HOPE – The Hope High School golf program is in the first leg of a lengthy season that puts district play in the second half of September.\r\n
\r\nThe Bobcat boys and girls teams have played mostly nine-hole competitions in the first leg of the season shooting a low of 189 for boys’ play and 192 for girls’ play three-player team score\r\n
\r\nIn matches against DeQueen and Lakeside, respectively.\r\n
\r\nHHS recorded a 202 in boys’ play against 157 for Lakeside on Aug. 22 at Diamondhead Golf Course, where the girls recorded 192 against 162 for Lakeside in three-player scoring. Kobe Watson shot a low 65 for the HHS boys and Natalie Phillips recorded a 55 for the Hope girls.\r\n
\r\nGriffin Wuensch of Lakeside was the match medalist with a 37. No girls medalist was named.\r\n
\r\nHope went 18 holes to take best rounds for both boys and girls against Magnolia on Aug. 17 at Magnolia Country Club. The HHS boys recorded a 579 and the girls shot 374.\r\n
\r\nBen Knight, Kobe Watson and Wolf Bower played in the boys’ round and Natalie Phillips, Ally Fincher and Andria Curtis were scored in the girls’ round.\r\n
\r\nThe Hope boys shot 579 in 18 holes against 256 for Magnolia in nine holes.\r\n
\r\nMagnolia took the medalist honors, electing to play nine holes, with Conner Harrington shooting a 75 and Megan Lindsey carding an 82. Lindsey was the only player for the Magnolia girls, but was medalist in scoring for nine holes.\r\n
\r\nThe HHS teams carded a 189 for the boys and a 242 for the girls in nine-hole play against DeQueen on Aug. 4 at DeQueen Country Club.\r\n
\r\nWatson shot a low 55 for the Hope boys and Curtis shot a low 77 for the girls.\r\n
\r\nDeQueen’s Bailey Branson medaled with a 36 as the DHS boys carded a 136 for nine holes, and Bradi Young shot a 49 to medal in the girls’ round, but DeQueen carried only two players for the match.\r\n
\r\nWatson shot the low round for Hope against Arkadelphia on Aug. 1 at Hope Country Club, carding a 57. Fincher was low for the Hope girls with a 73 on nine holes. The Hope boys carded 191 for the round and the girls shot 250.\r\n
\r\nArkadelphia’s Tucker Freeman scored a 47 to medal for the boys and Miranda Raney, of Arkadelphia, medaled for the girls at 58. The Arkadelphia girls did not have three players for the match.\r\n
\r\nHHS traveled on Camden on Aug. 24 and was to return to Hope for four-team match play against Camden-Fairview, DeQueen and Taylor on Aug. 29 at Hope Country Club.\r\n
\r\nThree matches remain after that with Arkadelphia on Sept. 5, Magnolia and DeQueen on Sept. 12, and Ashdown on Sept. 14, prior to district practice round Sept.19 in Camden for district play Sept. 20 at Camden Country Club.\r\n
\r\nHope golfers along with HHS coaches also participated in the annual Bobcat Scramble charity match on Aug. 5 with HHS Golf Coach Mike Godwin and Nathan Phillips winning with a 59. Second place went to HHS coach Zac Hoglund and Josh Marshall with a 60, and David Peters and Beau Baker won third with a 68.\r\n
\r\nHole prize winners included Phillips for closest to hole on second shot for No. 1; Val Knight for closest to hole on No. 7; Hoglund for longest drive to hole on No. 8; and, Haylee Baker for longest women’s drive to hole on No. 9.\r\n