BOULDER — When the second day of last year’s Class 3A boys golf state championships was cancelled because of bad weather, it meant very different things to friends and local rivals Walker Franklin and Davis Long.
For Long, a senior at Peak to Peak, it meant his outstanding one-day effort would be enough for him to win the individual title. For Franklin, who is now a junior at Prospect Ridge, it meant he would not have a second round with which to chase his friend after falling one stroke back on the final hole.
On Monday, both Franklin and Long played solid but unspectacular first rounds at Boulder Country Club on Day 1 of the 2018 state championships. Franklin shot a 1-over 71 to finish the first day in fifth place and Long ended the day at 3-over and in a tie for eighth place. Both trail Day 1 leader Peter Grossenbacher of Eaton, who carded a 5-under 65, by a considerable margin.
One year removed from 2017’s unusual circumstances, both Franklin and Long are thankful there will be a second day this time around.
“I just wasn’t giving myself the opportunities off the tee box today,” Franklin said. “But I hung in there and just fought it out. Last year was just one day and missing that putt on the last hole sure did hurt. But with another day, I feel good. I feel like I can shoot a low number.”
Franklin opened the day with a birdie on the par-4 first hole but hit a rough patch midway through his round, sandwiching a second birdie on No. 9 with a double bogey on No. 8, a bogey on No. 11 and another double bogey on No. 12. While Franklin finished out his round by birding two of his final three holes, Grossenberger shot a 5-under 29 on the back nine that was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 12th.
Starting on No. 10, Long was 3-over on the back nine but finished up with an even-par final nine on the front. On Tuesday’s second day, he’ll look to put together a round more in line with the 3-under scorecard that won him the trophy last fall.
“I played hard out there,” Long said. “I got off to a really bad start and doubled my first hole. But I was pretty happy with it. I feel like the shots are out there but that’s this course. This is a tricky little setup that seems easy when you first look at it but after that, not really. You don’t normally win it on the first day so I’ll just try to get the ball in the hole in a few shots as possible and the rest will take care of itself tomorrow.”
Another title hopeful entering the tournament, Holy Family’s Jacob Mason finished the first day in a tie for 10th place at 4-over. He had five bogeys and birdied the par-3 15th.
With a full four-man squad in the field, Mason and the Tigers ended the day third in the team scoring competition and 11 strokes behind team leader Aspen. Kent Denver will enter the second day in second place just one stroke behind Aspen.
Dawson’s Billy Howenstein, who tied for fourth place last season, is currently in 18th place at 6-over after a quadruple bogey on the par-3 11th ran his score up quickly on Monday.
Play will resume at 9 a.m. on Tuesday at Boulder Country Club.
Walker Franklin of Prospect Ridge competes during the first day of play at the 3A state golf championship Monday at the Boulder Country Club. Go to BoCoPreps.com for more photos. (Brad Cochi / Staff Photographer)
Brad Cochi: [email protected] or twitter.com/BradCochi
Class 3A boys golf state championships
At Boulder Country Club, par 71
Team scores — Aspen 214, Kent Denver 215, Holy Family 225, Eaton 235, Basalt 241, The Classical Academy 242, Colorado Academy 246, Frontier Academy 248, La Junta 248, Sterling 252, Resurrection Christian 253, Gunnison 258, Pagosa Springs 266, Strasburg 269.
Top individuals — 1. Peter Grossenbacher, Eaton, 65; 2. Jackson Klutznick, Kent Denver, 67; 3. Jack Pevny, Aspen, 68; 4. Carlo Pine, Telluride, 70; 5. Walker Franklin, Prospect Ridge, 71; t6. Jack Hughes, Aspen, 72; t6. Liam O’Halloran, The Classical Academy, 72; t8. Davis Long, Peak to Peak, 73; t8. Jacobo Arango, Kent Denver, 73; t10. Dawson Holmes, Aspen, 74; t10. Jacob Mason, Holy Family, 74.
Other Holy Family results — t13. Garrett Green 75; t18. Jackson Grace 76; t43. Alex Mumm 85.
Other Peak to Peak results — 25. Suchit Sharma 80.
Dawson results — t18. Billy Howenstein 76.
Be the first to comment