Gazette Previews Upcoming Season

Landon golf poised for big year by Nick Cammarota Staff writer
It’s a new season, but the same high level of competition will exist between Bethesda’s private school golf teams.
Entering the 2013 golf schedule, the Landon School and Georgetown Prep again figure to be two of the stronger private school golf teams in the state of Maryland.
Landon, which won the Interstate Athletic Conference last season and was runner-up in the Metropolitan Area tournament, returns one of the top players in the state in junior Brent Bubes. Bubes shared a Metros title with Gonzaga’s Keegan Boone last season as a sophomore and could be poised for even bigger things as he continues to fine tune his game.
“I just think the kids, especially my top four, are putting down some really good scores now,” Landon coach Jack Duquette said. “I think their consistency is the big thing. I don’t see any flare-ups in the rounds right now.”
Bubes will be joined by sophomore Mike Blasey, junior Walter Spak and sophomore Morgan Egloff in the aforementioned top four grouping. Duquette said he’s still figuring out who will fill his No. 5 and No. 6 spots. The team’s IAC title last season was its first since 2006 and 17th overall.
“I think the kids are really working hard, and we’re looking forward to it,” Duquette said. “I know there will be some very tough matches. I think we have one of the most competitive schedules in the area, and I try to get a really good schedule to test our kids.”
One such test will come against rival Georgetown Prep, which the Bears are scheduled to face April 22, the day before the IAC Championships at Woodmont Country Club. The Little Hoyas will once again be led by legendary coach Robert Barry, who is embarking on his 30th season at the helm.
“In 30 years of adding up nine hole scores, you think you would have seen it all, but you’d be surprised,” Barry said with a laugh.
Returning as his No. 1 player this season will be Jon Carr, who finished seventh in the state last year. Barry said Carr is starting to really drive the ball well. Right behind Carr is Brendan Peel, the team’s No. 1 player last year. While observing the two juniors during the summer, Barry decided Carr was the right man for the top spot this season.
“Right now, as we go into the season, those are the two guys I’m relying on,” he said. “Brendan gets an awful lot out of a smaller body. He plays incredibly steady, while Jon has really grown into his frame. He’s about 6-foot-4 now.”
Junior Carter Connelly is slotted at No. 3, while Andrew Lundquist is fourth, and Joe Reyes, who Barry called the Rickie Fowler of the team, is fifth.
“We need five guys who are consistent,” Barry said. “There are too many good teams we’re going to be up against. With a team that’s mostly juniors, I hope because they’ve played now, I hope they recognize how important it is to be consistent through the whole round.”
The season began Monday and will conclude May 25 with the Metros championships.

Winter weather whips and Gonzaga Wins

Wind gusts were well past the three club type and the only players out this day were high school golfers and a quartet of Georgetown University women practicing. Even hand warmers were little help in combating the frosty temps and hard wind chills. The only thing I saw flying were the jets taking off from National Airport.
The golfers faced an old nemesis in Gonzaga at their home course - Army-Navy Arlington. We played the "white" nine whose greens were just rolled and cut from the winter time. But truly the wind chill numbers that would rival January days stayed well below the best scores posted for either side. And it was hard for all the golfers - save one.
Carter Connelly and Davis Lamb led the scoring for Prep with four-over 40s. Carter struggled on the par 5s where he took double each time. Davis worked throughout the round and just missed a putt on the last hole for a 39.
Brendan Peel posted a 41 despite taking double on holes 2 and 3. Joe Reyes contributed a 42 but he too had a tough time on the par 5s. Jon Carr fought a balky putter most of the round enduring at least one four-putt and a couple of three putts. Mike Jones was four over after the first three holes but a birdie on 8 helped him to keep the damage to a minimum on his way to a 42. Ryan Rogers began well but succumbed and finished with a 44 and Andrew Lundquist's short game just disappeared on his way to a 46.
The low man on the day was Gonzaga's #5 man Sean Webber who bogeyed two of the first four holes but then birdied 6 and 7 to finish at even par. The final score was Gonzaga 196 Prep 205. Next up is Calvert Hall - if the weather holds up.
Scorers for the Day:
1) Webber (Gon) - 36
2) Coll (Gon) - 38
3) Olmstead (Gon) - 39
4) Connelly (GP) - 40
4) Lamb (GP) - 40
6) Peel (GP) - 41
6) Hulude (Gon) - 41
8) Reyes (GP) - 42
8) Carr (GP) - 42
10) Malanchuk (Gon) - 43

Opening Match Win over Loyola

Tight scoring marked the first match of the 2013 season as four players shot three-over 39s and two posted four-over 40s on the way to a 196 - 218 victory over Loyola Blakefield at Norbeck CC in Rockville, MD. The weatherman did not get the forecast quite right and the boys played under overcast skies with a brisk Southerly wind that made the temperature feel colder than the reported 57 degrees. Due to course maintenance, the match was played over the back nine rather than usual front side. Neither team had played the back nine before.
Here are the scores for the match:

Prep - 196

Loyola - 218

GP:

1) Joe Reyes - 39

1) Jon Carr - 39

1) Ryan Rogers - 39

1) Davis Lamb - 39

5) Brendan Peel - 40

5) Carter Connelly - 40

7) Mike Jones - 42

8) Andrew Lundquist - 43

Loyola Blakefield:

1) Brady Hartman - 41

2) Tim Marsh - 42

3) Sean Stanton - 43

4) Ian Clark - 45

5) Josh McGinnis - 47

6) Tim Finneran - 48

7) Luke Knott - 49

7) Colin Moynihan - 49

In his debut performance Ryan Rogers (Sr) fired at the flag on the last hole to within 8 feet for his second birdie of the nine to offset a double bogey from the previous hole.

Joe Reyes (Jr) played steady with 6 pars and 3 bogeys, the last coming as a result of a three-putt on the last hole.

Jon Carr (Jr) said that he had a scrambling score with four pars, four bogeys, and one birdie on the 8th hole

Davis Lamb (Fr)had similar scoring with his birdie coming on the short down hill 5th hole after his second shot just cleared the railroad ties lining the front bunker and skipped to within 6 feet.

Brendan Peel (Jr) closed with a brilliant birdie on the last to help offset a double and a triple earlier.

Carter Connelly (Jr) three-putted the ninth as he recovered from a lost ball on the second hole.

Mike Jones (Fr) ran into some trap trouble on the last hole to close with his second double of the day along with five pars.

Andrew Lundquist (Sr) managed to close with three straight pars after being five over after three holes.

Tryouts Underway for 2013 Season

After two rounds of tryouts Captain Brendan Peel (JR) has taken control of the field with a 40 - 35 = 75. Brendan posted the low team average in the 2012 season with a 37.5. In second place are Andrew Lundquist (SR) and Carter Connelly (JR), both of whom were stalwarts on last year's squad and both posted 42 - 39 = 81. Two newcomers are tied for fourth with identical 40 - 43 = 83 rounds, Daniel Owen-Rodriquez (SO) and Mike Jones (FR). Joe Reyes (JR), a returnee from last year, rounded out the top 6 with a 40 - 44 = 84.
A total of 19 players tried out for the team with nine players returning including Peel, Lundquist, Connelly, Reyes as well as Nick Rolle, Jon Carr, Colin Mitchell, Alex Zakrzeski, and Jeb Bearer.
The first match will take place on Monday, March 11th against Loyola Blakefield at Norbeck CC