Local Golf Report: Men's league champions crowned

The golf season is winding down now. We’re officially into September, and for most of us, and especially for those who live and play golf in Havre and on the Hi-Line, September is usually our last gasp on the golf course.

Of course, it’s not over yet, and more championships happened last week at Prairie Farms Golf Course and Beaver Creek Golf Course.

At Prairie Farms, Master Sports defeated Hub Insurance for the 2018 men’s league golf title.

The 18-hole match was played last Wednesday, and Master Sports prevailed. Playing for Master Sports, which beat Patrick Construction in the semifinals last Tuesday, was Jim Kirkpatrick, Doug and Dave Sheppard, Barry Kato and Wayne Bolken. Mark Kato and Kyle Sheppard also competed for Master Sports this season.

Hub Insurance, which took out Tire Rama in last Tuesday’s semifinal, had Murray Hurlburt, Chad Edgar, Steve Mariani and Eric Wilting playing in the title match. Garrett Hanson and Ross Lappe also played on the Hub team this year.

So, for men’s league, that’s it at Prairie Farms. Congrats to Master Sports and winning the championship this year. Job well done, boys.

Meanwhile, Beaver Creek Golf Course decided its men’s league champion last Thursday when Gram’s defeated Grip It N Sip It 21-16 in the final match. Gram’s was composed of Chris Owens, Bill Evans, Kellen Malone, and Ryan Callahan while Grip It N Sip It was made up of Frank Henry, Neal Rosette Jr., Adam Demontiney, and Cody Matfeldt. Congrats to Gram’s on your championship. Job well done, guys.

Believe it or not, the Havre High golf teams are also entering the stretch run of their season. Last week, the Blue Ponies saw their trip to Lewistown canceled due to rain, but the Ponies made that tournament up Tuesday. And with the sun back out, Havre High took full advantage in Lewistown.

The Blue Ponies had dual champions Tuesday, as senior Teagan Fee carded a 91 to finish first. It was Fee’s third individual title of the season. On the boys side, Caleb Chambliss shot a 90 to place first, which was his second win of the season.

The Havre girls also took first place with a team score of 436. Senior Kinzee Peterson finished second individually with a 106, while freshman Sophie Kirkpatrick was fifth at 113. The Blue Pony boys took second with a score of 384. Josh Warp shot a 96, followed by Tyrel Kjersem at 97, Nolan Lotton at 101 and Eli Cloninger at 110.

Havre also had a fun match play day with Lewistown, Belgrade and Livingston last Thursday in Harlowton. No results were published, but, I’m told, the Ponies played well.

And while adult and high school golf are winding down, the Montana State University-Northern golf team’s short, but sweet, fall season will get underway next week. The Lights and Skylights, of longtime head coach Dave Boles visit Butte for the first of three fall tournaments, starting Monday. The Montana Tech Invitational, the University of Providence Invitational and the Rocky Mountain College Invitational are the three tournaments Northern will play this fall. For more on Northern golf, see Friday’s Havre Daily News.

And I want to take this time to wish the Lights and Skylights the best of luck this fall.

I also need to take a second to thank the folks working at Pizza Hut Sunday night. I know that sounds weird for a golf column, but as always, I have a point. My wife and I made our last long trip of the summer last week, hiking in Glacier Park for two days, before going to Missoula for the Griz’ football season-opener. Then Sunday, we played 18 holes at Canyon River, so we didn’t make it back to Havre until late in the evening. I needed my nightly breadsticks from Pizza Hut in the worst way, and while they were so short-handed Sunday, they were going to close early. They still accommodated me. So thanks guys, you were a life-saver for me.

And lastly, I want to let everyone who reads this column know that it will only be around for one more week. The last From Tee to Green will run Tuesday, Sept. 18, so please, get me any information you want published on the golf season in the next two weeks.