Kwalikum Secondary School’s golf team is tearing it up in their return to AA league play, with the Kondors coming off back to back tournament wins to start the season.
KSS opened the 2012 BC High School Sports AA golf season April 11 finishing first out of 12 teams on their home course Pheasant Glen Golf Resort, and picked up where they left off on Monday.
As part of a 10-team field comprised of schools north of the Malahat up in Comox at Glacier Greens Golf Course April 16, Cole Morrison led the locals with a three-over 75 (the second lowest score on the day) over the 18 hole course.
“It was a very tight course, and the wind made it that much tougher,” KSS coach Butch Gayton said after.
Rounding out the Kondor counters — in high school golf only the top four scores for each team count — were Scotty Austin (77) and Santiago Bouyra (79), and Sarah Nishide (83).
One of the highlights of the round and keys to the first place finish for KSS, said Gayton, was Sandiago’s play on the home stretch.
“He shot a 43 front and started the back nine with an eagle on 10 and a birdie on 11 on his way to a 36 back.”
Kwalikum won the tourney with a combined score of 314. Brooks from Powell River was second at 316.
In their opening tournament May 8 at the Glen, KSS had 11 players entered in the field of 83. Bouyra fired the low score of the day in that one with a stellar one-under 71. Anthony Trozzo turned some heads with a 74, Nick Wassbauer shot a 76, and Luigi Trozzo a 78, for a team total of 299 — well ahead of second place Shawnigan Lake at 310.
This is Gayton’s third year guiding Kwalikum’s golf team, which is coming off back to back second place finishes at the provincials, taking silver in AAA two years ago, and again last year in AA.
KSS’ enrolment numbers may have dropped them down to AA, but Gayton feels strongly his team “can compete with any team in the province.”
“Excellent team depth,” Butch answered quickly when asked about this year’s squad, “and you can tell — we’re using a lot of different players for our top five. They’re having a lot of fun (and) they practice very hard, they practice daily up to three hours.”
Each team is only allowed to bring five players to both the Island and provincial finals and the Kondors have three more tournaments and many practice rounds before then to figure it out.
“It’s gong to be very hard to select who the hottest golfers are heading into the championships,” said Gayton, adding, “we have 11 kids on the team all trying to play their way into the top five.”
KSS hosts the 10-team AA Island Championships Tues., May 8 at Pheasant Glen.
The top two teams from their advance to the BCs May 27-29 at Arbutus Grove Golf Course in Mill Bay.
NEXT UP
Gayton will be taking five golfers up to Courtenay to take on Crown Isle, sight of the AAA provincials later in May.
