Two golfers from Durango High School went in opposite directions during two days at the state golf tournament, yet they ended up at nearly the same place.
DHS juniors Levi Tichi and Anthony Flint both qualified for the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 4A State Golf Championships held Monday and Tuesday at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Tichi shot a solid round of 7-over-par 78 on Monday and was within four shots of the lead, but he shot a 15-over 86 on Tuesday to finish in a tie for 32nd.
Flint put together similar rounds but in reverse order. His bad day came with an 89 on Monday, but he backed it up with a 77 on Tuesday. At 24-over-par, Flint finished in a tie for 39th. Only 15 players had a better score Tuesday in the 84-player field.
Tichi made three birdies on Monday but only one on Tuesday. A day after he made a triple bogey on the par-3 sixth, he made birdie there Tuesday. Uncharacteristically, Tichi made four triple bogeys during the two rounds combined, with three Tuesday.
“I was feeling good and tried to go out strong,” Tichi said. “I hit some good shots earlier on the practice green and on the range. The first hole, the second shot I hit it to about three feet and it came back to the hole. But I ended up missing a foot-and-a-half birdie putt. So, I think that just kind of set the tone.”
After missing the easy birdie look on No. 1, his swing unraveled.
“The second hole, I was still frustrated after I missed the first putt. I pulled one left in the sand, ended up making bogey. The third hole, I usually hit a fade/cut with my driver, but then I hit three consecutive pull/draw drives, hit one out of bounds, and my putting was pretty off all day. I had 41 putts, more than I’ve had this entire season by a couple. It happens.”
Flint didn’t find a birdie on Monday with six bogeys, four doubles and one triple bogey. But he fixed most of his problems Tuesday and played his final nine at 1 over. He started Tuesday with a double bogey and was 3 over through two holes. A birdie on No. 18 got him turned around, as he made the turn to the front-nine at 5 over. He made birdies on Nos. 3 and 4 before a double bogey on the fifth and another bogey on six. He came in with three consecutive pars to shoot 77.
“I felt a lot better today,” Flint said of his second round. “I kind of tried to simplify things and go out there and just play golf. I had a lot less swing thoughts and went out and tried to enjoy the day. I made a pretty nice up-and-down for par on 17 to get me going. Had a nice yardage on 18, stuck one close on one of the tougher looking holes, and that got me going to show I could make some birdies out there.”
Both Durango players said the greens were fast and firm. It was a struggle to stick approach shots close. The rough wasn’t too bad, Flint said, but there was fescue around the bunkers and out of bounds areas that made for more difficult shots when the ball got caught up.
Montrose’s Jordan Jennings continued a streak of success for his school. He won the tournament by four shots with a dazzling display Tuesday. He shot a 5-over 76 on Monday but shot 3-under 68 on Tuesday for the victory. He made five birdies with two bogeys and played his final 10 holes 2 under.
Mullen’s Marion Dino and Rhett Johnson both shot 74 on Tuesday. Dino finished second, four shots behind Jennings, while Johnson was third, six shots back.
But the team title went to Cheyenne Mountain on its home course in the shadow of the school’s namesake. Carter Surofchek led Cheyenne Mountain with a tie for sixth place, while Connor Moberly tied for ninth and Thomas Herholtz tied for 11th. Cheyenne Mountain shot a 459 as a team to beat Mullen by five shots. Montrose, which had won the three previous state titles in Class 4A, finished third with a 472.
DHS did not compete for the team title with only two qualifying players. Team scores use a team’s top-three placers and combines their scores.
Flint and Tichi, who both won tournaments during the regular season in 2020, will return as seniors next year. The Demons aim to contend for a regional title behind their play in 2021.
“It was a great year with a great relationship with our coaches who were really able to work with us,” Flint said. “Being able to play well through the whole season, even if we didn’t play that well at state, it’s nice to know we can compete up there. We have the capability to contend for state, and we will do that next year.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
