Bull Dogs in middle of crowded field at state finals

Columbus North’s Willy Davis takes a big divot on his second shot on No. 1 during the first day of the Boys Golf State Finals at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel.

Rob Baker | For The Republic

CARMEL — Columbus North is in the middle of the pack.

The 16th-ranked Bull Dogs didn’t have their best performance Tuesday, but it wasn’t their worst, either. They shot 310 to put them in ninth place out of 18 teams, one shot out of seventh, after the first day of the Boys Golf State Finals at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel.

No. 2 Guerin Catholic and No. 1 Westfield have put a little gap between themselves from the rest of the field with a 291 and 293, respectively. Valparasio is third with a 303.

North started on the back nine and was in fourth place after a 6-over-par 150 for their first nine. The Bull Dogs were 16-over on the front nine.

“We got off to a good start,” North coach Doug Bieker said. “I think the guys felt a little pressure like they could do something really special. They maybe made a couple of mistakes coming in that kind of kept us from shooting a really good number. I think we are right there, and if we shoot a good number (today), we could finish third or fourth and get on stage. For this team, that would be an excellent goal at this point.”

Individually for the Bull Dogs, Willy Davis had the low round by finishing with a 2-over par 74 and is tied for 17th place individually. Tyler Wilks shot 78 and is tied for 38th, John Merritt and Brady Schneider carded 79 apiece and are tied for 46th and Jack Schiavello added an 83 and is tied for 72nd.

Jacob Modleski of Guerin Catholic and Aidan Gutierrez of Valparasio lead the field at 5-under par 67, two strokes better than third place Brayden Miller of Fairfield.

North’s final-round tee times for today are Schneider at 8:18 a.m., Schiavello at 8:27 a.m., Merritt at 8:36 a.m., Davis at 8:45 a.m. and Wilks at 8:54 a.m. The Bull Dogs will be playing with Zionsville and Tipton, both of which are tied for seventh, one shot ahead of North.

It’s a logjam with the third through 16th place teams separated by only 23 shots. The Bull Dogs are only seven strokes out of third place.

“If we play well tomorrow, we’re going to finish third or fourth, and if we don’t, maybe 10th or 11th. There’s a lot of teams bunched up,” Bieker said. “I think some of those teams are going to pack in it because they’re disappointed in their effort, and I think this team still has something to prove to themselves. They’re going to come out and give it 100%.”