Post-Tribune

 

By Brian Hedger

RENSSELAER -- It was the kind of day that called for overcoats, determination and willingness to aim far left or right.

Strong winds howled across Curtis Creek Country Club on Saturday morning, as temperatures hovered in the low 50s during the annual Dr. E.R. Beaver Rensselaer Invitational. The only time the sun peeked out was after scores were posted and Twin Lakes posed for pictures holding the team championship trophy.

Twin Lakes won easily, carding a 333, while Lake Central and Valparaiso finished second and third with 347. Their places were determined by one stroke between their fifth men.

"We're kind of a fair-weather team this spring, so for us to win this with all the good teams that were here and the way the weather was, it's a big win," Twin Lakes coach Joe Milligan said. "We've carded a 310 this year, but that was on a nice day. This morning, it was so windy I didn't know if I was going to be able to keep the bus on the road getting here."

Indeed, it was that kind of a day. Shots were aimed far right of greens, only to wind up off the left edge. Drives were blown into the trees. And when the wind was straight into the tee box, good luck getting anything below a bogey.

"The wind was playing very tough," said Crown Point's Nick Grubnich, who walked away with medalist honors for the second straight year and carded a 79. "Crosswinds were definitely tough. If the wind was at your back it was easy. If the wind was in your face, though, it was a struggle just to bogey."

Grubnich shot a 39 on the front nine and a 40 on the back. He birdied the par-5 12th hole after two straight bogeys on 10 and 11.

"I had four three-putts and a double bogey on (the ninth hole)," Grubnich said. "I'm not happy with the round, but I'm happy with the win."

Conditions had a lot to do with the struggles for Grubnich and the rest of the field. Making things even tougher were challenging pin placements. Not everybody left grumbling, though.

For Lake Central coach John Schneider, the tough conditions taught him something about his team.

"This was a good test of their mental toughness," he said. "Everybody has to play in the same conditions, so it's a matter of who can grind it out and be persistent. We kept our composure."

Junior Vince Barker shot an 82 for LC and finished third overall. He only needed 10 putts to get through the back nine in 41 strokes -- including a birdie on the par-3 16th hole.

Valparaiso coach Wayne Lichtenberger was also pleased that his young Vikings placed third, considering this was the first time that Valparaiso's top four golfers played in the same tournament. Andrean and Munster both rounded out the Top 5, with both finishing at 348.

Andrean's fifth man bettered Munster's for fourth place, but the Mustangs impressed first-year coach Bill Smitka.

"We're rounding into form," Smitka said. "We wound up trailing Lake Central and Valparaiso by only one and tied with Andrean. We're happy with that."

Boone Grove finished sixth at 351, and the Wolves' top player, Tyler Noel, shot an 85.