Tigers take Briarbrook for third straight year

Wednesday, April 5, 2017
In Thursday’s Joplin High School Invitational, left: Jacob Hammontree finished in a three-way tie for eighth place, John Quitno, finished fourth, and Patrick Ferry tied for eighth place.

The Nevada Tiger golf team has opened its season on fire, winning three of its first four events while finishing runner-up in the other.

Nevada’s latest victory came at the 12-team Bird Dog Invitational on Monday in Carl Junction, as the Tigers carded an 18-hole team score of 292 for the first-place finish. The tournament, held at Briarbrook Country Club –– was made all the more memorable as Nevada’s 292 shattered an 18-hole school record set by the 1990 Tigers (303 at Butler Country Club).

The team triumph on the rain-soaked course was Nevada’s third consecutive Bird Dog Invitational championship. Placing a distant second to the Tigers was Carthage with 315 points. Webb City slotted into third –– carding a 326, while Carl Junction ‘s 330 placed them in fourth.

Patrick Ferry at the Bird Dog Classic Monday.

Nevada was paced by Patrick Ferry’s first-place individual score of 1-under-par 71. Senior John Quitno navigated to a second-place finish after firing a 1-over-par 73. Also for the Tigers, senior Jacob Hammontree and sophomore Bronson Smith tied for third at 3-over-par 74. Nevada’s final team score came from junior Jon Portwood, who finished in 21st after carding out at 13-over-par 85. Sophomore Carter Swearingen finished his day with a 91.

JHS Invitational

In its previous outing on March 30, the Tigers placed runner-up at the 25th annual Joplin High School Invitational. Nevada concluded the 18-team event with a team score of 335, a dozen strokes back of tournament champion Glendale. Lebanon, placing third, finished four strokes back of Nevada while Monett netted fourth at 347.

The Nevada Tiger golf team accounted for the top four individual spots on Monday at the Bird Dog Invitational. Nevada’s top four, pictured from left: Patrick Ferry, John Quitno, Jacob Hammontree, and Bronson Smith.

“Cold, wet, and miserable,” said NHS golf coach Brian Leonard, describing the course conditions in Joplin. “The temperature hovered around 45-48 degrees all day with a 15-25 mph southwest wind to make the golfing tough today. Then, heavy mist and (later) rain added another factor for the golfers to have to overcome.”

Quitno finished tied for fourth-place, tallying identical scores of 40 on the front and back-nines. For Nevada, Quitno was followed in the team scoring by Ferry and Hammontree, who finished in a three-way tie for eighth with a score of 82. Smith and Portwood rounded out the Tigers’ team totals with scores of 91 and 114, respectively.

Up next

Nevada is slated to compete in Joplin at Monday’s Horton Smith Invitational. Opening tee times are slated for 8:30 .a.m.

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