The long break between the fall high school boys golf season and the state tournament did not cool off Ridgefield.
This week, the Spudders were some hot potatoes on the golf course.
Ridgefield earned its first boys golf state title Wednesday, winning the Class 2A crown at Liberty Lake Golf Course east of Spokane.
Kellen Bringhurst finished tied for fourth overall. But the key to Ridgefield’s state title was a strong performance top to bottom.
All six Ridgefied golfers made the cut after the first round on Tuesday, which reduced the field from 80 to 41. Wednesday, four of those six finished in the top 25.
That gave Ridgefield a comfortable margin in the team standings, which used a points-based scoring system. The Spudders finished with 128 points, well ahead of second-place Sequim (83.5).
“Last fall, a few of us had a talk on the putting green that we were going to have an awesome golf team this year,” Bringhurst said. “We had a chance to have all six of us get to state, make the cut and maybe win a title. Getting to share this with those guys is the most awesome feeling.”
Bringhurst entered Wednesday’s round one stroke off the lead after shooting 4-over par 74. Though he carded an 81 Wednesday to finish eight strokes behind medalist Jordan Medcalf of Lynden, Bringhurst’s fourth-place finish was his first top-10 placing in the senior’s three trips to state.
Sophomore Cade Bringhurst, Kellen’s younger brother, finished 13th with a two-day score of 160 (78-82).
Eli Saenz finished tied for 19th (81-82), Nick Radosevich tied for 24th (84-81), Cade Whitsitt tied for 26th (84-82) and Kale Suomi rounded out Ridgefield by tying for 29th (82-85).
Ridgefield’s golfers kept plenty busy between the district tournament in October and this week’s state tournament. Most of the team had practiced every day after school at Tri-Mountain Golf Course for the past month.
That wasn’t an option for Kellen Bringhurst and Radosevich, who also played for the Ridgefield baseball team that reached the regional finals on Saturday. Bringhurst usually plays 18 holes on Saturdays and Sundays during the baseball season.
But Ridgefield was able to play two practice rounds at Liberty Lake prior to Tuesday. That proved valuable, especially on Wednesday with wind gusting up to 25 miles per hour.
“The course definitely played tougher today,” Kellen Bringhurst said. “I played decently, considering the conditions. Instead of teeing off early, I was in the lead group with some talented golfers who shot some great scores. I hit some good shots and kept my composure.”
Columbia River finished fifth in the team standings. Isaiah Lamont finished in a tie for 14th and Brady Yackley finished tied for 21st.
4A Boys
Camas sophomore Owen Huntington earned his second top-10 finish, placing 10th after finishing fifth as a freshman.
Huntington followed an opening-round 73 with a 76 at The Creek at Qualchan near Spokane.
3A Boys
Mountain View sophomore Graham Moody shot a second-day 71 to rally for third place at Indian Summer Country Club in Lacey.
Moody, the defending state champion, started the day tied for ninth after shooting 76 on Tuesday. His 71 was tied for the low round of the tournament.
Willy Yeh shot 78 for a two-day total of 161, helping Mountain View place ninth as a team.
1A Boys
Seton Catholic’s Sean Ball finished tied for fifth, his highest finish in three trips to state.
The Saint Martin’s-bound senior followed an opening-round 77 with an 80 at Olympia Golf and Country Club.
4A Girls
Emma Cox finished tied for 14th, leading Camas to the fourth-place finish in the team race at Hangman Valley near Spokane.
3A Girls
Fort Vancouver’s Kiana Coburn shot a final-round 83 to finish tied for 20th at Hawks Prairie in Lacey.
Brittany Kwon of Central Kitsap won her fourth state title by three strokes with a two-day total of 139.
2A Girls
Naomi Phelp finished 16th and Karlyn Gomez placed 20th to lead Columbia River to fifth place at Meadowwood in Spokane.
1A Girls
Riley Philbrook of King’s Way Christian finished tied for 20th in a tournament Emersyn Walker of Charles Wright Academy won by six strokes (69-72-141).
