The Durango Demons’ play resembled the weather Monday in Pueblo.
Durango High School struggled on the opening day of the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 4A Boys Golf State Tournament at Walking Stick Golf Course. The Demons’ top-three scores came in at 35-over-par 251, and that put the team in ninth place out of 13 teams.
Valor Christian leads the tournament with a 10-under 206, and the Eagles boast the two tournament leaders in Jake Staiano and Coby Welch, who both shot 5-under 67.
The second and final round of the tournament will tee off at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
“All the guys want to shoot at least one round in the 70s, and that is the goal (Tuesday),” DHS head coach Kirk Rawles said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “At 35-over, our most realistic goal is to reach Evergreen at 24-over in seventh place, or maybe Silver Creek in sixth at 18-over. We just want to move up as far as we can.
“With Valor as low as they are, we have no chance of winning it.”
Cory Gillespie, a DHS junior who has competed in the state tournament now three years in a row, had the best round of the day for the Demons at 5-over 77. He is tied for 17th place with seven other players.
“He hit the ball solid, and he played better than the 77 indicates,” Rawles said. “He didn’t make any putts of length, but it is a solid first round.”
Rawles said he will spend the majority of Tuesday walking alongside Gillespie to try and help him climb as far up the leaderboard as possible.
The rest of the Demons struggled on a wet and windy day in Pueblo. There were two lightning delays called, and players competed until 6 p.m. after a 9 a.m. start.
“It was pretty nice for a while after the first delay, but after the second delay, it was really difficult out there,” Rawles said of the conditions.
Cameron Barnhardt shot an 86, Cy Spicer, the 4A Western Regional champion, shot an 88, and Eric Walker scored an 89 to round out the DHS team.
“Eric, Cy and Cameron didn’t play as well as they have all year,” Rawles said. “We are really trying to take it all in this year, because all four of these guys are juniors and will be back next year. We’re already thinking about that.”
Spicer’s day got much better after he made the turn to the back-nine. After posting a 51 on the front, he put together a 1-over 37 on the back-nine.
“There were hints of good things with that. As a player, to shoot a 51 and keep your head in the game and shoot 1-over on the back, that is probably one of the most difficult things to face in life as a golfer,” Rawles said. “For him to do that, that was huge to turn around the whole thing and bring it home.”
Rawles said Barnhardt didn’t hit the ball poorly, but he wasn’t able to maintain momentum.
“He would get a birdie and then three-putt the next hole or get into a tough lie. That is the frustrating part of golf,” Rawles said.
Walker had just a few blowup holes, but Rawles expects him to settle in a bit more Tuesday.
“He didn’t play as well as he can,” Rawles said. “Everyone will look to bounce back and work to have a fun day (Tuesday) and go out and shoot a bit lower across the board.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
