BOWLING GREEN — Weston Prenger couldn’t help but smile after watching another putt roll within an inch of the cup without falling at No. 7 at Stone Ridge, his 16th hole of the day.
As Wynford’s only qualifier at the Division III district tournament, Prenger finished his career with an 88 after seeing eight or nine putts go wide or lay up just shy of the cut.
“He was hitting well from the start,” coach Michael Powers said. “I just couldn’t knock the putts down.”
This was Prenger’s third trip to Stone Ridge, having been on the qualifying team as a sophomore and junior, but last year he made the trip alone.
Well, sort of.
Even though his teammates weren’t playing alongside him, they all came to Bowling Green to support him.
“It was fun to get out one last time and at least I got people out of school,” Prenger laughed. “It was a fun time at the hotel (Wednesday night) and just a good experience today with everyone watching and cheering me on.
“Overall it was a fun day… I obviously wanted the score to be a little better, but there’s nothing to complain about.”
And while Powers would have loved to coach the team as a whole, the experience of essentially becoming Prenger’s caddy and walking alongside him for 18 holes was one he won’t forget.
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“He was encouraging me and just trying to keep a level head when everything was going downhill,” Prenger said. “He’s a good coach, we’ve had four good years.
“He will maintain this program.”
The cupboard is by no means empty, with the Royals boasting the greatest golf team in the greater region. But of the 19 enrolled in the high school program, eight are seniors and have been instrumental in growing this golf program to what it is today.
And no one has done as much as Prenger over the last four years.
“I always played golf for fun and everything else was a bonus,” he said. “It was nice to win championship and sectional titles, just everything that came with it – I couldn’t really ask for much more.”
Crestview, section champions a week agofinished 15th as a team with a 378. And while the Cougars couldn’t harness the magic of the 2012, 2013 and 2014 teams that came through, they gained something just as valuable: experience.
“I told them to just soak it in and learn from it,” Crestview coach Rick Belcher said. “We might come back next year.”
The Cougars were led by sophomore twins Cole and Carter Bowman who shot 89 and 90 respectively, lone senior Kaden Dickerson had a 94 in his final round, sophomore Kayn Patton had a 105 and Freshman Zander Washburn’s 106 was the downfall.
Galion and Clear Fork golfers bow out in Maumee
In the Division II district tournament hosted by Maumee Bay Resort, Galion’s Nate McMullen and Parker Tinch, along with Clear Fork’s Landon Ball, all battled for one of two individual qualifying spots for the state tournament next weekend at Firestone Country Club.
Unfortunately for McMullen, his season and career came to an end on Thursday afternoon after he posted an 87 to finish 20th overall – 79 was the score advanced via the playoff. Tinch, a sophomore, was four shots behind at 91 to tie for 33rd alongside Ball, a junior.
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This article was originally published on the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Ohio high school golf: Weston Prenger and Crestview boys in districts
