By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
A rough round at sectionals does not diminish the superb season of Liam Ahler.
Ahler, of the Elkhorn Area High School boys golf team, shot a 96 in a WIAA Division 1 sectional tournament June 1 at Watertown Country Club. Ahler finished in the bottom half of the field.
The top two teams and top three individuals not members of one of the top two teams advanced from the sectional to the WIAA Division 1 State Boys Golf Tournament, which took place Monday and Tuesday at University Ridge in Madison.
“It surprised me he got off to kind of a rough start over the first few holes,” Elks coach Steve Fisher said. “Each green is fairly undulating. If you’re on the wrong side of the green you don’t have a clear look out at the putt.”
Ahler carded an eight on the first hole, and followed that with three consecutive sixes. Fisher said the tough greens at Watertown Country Club led to several two-putt or three-putt holes for Ahler.
“He had a couple of bad breaks that snowballed on the front nine and turned into a 50,” Fisher said. “I know he was disappointed. He came back and hung in there and put a good string of holes together.”
Ahler rebounded from a 50 on the front nine and posted a 46 on the back.
“I was definitely proud of him,” Fisher said. “I give him a lot of credit for hanging in there and coming in with a better score on the back nine.”
Ahler advanced to the sectional tournament after winning a playoff May 24 at a WIAA Division 1 regional meet at Geneva National in Lake Geneva. Ahler and Janesville Parker’s Michael Henry finished tied at 89 after 18 holes, and went to a two-man playoff.
Each player bogeyed the first playoff hole on Geneva National’s Trevino Course.
On the second playoff hole, a par four, Ahler drove his tee shot right of the green, chipped on and putted-out for a birdie. Henry missed what Steve Fisher said was a three of four-foot putt, and Ahler, a sophomore, won the hole.
At Watertown, Monona Grove’s Jake Schroeckenthaler won individual medalist honors (74). Badger won the sectional (312) and DeForest finished second (318) and advanced to state as teams.
