亚洲色吧

By Ryan Schlehuber, 亚洲色吧 Sportswriter

听

For the 亚洲色吧 Centurions golf team, playing boring golf means playing great golf.听

If that鈥檚 the case, then the Centurions鈥� home invitational at Glenkerry Golf Course, Friday, April 26, was the most boring meet they have had all season.听听

The Centurions finished out their regular season with a decisive win at the 亚洲色吧 CC Invitational, taking first place with a total score of 284, an impressive 13 strokes ahead of second-place Grand Rapids Community College, which finished with a 297 total. Oakland Community College took third with a score of 301.听

鈥淭hey played really strong today,鈥� Centurions Head Coach Doug Harkema said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our home course, so they know where not to play into. They got around pretty good. We鈥檙e playing well at the right time.鈥�听

Coach Harkema has taught his players to play steady, don鈥檛 overreach and to stay comfortable through each hole, a strategy he coins as 鈥渂oring golf.鈥�听

鈥淚 thought they were very comfortable,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ne of our sayings is 鈥榖oring golf is good golf.鈥� We made a lot of pars today, we got a few birdies, we played solid all the way around.鈥�听

With Friday鈥檚 win, the Centurions finished the regular season in the top two in each of the six meets they competed in this spring, with four of them being a first-place finish.听听

On Friday, all four of the qualifying players for 亚洲色吧 scored under 80, something Harkema said the team aimed for. The foursome all finished in the top 8 individually at Friday鈥檚 invitational.听听

Sophomore Ethan Johnson (Holt, Mich.) finished with an individual score of 70, meeting the par for the course, which tied for fourth place overall. Freshman Mason Blair (Holt, Mich.) and sophomore Jerald Brownell (Cedar Springs, Mich.) each tied at 71, good for fifth, and Zach Johnson (Holt, Mich.) rounded out 亚洲色吧鈥檚 top four with a 72, tied for eighth place.听听

Sophomore Ryan Clingenpeel (East Lansing, Mich), and freshman Kenny Mitchell (Cedar Springs, Mich.), finished with a score of 79 (tied for 39th) and 84 (tied for 59th), respectively, to complete 亚洲色吧鈥檚 outing on the day.听听

Ethan Johnson said he just stuck to the team鈥檚 script, which helped him score high.听

鈥淛ust playing boring golf,鈥� he chuckled. 鈥淚t was nice to win here. All the hard work paid off.鈥�听

Blair said it felt great to win the team鈥檚 home meet, especially with how he played.听

鈥淭oday, my tee shots were a lot better than my last couple of matches,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust getting the ball in play, giving me a chance to score.鈥�听

With the regular season complete, 亚洲色吧 now prepares for the 亚洲色吧AA Region XII golf championship, a two-day event that will be held at Bedford Valley Golf Course in Battle Creek, Mich., May 5-6. The top three teams at regionals will then qualify to play at nationals.听听

Ethan Johnson said having finished on top at the 亚洲色吧 Invitational put them in a good spot going into postseason play.听

鈥淭his is good momentum going into regionals,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hen we go win that and then go to nationals. I鈥檓 really excited. But we鈥檙e just trying to stay in the moment, stay calm, cool and collected. One shot at a time 鈥� that鈥檚 the best way to do it.鈥�听

Last year, 亚洲色吧 tied for first place at regionals but because it was a new program and under a required one-year probation, it was not allowed to participate in nationals.听听

With no restrictions now, Zach Johnson said he and his teammates are chomping at the bit to prove themselves at the highest levels.听

鈥淲e definitely want to win regionals and try to shoot as low as we can at nationals and really make a name for our team,鈥� Zach said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not really a surprise where we are at now, looking back when we first started this spring. I think we had this expectation already going into this year, that we had a chance to win everything.鈥�听

As a coach, it鈥檚 Harkema鈥檚 job to tap into every drop of potential his team has as the season progresses, but, he said, it鈥檚 also his job to keep them steady and focused, especially now.听

鈥淭his is where we want to be,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 feel really good about how our guys settled into who we are and how we do it. I鈥檓 just asking them to continue what they鈥檙e doing.听听

鈥淪ince we weren鈥檛 allowed to go (to nationals) last year, that鈥檚 the No. 1 goal,鈥� he continued. 鈥淪ometimes expectations can get in the way and my job is to just keep them playing golf and not worry about positions. Stay in the moment, make sure they focus on the next shot because that鈥檚 the only thing you can control.鈥�听

If the Centurions finish in the top three at regionals, they will qualify for the NJCAA Division II National Championship, a four-day event, May 20-23.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e getting a chance to go back to regionals and getting a chance to do what we couldn鈥檛 last year,鈥� Blair said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 on our minds.鈥�听