White Hawks hit the links ahead of tourney

The Mound Westonka boys golf team had two meets last week. They competed in their final conference meet at the Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan on May 20, and the Pioneer Cup at Pioneer Creek in Maple Plain on May 22.

The Wright County Conference holds three 9-hole meets and three 18-hole meets each spring. The team award was won by Holy Family again this year, the top ranked AA team in the state. Southwest Christian, ranked fifth in AA, took second.

The individual competition in the conference is fierce, with some of the best players in the state. Players are allowed to drop two 9-hole rounds or one 18-hole round, and All Conference is awarded to the golfers with the lowest 63-hole totals.

Sophomore Luke Sunnarborg entered the final meet in the hunt for All Conference but knew he would need a good round to cement his spot. He shot a 41 on the front nine, not the score he was hoping for. He started the back nine with a birdie and didn’t let up from there. Finishing with five pars and an exciting eagle on the last hole, he rebounded with a 35 on the back, totaling 76, for fifth place and All Conference honors.

Sophomore Dillon Peterson turned in a 91 for the White Hawks, with eighth grader Leif Kellner and sophomore Wes Foley contributing the remaining team scores.

Two days later the team competed in the Pioneer Cup in one of their windiest meets of the season.

Sunnarborg started off hot at the top of the leaderboard and stayed there the entire round. He used two birdies on the front and another two on the back to finish the round 2-under par, good for a 70, his best round and first win of the season.

Peterson shot a 42 on the back nine to help him to an 88 for the round. The White Hawks also used the scores of freshman Hudson Pundsack and eighth grader Leif Kellner.

The White Hawks will be able to get a few days of practice in before heading to Pebble Creek Golf Club in Becker on May 30 and June 3 for the 2-day section tournament.