Cambridge golfers shoot 313, hold off St. Mary's Spring for sectional title

FOND DU LAC — Kian Bystol-Flores threw caution into wind at the last hole, pulling out driver on the short par-4 18th.

The junior standout ripped his tee ball on the 301-yard hole, landing on the putting surface to set up a closing birdie and win top medalist honors.

Bystol-Flores shot even-par 71 to lead Cambridge’s boys golf team, which shot 313, to a sectional championship at a Division 3 tournament held at South Hills Country Club in Fond du Lac on Wednesday, May 29.

St. Mary’s Springs shot 315 to nab the second state-qualifying spot.

Bystol-Flores caught an extremely unfortunate break at the par-4 16th hole when his on-target approach shot hit a sprinkler head, then caromed off the cart path and into deep fescue. Bystol-Flores rescued double bogey to fall into a tie with St. Mary’s Springs sophomore Ben Baker, who had already finished his round of 72.

Bystol-Flores made par at the par-4 17th before getting aggressive at the last hole. Instead of hitting a long iron and wedge in an effort to make birdie, he opted for the big stick and that gamble paid off handsomely.

Bystol-Flores two-putted the final green, jarring a 6-foot birdie look to seal the individual title, his ninth in as many tournaments.

“I’m proud of my bounce-back skills and my ability to face adversity today,” Bystol-Flores said. “I had a lot of stretches of bogey-birdie. To make birdie coming down the line and hit a really good tee shot in a pressure moment of a big tournament was a plus too.”

Bystol-Flores has honed in his accuracy off the tee after some wayward driving early on in the season.

“With my driver in the first five meets of the year, I averaged like three fairways per round,” Bystol-Flores said. “Now, I’m executing tee shots way better. I’ve focused on a good bit too on the process and routine of my tee shots to be fully committed.”

Bystol-Flores made three birdies and two bogeys in his outward nine of 1-under 34. He rebounded from a six on the par-5 third to stuff a pitching wedge at the 155-yard par-3 fourth, which was playing downwind, to a foot, nearly making a hole in one.

He added another birdie at the par-3 sixth, hitting a pitching wedge to 12 feet before canning an uphill putt. After a bogey 5 on No. 7, Bystol-Flores hit a well-struck low punch shot under a tree to 20 feet on No. 8 and jarred a downhill birdie bid.

He birdied the par-5 14th, hitting the green in two and just missing on a 10-foot eagle look, to get back to even on the back nine. Bystol-Flores finished par-double-par-birdie for an inward nine of 37 for top-ranked Cambridge, which will be the favorite at the state tournament.

“We know it’s going to be tough because we are defending,” Bystol-Flores said. “At the same time, that’s momentum for us.

“We plan to go in there and play our game. We want to keep our heads down and march to the finish line. I have confidence in our guys throughout the lineup.”

Cambridge senior Cade Nottestad continues to post impressive rounds in his own right. He fired a 4-over 75 to place third individually.

Nottestad made two birdies — on the par-5 third and par-4 eighth — along with four bogies in his front-nine 37. He birdied the par-4 11th in his back-nine 38 which included five straight pars to end the round.

“Cade made a bunch of really nice putts, including a couple 10-footers for par when we needed them down the stretch to close out the golf tournament,” Cambridge boys golf coach Vern Lee said. “Cade really hits it a long way and is a lot of fun to watch.”

Freshman Ben Baker shot 83 after starting 7 over through seven holes to tie for 14th and junior Matt Buckman shot 84 (despite an early quadruple bogey) to finish in a tie for 16th to round out the Blue Jays’ tally. Freshman Jack Baker shot 95.

“Ben and Matt both started putting a bunch of pars together, or we wouldn’t be where we’re at,” Lee said. “Both are really good athletes and they showed it today, sticking to it and getting it done. Matt is just such a competitive guy.”

The State Boys Golf Tournament will be held on the Meadow Valleys Course at Blackwolf Run in Kohler on Monday and Tuesday.

Team scores: Cambridge 313, St. Mary’s Springs 315, Sheboygan Lutheran 329, Kohler 343, Howards Grove 347, Valders 360, Sheboygan Christian 361, The Prairie School 361, Cedar Grove-Belgium 369, Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic 381, University Lake 381, Williams Bay 390.