Mount Si’s boys golfers have been tearing up the courses this fall.
Following a 169-203 victory over Redmond on Oct. 3 at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, the Wildcats sported an 8-0 record in the 4A KingCo Conference at press time.
Two-time state champion Drew Warford earned medalist honors with a score of 31 over the nine-hole competition. Golfers will tackle 18 holes each day during the 4A KingCo medalist tournament and KingCo state qualifier on Oct. 15-16 at Snohomish Golf Course.
“I just gotta work hard, just be humble. You can’t get too ahead of yourself, you gotta stay in the present. We have a great team this year and hopefully can win the state title for team and individual,” Warford said following the Redmond contest.
Warford, a senior, said that golfers need to stay positive throughout the whole round in order to reap success.
Against Redmond, Warford’s tee shot on the first hole bounced into the rough and he and part of the gallery spent a few minutes looking for the ball. He rebounded from the errant shot, parred the hole and rolled throughout the remainder of the round.
“You’re gonna have bad shots throughout the round, but it’s how you control what’s going through your head. You can’t get mad if you hit a bad shot, it’s gonna happen. Luckily we found the ball, just chipped it out and try to make the lowest score I possibly can,” he said.
Fellow Mount Si seniors Robert Nielsen, Cooper Neil and Nate Harris, along with sophomore Hogan Warford — Drew’s brother — took some time out from their pizza party in the club restaurant to discuss what makes the Wildcats roar this season.
“Honestly, it’s all about teamwork here. We have some really good individuals that really know the game of golf well. We work together and we read putts together and we just kind of make it happen,” Nielsen said.
Feeding off Nielsen’s comment, Neil said that teamwork is crucial for the Cats “when you’re playing these team matches when it’s a partner with you. (You) definitely help them out, gotta listen to each other and hopefully shoot low.” If someone makes a bad shot, they need to hold their head high and keep shooting, Neil noted.
Added Harris: “You have to push through those tough shots. You just gotta flush it, think about the next shot and move on.” On a nine-hole round, golfers have to make every shot count, he said.
Hogan said that players are often challenged by tough weather, including some rain and hail against Redmond.
“It’s just about fighting through it and hitting good shots and just playing well,” he said.
While the Wildcats are making their mark on the scoresheet, they’re also enjoying each other’s company on the course.
“It’s a fun atmosphere, all the guys on the team are awesome,” Harris said.
Mount Si’s Robert Nielsen tees off on the first hole on Oct. 3. Andy Nystrom/ staff photo
Drew Warford (top middle) and others look for his ball in the rough on the first hole on Oct. 3. Andy Nystrom/ staff photo
