By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Perhaps they’re too young to know they should be scared, or scarred. Golf asks for a number for proof of ability, and age is not it. The birth certificate does not matter, only the scorecard.
On a course that had fangs, with sinister wind and hard-scrabble, rain-thirsty ground eager to take a bite, Bedford North Lawrence’s oblivious kids showed more signs of quick maturity. The Stars, with consistent scores from all points in the lineup, recorded a 160-162 victory over New Albany during Thursday’s tour of the front nine at Otis Park.
With freshman left-hander Brody Simmons leading the bunched pack, BNL handled the conditions with all the subtle smoothness of far older players. There were bad bounces (including two tee shots that ran away and hid for lost-ball penalties) that would have frustrated many.
“It was tough out there,” BNL coach Trey Turner said. “It was definitely not easy. The greens are pretty quick right now for mid-April. So I was proud of the way they played. We’ve advanced pretty quickly.”
Simmons shared medalist honors with a 2-over 39 that included a birdie on the par-five fifth. More impressive was his three straight pars on holes 7-9, a stretch of the property that confounded others.
“I was trying to stay focused,” Simmons said. “Keeping my head in the game. Praying.
“I was striking my irons well, I hit a lot of fairways and got two-putt pars. I have confidence, I’m just doing my best.“
”He’s been playing well the last several weeks,” Turner said. “He continues to get experience and get comfortable playing varsity golf.”
The rest of BNL’s scoring came from Evan Tillett (40, with a birdie on the seventh and a lost-ball penalty, thanks to a terrible bounce, on the infamous eighth), lone senior Parker Foddrill (birdie on the fifth) and Hudson Martin (41) or Asher Thompson (41).
”This gives us confidence going into the middle part of our season,” Turner said. “I hope it carries into bigger tournaments. It’s exciting.“
J.R. Rogers paced the Bulldogs with a 39.
BNL, with Foddrill scheduled to be absent, will compete with three sophomores and two freshmen in the Old Capital Classic at Corydon on Saturday.
BNL 160, New Albany 162
BNL – Evan Tillett 40, Hudson Martin 41, Parker Foddrill 40, Brayden Ohl 44, Brody Simmons 39, Asher Thompson 41, Traeden Robinson 44, Cash Clark 44
New Albany – Maddox Warren 41, Edan Hunt 46, Tyler Barnett 40, Benton Hamilton 43, Trevor Garmon 43, Keaton Hamilton 43, J.R. Rogers 39, Brady Meyer 42
