HHS golf hosts Havre Invitational

In high school golf, being able to play on your home course is a huge advantage.

But in Havre, it's even more so. Not only are Havre High golfers more familiar with home layouts like Beaver Creek golf Course and Prairie Farms, but the Blue Pony players are much more accustomed to playing in Havre's blustery golf conditions.

And that's what the Ponies will try to take advantage of when they host the 2010 Havre Invitational golf tournament Saturday at BCGC.

The Havre Invite will be an 18-hole tournament and will feature teams from Lewistown, Browning and Swift Current School in Saskatchewan. Junior varsity teams from Havre High, Great Falls High and CMR will also compete, and that should give the tourney a full field.

And this will certainly be a good experience for the young HHS golf team.

The Ponies have very few veteran golfers, so playing at home is a huge benefit.

On the girls side, HHS has veteran Rebekah Martin, a returning Central A All-Conference performer. But after that, freshmen Katie Beck and Boston Swenson are newcomers to the varsity tournament stage. Beck however, is showing signs of good things to come. She recorded her first varsity Top 10 last weekend in Lewistown and should be a force on her home course this weekend.

The Pony boys have a little more experience, but they too are still a young team. So Havre's best chance at a regular season team title could come this weekend at Beaver Creek.

Top golfer Simon McCann has been steady for the Ponies all season long, and he just missed a Top 10 finish last week in Lewistown. Sam Lippy and Ramsey Drew also have some varsity experience, and their scores have started to come down as the season has progressed.

As for the competition this weekend, Swift Current has dominated the Havre Invite in recent years. The Lewistown boys should be about even with the Ponies while Browning is fielding one of its strongest girls teams in recent years. The Indians had two Top 10 finishers at last weekend's Central A preview meet in Lewistown.

And as for the course itself, BCGC will be in excellent shape for a high school tournament. But conditions could be rough on all of the players in Saturday's field. The forecast has improved as the week has gone on, but temperatures are only expected to reach 55 degrees and that will be long after the round has started. The win should also pick up as the round goes on, and that should give Havre players a slight edge.

The Ponies will use this tournament as a tune-up for the coming week of tough golf. After the Havre Invite, HHS travels to Lewistown for the Central A tournament.

The Havre Invitational will begin with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at BCGC.

The Ponies are in Laurel today for a meet at the famed Laurel Golf Club. HHS competed in a meet host by Billings Central on Thursday. For results from all three of HHS's tournaments this week, see Monday's Havre Daily News.