RAPID CITY - The Class A boys state golf tournament will feature both the returning team champion and individual titlist in Vermillion and Sioux Falls Christian senior Rainey Reynolds, respectively.
While East River teams enjoyed a successful state tournament a year ago, several West River squads and individuals figure to perform well at Southern Hills Golf Course in Hot Springs.
Sioux Falls Christian enters the tournament as the favorite in the team competition having fired 319 at its region, which was five strokes better than Vermillion's runner-up score. Lead-Deadwood won Region 4 by a single stroke over Custer at the same course the state tournament will be played on. Hot Springs, St. Thomas More and Red Cloud also qualified for the team race.
"The West River teams have held their own against the East River in golf as compared to some other sports," Belle Fourche head coach Clark Gusso said. "Knowing the golf course is a huge advantage."
The Broncs' freshman Tyler Burr captured the Region 4 title with a round of 76, which was the second best round of any golfer at state behind Reynolds, who shot a 72. Burr will be in the first group off the tee at 10 a.m. on Monday. He will be paired with another senior and junior.
The fact that Burr is competing with older golfers does not concern Gusso.
"Ty has seen this course multiple times and always played well," he said. "He has been competing at state since he was in seventh grade and he finished 12th as an eighth-grader last year."
The Broncs are the highest placing West River team returning to state after taking sixth place in 2007 while Custer was eighth.
Burr isn't the only individual who could contend for one of the top spots at the meet. St. Thomas More sophomore Joe Drew is in the second group that will tee off along with Red Cloud's Montana Sierra after both golfers put together rounds of 79 at Southern Hills. Drew enters state with plenty of momentum after picking up his first win of the year by claiming the Black Hills Conference medalist honors.
Zach Fox will lead the Lead-Deadwood charge after firing a 79 at the region and get plenty of help from state veteran teammates Grant Bellet and Jordan Smith.
Lead-Deadwood head coach Joan Rachetto likes how her team is playing entering the state meet, but knows it will be a tough two-day test.
"Winning the region gave the players a boost and they were pretty excited," she said. "But every stroke counts at state and you have to put together back-to-back days.
"It is definitely advantageous to play on a course that you are used to playing, especially if the weather changes because you know the distances and what clubs you need to use."
Rachetto pointed to Burr, Drew and Fox as three West River golfers capable of doing big things at the state tournament. However, they will have to compete with the likes of Tea Area's Richard Dunlap, Vermillion's Cole Andre and Aaron Steele and Canton's Sam Haglund. Aberdeen Roncolli's Ben Heller and Sioux Falls Christian's Mike Rozenboom are also back in the hunt after finishing in the top five last year.
