Wahconah Opens Season with Home Win
DALTON, Mass. – The reigning Western Massachusetts Champion Wahconah golf team began its title defense on Friday with a convincing 149-176 win over Mount Greylock.
Tim Kaley and Sam McLaughlin tied for medalist honors, each carding a 1-under-par 34 on the front nine at Wahconah Country Club.
“It looks like a pretty good deep group again this year,” McLaughlin said of the squad. “We definitely have more room for improvement. We can go even lower this year.
“That’s the goal.”
All six Wahconah starters on Friday finished at 42 or better.
Mount Greylock got rounds of 39 and 40 from Will Svrluga and Jacob Hillman, respectively, as it finished the first week of the season with a .500 record.
Wahconah’s Kaley and McLaughlin each picked up momentum in the second half of the round.
Kaley was 1-over going to the sixth hole, a 151-yard par-3 that he birdied to get back to even. He then finished his day by sinking a birdie put on the 388-yard, par-4 ninth hole.
McLaughlin birdied No. 5, a 360-yard par-4, to go to 1-under for the day. After bogeying the par-5 seventh, he got that stroke right back on No. 1, a 390-yard par-4.
“It was probably my worst drive of the day,” McLaughlin said of the eighth hole. “It went pretty right. I got a lucky kick with my 9 iron, and it went to about 6 feet, and I made the putt for bird.”
Mount Greylock went without any birdies, but there was plenty to be encouraged about after shaving 14 strokes off its Opening Day score two days earlier.
“I saw a massive improvement,” Mounties coach Erik Tiele said. “They’re getting out there. They’re starting to jell a little better. Without my No. 3 and No. 4 players – my No. 3 has been sick and out of school for a couple of days, my No. 4 is out in Sweden for a wedding. I’ve got a little bit of a mixed lineup.
“But Will [Svrluga], nicest round of the year. Jacob [Hillman], hitting another 40. Kai [Nafziger], as a seventh-grader, shooting a 45 on an away course, that’s fantastic. Jack [Elder] shot 52, which is lower than what he shot against Hoosac.”
Tiele agreed that playing against a Wahconah team that figures to be the team to beat in the county helped his players elevate their game.
Wahconah coach Pete Terpak liked what he saw from his team in its first competition of the fall.
“I told our guys, this is Day One,” Terpak said. “Going forward, we have six weeks to get ready for Western Mass … and that’s what we’re planning on. When I see guys fail or do something wrong, that’s good, because we can get out and correct that.”
Not that there was a lot of failure on Friday.
“Timmy [Kaley] is there,” Terpak said. “He’s been playing in the simulator since the last season stopped and rolled right into spring. … Sammy [McLaughlin] bombed the ball today. Hit the ball long, hit greens in regulation, made putts. I’m happy for him. That’s awesome.”
Wahconah (1-0) goes to Taconic on Wednesday. Mount Greylock (1-1) is at Monument Mountain on Thursday.
Wahconah (149)
Tim Kaley 34; Kessler Anello 42; Sam McLaughlin 34; Carter Drake 41; Logan Aitken 40; Devin Lagerwall 41.
Mount Greylock (176)
Jacob Hillman 40; Kai Nafziger 45; Will Svrluga 39; Jack Elder 52; Daniel Tetrault; Nate Elder.