Dramatic win for NIC men
The North Idaho College men's golf team displays its NWAC championship banner Monday at the Apple Tree Resort in Yakima, Wash. From left: Sean Langham, Todd Henderson, Jesse Henderson, Ben Harvey, Braxton Stewart, Brady Nelson, coach Russell Grove. (Courtesy photo)
The NIC women's golf team finished third at the NWAC championship tournament in Yakima. From left: coach Russell Grove, Mikal Jerman, Aly Mabey, Mackenzie Robins, Madi Brown, Caitlyn Fisher, Mckenna Tinseth.
NIC sophomore Madi Brown earned medalist honors at the NWAC championship.
Langham
YAKIMA, Wash. — A pressure-packed birdie putt forced a one-hole playoff, and the North Idaho men’s golf team took advantage, adding the Northwest Athletic Conference championship team title to its list of achievements on Monday.
The Cardinals trailed Bellevue by four shots after Sunday’s opening round, and were nine shots behind entering the back nine on Monday, NIC coach Russell Grove said.
Eight shots were shaved off that deficit by the time NIC’s Sean Langham and Bellevue’s Kevin Simmons reached the 18th hole in the final group of the day. With a large crowd gathered around the green, Simmons’ birdie putt lipped out, and Langham drained a 10-footer to tie the team score at 580 and force a playoff.
“With live online scoring, everybody knows where they’re at, so the pressure was on,” Grove said. “It was great to see Sean make that putt and cap off our comeback.”
The sudden death playoff included the four lowest scorers for NIC and Bellevue, beginning on the par-5 18th hole. Langham and Jesse Henderson birdied the hole to give the Cardinals a 2-under aggregate score, while Bellevue’s quartet was 1-over.
Besides winning Monday’s tournament title, the Cardinals were the NWAC regular season champions.
Langham — a sophomore who will golf for University of Idaho next season — equaled his Sunday round with a 2-under 70 to claim medalist honors by two shots over Justin Cox of Grays Harbor, while Simmons finished three shots back, tying NIC’s Brady Nelson for third place. Jesse Henderson’s 71 helped the Cardinals shoot a 2-under-par 286 as a team, eight shots better than their Sunday round.
“Bellevue played solid both days, they made it tough for us,” Grove said. “The guys worked really hard today to catch up, and this capped off a really strong season.”
NIC’s Brown wins women’s medalist honors
In women’s play, NIC’s Madi Brown ended her solid sophomore season with a 2-over 74, earning her medalist honors by two strokes in the NWAC women’s championship.
“I was just really impressed with Madi’s round, especially her putting,” Grove said. “She had 38 putts (Sunday) and only 28 (Monday).”
Brown, who Grove said had several offers to play collegiate golf next season, knocked 11 strokes off her Sunday score for a two-day total of 159, topping Columbia Basin’s Brianna Esvelt (161) and Breanna Watts (162).
CBC won the women’s team title, finishing 13 shots ahead of third-place NIC.
MEN
TEAM SCORES — T1. North Idaho 294-286-580 (won playoff), T1. Bellevue 290-290-580, 3. Spokane 296-301-597, 4. Grays Harbor 302-299-601, 5. Skagit Valley 313-294-607, 6. Southwest Oregon 300-308-608, 7. Green River 331-301-632, 8. Olympic 312-332-644, 9. Columbia Basin 323-329-652, 10. Walla Walla 334-323-657.
MEDALIST — Sean Langham, NIC, 70-70-140.
NORTH IDAHO — 1. Sean Langham 70-70-140, T3 Brady Nelson 71-72-143, T9 Jesse Henderson 77-71-148, T11 Ben Harvey 76-73-149, T17 Todd Henderson 77-75-152, T32 Braxton Stewart 79-79-158.
WOMEN
TEAM SCORES — 1. Columbia Basin 252-237-489, 2. Spokane 251-249-500, 3. North Idaho 260-242-502, 4. Southwest Oregon 264-252-516, 5. Bellevue 263-260-523, 6. Skagit Valley 260-265-525, 7. Walla Walla 285-287-572, 8. Highline 298-284-582.
MEDALIST — Madi Brown, NIC, 85-74-159.
NORTH IDAHO — 1. Madi Brown 85-74-159, T15 Mackenzie Robins 89-86-175, T15 Mikal Jerman 86-89-175, T20 Aly Mabey 96-82-178, T29 Mckenna Tinseth 95-91-186, T35 Caitlyn Fisher 92-100-192.