From rivals to teammates
Jackson Davenport of Coeur d’Alene High hits a tee shot at The Coeur d’Alene Resort Shootout on Wednesday at The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course. LOREN BENOIT/Press
LOREN BENOIT/Press Post Falls’ Sydney Schumacker tees off to the floating green during The Coeur d’Alene Resort Shootout on Wednesday.
LOREN BENOIT/Press Lakeland’s Dylan Vahey watches his putt near the hole on a green during the Coeur d’Alene Resort Shootout on Wednesday.
LOREN BENOIT/Press High School golfers from Lakeland, Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Lake City putt on the hole 3 green under partly cloudy skies on Wednesday at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course.
LOREN BENOIT/Press Geneva Bengston watches her drive off the second tee during the Coeur d’Alene Resort Shootout on Wednesday.
LOREN BENOIT/Press Post Falls’ Sydney Schumacker watches her iron shot from the fairway during the Coeur d’Alene Resort Shootout on Wednesday.
LOREN BENOIT/Press Ella Erwin of Lake City High School watches her drive off hole 3 during the Coeur d’Alene Resort Shootout on Wednesday.
COEUR d'ALENE — Rivals by proximity, standout linksmen Chase Mitchell of Coeur d'Alene High and Cameron Johnson of Lake City were in rare form Wednesday.
They were teammates.
Their respective programs paired up at The Coeur d'Alene Resort Shootout on the plush greens of The Resort golf course, a one-time co-op of the Timberwolves and Vikings against a team comprised of Lakeland and Post Falls.
Despite their alliance, Mitchell was quick to remind Johnson who held the better scorecard in their last meeting.
"I beat you by like 20 strokes in the last tournament," Mitchell joked as the two waited their turn on the first tee.
"You beat me by two," Johnson fired back.
The tournament was played in a Ryder Cup format, six best-ball, six scramble and the last six were scotch. Both co-op boys and girls' teams combined their overall score to dictate the winner. No individual scores were kept.
Lake City/Coeur d'Alene finished in a 15-15 tie with the Trojans/Hawks.
After Lakeland's McKenzie Roth from and Post Falls' Savannah Routh teamed up to pace their team to a 12-3 win on the girls' side, the Mitchell and Johnson led the Coeur d'Alene team to 12-3 win of its own.
Tournament director Darrell Hull, head pro at The Links, was impressed with the quality of play.
"The Post Falls and Lakeland girls team came out strong, but Mitchell and Johnson really helped their team come back," Hull said.
Tanner Byers, Post Falls' top boys golfer, missed a 4-foot putt that would have won his team the overall title.
For Coeur d'Alene High golf coach Bryan Duncan, competing in the sunshine was a boon.
"Of our six tournaments so far, this is the first one with great weather," Duncan said. "And to be here at The Coeur d'Alene Resort course, you can't beat that."
Byers wasn't lost on the significance on competing on one of the country's most famous courses.
"It's nice to come out and play on a tour-caliber course," Byers said "Just to see how well it's maintained. I just wanted to come out and enjoy this course. Enjoy this experience."
But teaming up with rival Lakeland?
"I still wanted to be like, 'hey, I am winning this'," said Byers, who went up against the Hawks' Dylan Knight. "But it's nice to come out and have fun and play together."