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Luther High School golfer Mitch Cook entered the season looking to finish in the top 10 among Coulee Conference individuals. He took a small step toward doing that Monday in a league nine-hole match on the front nine at Maple Grove in West Salem, taking ninth among 47 players with a 5-over-par 41.
Cook opened his round with four straight bogeys, but rebounded with four straight pars on holes five through eight. Just one other Luther player, Brian Mendell, posted a par, on No. 7.
Cook entered Tuesday's nine-hole match at Skyline in Black River Falls 19th in the league individual standings. Tuesday's 16th-place finish after an 8-over 44 allowed him to creep closer to the top 10, but he'll likely need to play some of his best rounds of the season in Saturday's two 9-hole matches at Drugan's Castle Mound Country Club in Holmen and Monday's nine-hole finale at Ettrick Golf Course to accomplish the feat.
Mendell finished at 50 at Maple Grove, followed by Josh Warnecke at 54 and Matt Homstad at 57. Matt Raabe's 60 was thrown out.
Cook had two pars and the Knights lone birdie, on the par-4 4th hole, during Tuesday's league match. Mendell had two pars in a 52, with Raabe and Homstad each shooting 57.
Raabe also had a par, on the par-3 2nd hole. Warnecke's 60 was thrown out.
Tuesday's league match was followed by the regularly-scheduled BRF Invitational. Cook finished in the top 40 percent of that 68-player field, taking 27th at 16-over 46-42-88.
Cook had a birdie on the par-4 7th hole and consecutive pars on No. 3 and No. 4 on the front nine. He began his second nine with consecutive pars and finished his round in style with four straight pars. But there wasn't much in between with seven holes of double-bogey or worse.
“His finish was encouraging,” Knights head coach Mark Loersch said. “He still has the potential to play some really good golf.”
Warnecke had one par in a 51-54-105, while Homstad birdied the par-4 4th hole in a 51-56-107. Mendell finished at 53-61-114, while Raabe had a birdie on the par-5 3rd hole, but a 59-61-120.
The continued improvement of everyone after Cook still is needed. Senior Andrew Lehman, one of the top three players for LHS entering the season, had season-ending wrist surgery yesterday.
Cook carded a 13-over 84 in Saturday's Viroqua Invitational. Raabe and Homstad each shot 110, with Warnecke finishing at 111.
“They were the worst conditions we've played in my years here,” Loersch said.
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