AVON LAKE, Ohio – Rocky River has qualified for district tournament play. The Pirates posted a qualifying top-4 finish by placing third in Tuesday’s sectional tournament at Sweetbriar Golf Club.
Junior Will Bennett logged a trio of birdies en route to firing a 3-over-75 on the 6,234-yard-par-72 Legacy Course at Sweetbriar. Bennett’s best 18-hole score of the season was the business end of a Pirate sword that cut its way to a team score of 324 on a warm and windy day of October postseason golf. Bennett’s mates on the four-man River card included Carlo Fricano (82), Hayden Weaver (83) and Mac Milenius (84).
The Pirates’ 324 placed them behind just St. Edward (320) and Westlake (323) in a field of 14 teams.
Bennett’s front nine gave the Pirates a difference maker on the score sheet. The all-around junior athlete – who went into Tuesday’s sectional round with a season average of 83.4 – got things going on the par-4 fourth hole after knocking his tee ball to 10 feet. Bennett drained the putt for his first of three birdies on the day. His other two came on the two par-5s on the outward nine – Nos. 5 and 8. Bennett reached both greens in two.
Mac Milenius also birdied No. 8 after reaching the green in
two, but it was junior Hayden Weaver who landed the highlight birdie of the
day. Weaver skipped his tee ball off the water in front of the green on No. 4;
he then chipped in for his birdie-2.
Will Bennett’s 75 was good for a T-2 on the leaderboard. Strongsville’s Michael Lee carded a 1-over 73 to earn medalist honors.
More important to Bennett and his teammates was the team score of 324 posted by the Swinging Sons of Blackbeard. That score has Rocky River Boys’ Golf headed for district play at Pine Hills Golf Club on Oct. 7.
by Skip Snow
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