AVON, Ohio (Sept. 22, 2022) -- Rocky River defeated Westlake in a nine-hole match-play event Thursday at Avon Lakes Country Club.

Six individual matches were played in the post-Great Lakes Conference-season event against the GLC foe. Rocky River went 3-2-1 in chilled, breezy, autumnal conditions on the 3,376-yard, par-36 outward nine at Avon Oaks. Luke Dietrich (3&2), Jack Hurt (2&1), and Dan Capka (3&1) earned the Pirate wins. Wes Bennett split a point in his match.

"We played solid golf and battled some tough conditions today," said coach David Hendrickson. "This kind of experience will help us as we move into our postseason tournaments in October."

Rocky River (8-1) is scheduled to play in the Edison Invitational at Sawmill Creek Golf Club (Sandusky, Ohio) on Monday.


CANNON FIRE ...

YOUNG BUCS: The Double-R JV was edged 187-195 in a hard-fought Big Met match against North Olmsted Thursday. Sophomores Max Lehmann (46) and Max Ginnetti (47) led the River effort. On Wednesday, the Pirate JV fell to St. Edward 167-188 in a match at Red Tail Golf Club in Avon. Junior Luke Petrus (45) and freshman Finn Potts (46) were the team's leading scorers against the Eagles.

NO GREENS, NO PROBLEM: The format for Thursday's varsity match was singles (match play), but for senior Wes Bennett it was a scramble all the way. Fresh off a fine 41 in a Pirate win on Senior Day Wednesday, Bennett carded a solid 43 in his Thursday match ending in a tie. It was a 7-over score posted on a gusty fall afternoon. And with that breeze -- and perhaps a couple errant shots -- the Pirate greybeard hit just one fairway off the tee and was unable to navigate so much as a single green in regulation. Enter the flat stick, which keeps the ball on the ground and less affected by wayward breezes. Bennett would need just 13 putts in his round to finish with River's half-point when a lost point would not do.


by Skip Snow

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