By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Practice? Perhaps Bedford North Lawrence’s Drew McKee doesn’t need to practice.
Following a less-than-satisfactory warm-up session on the driving range at Otis Park, McKee found his game on the course, carding a 1-over 73 during the annual BNL Invitational on Saturday. With McKee leading the way, the Stars finished third in the 15-team field, posting a total of 321.
McKee finished with four birdies, including three on the front nine while making the turn in 2-under 35. That’s quite the contrast from the first three tournaments of the season, when his scoring average was a pedestrian 90.7. He might never walk on the range again.
“When I play bad on the range, something changes on the course,” McKee said. “That’s what happened today. If I hit it bad on the range, I end up having a good day. I’m thinking I don’t need to go to the range.”
His hot streak started on the first hole, with a wedge to 3 feet for birdie. He tamed the fourth (approach to 5 feet) and fifth (12-footer from the fringe), then dunked a 10-footer for birdie on the 14th hole.
“My driver was hot,” he said. “My putting was hot until the back nine.”
“He’s been a little inconsistent,” BNL coach Trey Turner said. “He’s had some issues with alignment, which we’re trying to get figured out. Obviously he has the talent to do it. It’s getting some things tweaked. I’m proud of him that he’s back on the right track.”
Jasper, paced by medalist Caleb Schnarr, won the team title with 312, while Barr-Reeve was second with 318. The rest of the BNL scoring came from Tyler Bellush (80), Coleson Stiles (83) and Hudson Martin (85). The Stars had to shuffle their lineup when Evan Tillett (who has been playing the second position in the lineup) missed the event because of illness.
“We definitely missed Evan, but I was proud of the way we played,” Turner said. “Proud of the way we battled. We just have to continue to build off of that.”
Schnarr, who teamed with Eli Flick to win the state doubles crown in tennis in October, was sensational, firing a 6-under 66 than just missed the competitive course record (64, set by Aaron Harrell during the third round of the 2018 City tournament) and the Invitational record (65, posted by future PGA Tour star Jeff Overton in 2001).
Schnarr’s round featured five birdies and an eagle, spoiled by only one bogey. He carded birdies on the first, fifth and ninth holes (plus the eagle on the par-5 6th) en route to a 5-under 32 on the front. After his lone bump on the 12th, he finished with birdies on the 15th and 17th holes.
“I hit a lot of good shots,” Schnarr said. “It wasn’t the longest course, so I had a lot of wedges into greens, and I was able to make my putts on the front nine. I kept it going on the back.”
Zionsville’s Brycen Tisch was a distant second in the medalist race with an even-par 72.
BNL will visit Bloomington North on Tuesday.
