BAKER BOYS GOLF: Bulldogs claim 4 of top 5, easily win team title at home tournament
Published 10:45 am Wednesday, April 24, 2024
- Baker's Kaden Conklin putts during the Baker Invitational on April 22, 2024. Conklin shot a round of 79 on May 6, the fourth-best score on the first day of the district tournament at Quail Ridge Golf Course.
The Baker boys golf team dominated the field, claiming four of the top five individual spots and easily winning the team title at the Baker Invitational on Monday, April 22 at Quail Ridge Golf Course.
Isaiah Jones was the medalist with a round of 71.
Palmer Chandler carded a 76 to finish third, while Jaxon Logsdon and Eli Long tied for fourth with rounds of 77.
Kaden Conklin shot a round of 87.
Baker, the defending Class 4A state champion, had a total of 301 (top four players), 22 strokes better than runner-up Homedale, Idaho, on a sunny, warm day. Pendleton finished third at 343.
“I was looking at an old score from years ago on Facebook, and I remember at the time feeling pretty good about it,” Baker coach Mike Long said.
The Bulldogs easily eclipsed that score competing against Ambrose, Riverside, Cole Valley, Burns, Payette, Mac-Hi, Burns, Vale, La Grande, Echo/Stanfield and Prairie City as well as Homedale. Pilot Rock and Umatilla had individual players but didn’t field complete teams.
Homedale’s McCoy Swallow was second with a round of 75.
“I felt like we started out really well and kinda fell off after a while,” Long said.
He credited the players’ ability to rebound from the inevitable missed shots.
Jones, for instance, was 2-under par at one point despite hitting a shot out of bounds on the first hole.
“But just to have the grit to be able to battle through that when the first shot of the day doesn’t go the way you want it to? Crazy the expectations that these guys have on themselves, but I guess that’s a good thing.”
Baker’s JV had a strong tournament with a total of 389. Jace Whitford carded an 87, followed by Grant Gambleton (97), Xander Rexroad (102), Jake Christensen (103) and Colton Birmingham (107).
On the JV2 team, Dixon Dillmeyer shot a 106, Hunter Coleman was at 116, and Kale Dalke at 121.
“We had nine JV players out there playing, and it’s fun to see the success of the program in all those guys coming out,” Long said. “Golf isn’t easy, all those kids putting themselves out there, I’m very happy about that. Everyone was playing solid.”
Baker travels to Scotch Pines Golf Course in Payette, Idaho, on Monday, April 29 for a tournament hosted by Ontario.
