tigers with a round of 85.

Jake Jensen and Nate Anderson were a shot back at 86, followed by Erik Holmstrom 90, Grant Hauswirth 94 and Tyler VanWinkle 97.

"The weather was rainy and cold and unfortunately we made that our excuse," coach Jon Holmes said. "The weather is often a blame for golfers, especially the young and inexperienced ones.

"We will have to learn that everyone plays under the same conditions...We lost some rally important ground at Bluff Creek and will need to rebound in a big way next week with two conference invitationals on the schedule."

The first of those two comes Tuesday at Fountain Valley, the second a day later at Stonebrooke Golf Club.

Boys Golf: Holmstom stays hot in Wisconsin

Erik Holmstrom finished 5th overall

Ninth-grader Erik Holmstrom continued his hot streak but his Tiger teammates lost the battle with the Clifton Hollow Golf Course Wednesday afternoon.

Farrmington finished 13th in a 16-team field of schools, ironically most from Minnesota, at the short but challenging course in River Falls, Wisconsin.

Hill Murray took team honors with a meet low total of 302 strokes. Tartan ranked second at 316, followed by River Falls 307, White Bear Lake 319, Woodbury 322, Eden Prairie 323, Mounds View 323, Hastings 324, Mahtomedi 325, Shakopee 328, Scanlon 329, East Ridge 339, Farmington 345, Hudson 348, Bloomington Kennedy 370 and Park of Cottage Grove 355.

Holmstrom fired a four-over par round of 76 to rank fifth in the individual standings. He finished runner-up at the Southern Hills Invitational on Tuesday.

"Erik approaches the game with a great mindset," coach Jon Holmes said. "He will not dwell on a bad shot or hole and he focuses on the task at hand instead. This is a rare feature for any golfer let alone a high school freshman."

The spread between Holmstrom's score and his teammates was cavernous. Jake Jensen was next at 89, followed by Grant Hauswirth 90, Darby Grengs 90 and Nate Anderson 96. Garrett Heidelberger became ill on the course and had to withdraw.

"Some of the other scores were the result of a bad hole or two after a promising stretch of holes," Holmes said. "This will be a mental part of the game we will have to address and hopefully rectify by the end of this very short season."

The Tigers resume Missota Conference action Thursday when they travel Bluff Creek in Eden Prairie for the second in a series of league meets. The Tigers finished fifth in the first conference competition held last week.