Penn wins NIC golf tournament and overall title from Saint Joseph on fifth-man score

PLYMOUTH — Penn, Saint Joseph and Marian have battled throughout this boys golf season to rule over the Northern Indiana Conference.

With all three teams having round-robin records of 1-1 during the dual season, Saturday’s Northern Indiana Conference tournament at Pretty Lake Golf Club was supposed to decide the league’s overall champion as the season progresses to the June 3 local sectional at Erskine Park.

There still might be some discussion about who’s No. 1 after Saturday’s tournament, which saw the Kingsmen and Huskies shoot totals of 302, three shots better than Marian. In the end, Penn was awarded the season title because its fifth-man score was better than Saint Joseph’s fifth man on Saturday.

Noie column: This was a difficult day at the ballpark for one high school baseball head coach

There was confusion regarding the score of a Penn golfer who shot a 76, but may have signed a card with a 75. If that were the case, rules state the golfer would have to be disqualified, forcing the Kingsmen to use their fifth-man score — a 79 — which would have given coach Bret Bajdek’s Huskies the tournament and overall titles.

The 76 was eventually rewarded.

The discussion is certain to continue this week and next as the three schools prepare for the South Bend Sectional on Monday, June 3 at Erskine Park. And the three will have more competition then when Trinity School at Greenlawn, which is honorable mention in this week’s state poll, is in the field. Only the top three schools at the sectional advance to the June 6 regional at Sandy Pines.

At least one thing is certain — Saint Joseph golfer Thomas Raster was the best golfer on Saturday as he toured the par-70 (usually 72) Pretty Lake which had its par-5 eighth hole reduced by 371 yards because of construction being done at the venerable course which once hosted the LPGA Barth Classic in the late 1970s and early ’80s.

Spring sports tourneys: When and where are the IHSAA spring sport state championship contests?

Raster overcame a double bogey at the 393-yard fifth hole and a triple-bogey 7 at the 330-yard 17 ^th with five birdies during a one-over 71. That was matched by Penn senior No. 2 Jack Yewchuk. After both players made birdies at the par-5, 471-yard 10 ^th hole — Raster making a 25-foot putt for his — Raster won the playoff and medalist honors by two-putting for par at the 328-yard, par-4 ninth after Yewchuk drove poorly to start.

“I’d say it was one of the best rounds I’ve played all year,” Raster said. “The key thing today was that my putter was really working, and that was after missing two birdie putts that lipped out.”

Bajdek, who got a 74 from senior No. 4 Jake Hirschler, a 78 from Tate Guyton and a 79 from Beau Basney, was pleased with Raster’s effort.

“Thomas is mentally stronger than most of the adults out here,” Bajdek joked “Winning this (the conference title) is one we really wanted. Our guys kept scrapping all day. This sets the table for sectionals. It’s going to be crazy.”

Polizzotto’s Kingsmen were led by Yewchuk’s 71, 76s from Corbin O’Hara and senior No. 1 Dylan Mounts and the 79s by Colten Donze and Michael Basney.

“Dylan struggled the first nine holes and then got it figured out,” Polizzotto said. “Jack obviously played very well, and the others hung in there pretty good. Both Jack and Dylan have been playing pretty well lately.”

Stopczynski’s Knights got a solid three-over 73 from senior No. 4 Ben Padrnos while John Hahn and AJ Bishop carded seven-over 77s, one better than Jackson Horvath. Padrnos’ brother Jacob wasn’t far behind with his 80.

Coach Andy Kern’s South Bend Adams Eagles used a 76 from Tommy Hornback and a 78 by Liam Kinney to finish fourth in the tournament with a 324 total, one stroke better than Elkhart and two ahead of New Prairie. Junior Steven Wade shot a 79, one better than teammate Will Cochrane, to lead coach Todd King’s Lions. Coach Alex Homann’s Cougars had a pair of 77s from Hunter Zdyb and Brock Sinka.

Adams and Elkhart are in the South Bend Sectional field on June 3, while the Cougars will play at Beechwood Golf Course on May 31 in the LaPorte Sectional.

NORTHERN INDIANA CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT RESULTS

PLYMOUTH – Results from Saturday’s Northern Indiana Conference Tournament played at the par-70 (34-36), 5,724-yard Pretty Lake Golf Club:

Team scores

1. x-PENN (302): Dylan Mounts 76, Jack Yewchuk 71, Colten Donze 79, Corbin O’Hara 76, Michael Basney 79.

2. SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH (302): Thomas Raster 71, Tate Guyton 78, Beau Basney 79, Jake Hirschler 74, Joey Borsodi 87.

3. MISHAWAKA MARIAN (305): John Hahn 77, AJ Bishop 77, Jackson Horvath 78, Ben Padrnos 73, Jacob Padrnos 80.

4. SOUTH BEND ADAMS (324): Liam Kinney 78, Tommy Hornback 76, Atticus Hunter 90, Owen McNally 82, Leo Sweazy 88.

5. ELKHART (325): Steven Wade 79, Will Cochrane 80, Cameron Miller 84, Nathan Windy 86, Ben Miller 82.

6. NEW PRAIRIE (326): Hunter Zdyb 77, Cole Shelton 82, Brock Sinka 77, Owen Chalik 99, Carson Sinka 90.

7. JOHN GLENN (385): Brody Chapman 91, Max Roush 87, Atticus Wakeman 100, Carter DuPont 101, Landon Johnson 126.

8. SOUTH BEND RILEY (388): Lleyton White 97, Brady Burkhart 82, Troy Smith 94, Anthony Schmok 116, Isaac Riem 124.

9. JIMTOWN (399): Tatsu Gravender 103, Nate Crosbie 99, Nick Hoffman 99, Leighton Gingerich 111, Rory Rantz 98.

10. BREMEN (408): Hunter Miller 90, Max Varner 96, Ethyn Britton 108, Henry Varner 120, Collin Loomis 114.

11. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (484): Robert Caradine 116, Lavier Smith 106, Eric Bailey 131, Tyrin Reed 131, Dejaun Jones 132.

x-awarded tournament title based on lower fifth-man score; since both schools finished NIC dual season with 10-1 records, Penn also won the overcall championship.

Individual scores

x-1. Thomas Raster (Saint Joseph) 71 (+1); 2. Jack Yewchuk (Penn) 71 (+1); 3. Ben Padrnos (Marian) 73 (+3); 4. Jake Hirschler (Saint Joseph) 74 (+4); 5. Corbin O’Hara (Penn) 76 (+6); 6. Tommy Hornback (Adams) 76 (+6); 7. Dylan Mounts (Penn) 76 (+6); 8. AJ Bishop (Marian) 77 (+7); 9. Brock Sinka (New Prairie) 77 (+7); 10. Hunter Zdyb (New Prairie) 77 (+7).

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Penn wins NIC golf tournament and overall title from Saint Joseph on fifth-man score