Mason Reeves
Columbus North is determined to return to the Boys Golf State Finals.
The Bull Dogs ended last season in disappointment in the regional round. They hope to flip the switch when they’ll play in Thursday’s Providence Regional at Champions Pointe in Henryville.
North was poised for a top-three finish last year, but had to settle for seventh place. In the Greensburg Sectional Friday, the Bull Dogs missed out on the trophy by one shot to champion Batesville.
Brady Schneider
Columbus East missed out of qualifying for regional as a team by finishing fifth, but Mason Reeves advanced as an individual by shooting a 72 at Greensburg Country Club.
The top three team scores and top three individual scores from a non-advancing team qualify for the state finals Tuesday and Wednesday at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel.
By finishing runner-up in the sectional, North won’t be paired with a top contender like sixth-ranked Center Grove or No. 14 Franklin, who are the only ranked teams in the field.
North had a sneak peek at the course by playing in the May 31 Providence Invitational, where it finished fourth with a 315, although top golfer Brady Schneider didn’t play because of a hand injury. A lot of the teams the Bull Dogs faced will be the same opponents in the regional.
“At a golf course that we’ve had success at in Champions Pointe, and the fact that we won’t be paired with other winners, we won’t have that pressure of playing with a Center Grove,” North coach Doug Bieker said. “Hopefully, we can bring it all together finally.”
The regional cut for the state finals last year was 313. North likely will need to go under 310, maybe 305 to feel comfortable about their chances of advancing.
While Center Grove will be the favorite to win and likely grab one of the three state qualifying spots, the Bull Dogs will be in a battle with teams like Franklin, Batesville, Floyd Central, Corydon Central, Madison and Providence for the other two spots.
“I told the team before when we teed off (at Friday’s sectional) that I thought this team has a good chance to make it to state,” Bieker said. “There’s nothing that happened (Friday) that tells me anything different. I think this team is capable of teeing it up and shooting a score that’s going to be good enough to play at the state finals.”
