SPRINGDALE — As individual golfers, Rogers High didn’t have anyone stand out Wednesday at the Springdale Bulldog Invitational.
As a team, however, the Mounties proved to be the best in the field.
Despite no individual score better than 77 in the 18-hole tournament, the Mounties used a total team effort to edge Bentonville by two strokes, 321-323, at Springdale Country Club.
“Everybody had to hold in there and help out, and they did,” Rogers coach Marcus Alexander said. “I don’t think these scores were anything that really pleased any of our guys, but when you put them in there together, it was enough to win.”
Playing as the Mounties’ No. 4 golfer Wednesday, Grant Washburn shot 5-over-par 77, followed by an 80 from Jake Rylee and a pair of 10-over 82s from Tyler Blount and Jes Sanders.
“Fortunately for us, we all stuck together,” Alexander said. “And we had to have that (Wednesday).”
Zach Coats of Springdale Har-Ber earned medalist honors, shooting the tournament’s only under-par score. Coats, who birdied the par-4 first hole and remained under par the rest of the day, shot 71 — six shots better than his next closest competitor.
“I made a couple of putts and put the ball in play,” Coats said. “I went through a little swing change a while back, but I’ve been playing pretty well lately.”
Bentonville was the only team to have three players in the field shoot below 80, as Brik Brauburger (77), Josh Leal (77) and Dillon Friedman (79) posted strong rounds. But in the end, the Tigers couldn’t match the depth displayed by Rogers in the tournament that used the top four scores from each team.
“I’ve got five seniors that played out here (Wednesday) and all of them can play and contribute,” Alexander said. “So our depth was mainly what happened out here (Wednesday).”
Fayetteville finished third with a score of 333. The Purple’Dogs were led by Thatcher Radler, a freshman who’s the younger brother of Arkansas State golfer Sawyer Radler and current Lady Purple’Dogs senior Micah Radler.
Playing fifth for Fayetteville, Radler shot 78.
“He’s pretty salty,” Fayetteville coach Scott Williams said. “Coming from the golfing family he comes from, he’s had a lot of good help in front of him.”