Bolte ends Newark’s decade drought, qualifies for district boys golf
GRANVILLE — Mitch Bolte left the excitement to his Newark boys golf teammates Tuesday.
The senior simply wanted to do what had become routine this season and achieve something that has been far from it for the Wildcats.
Bolte fired a 1-over par 73 during the Division I sectional tournament at Denison Golf Club. He qualified to next Tuesday’s district tournament at Apple Valley, the first Wildcat to do so since Nick Shipley in 2012.
“The key today was just smart golf,” Bolte said. "I wasn’t trying to attack anything, just take chances I gave myself to make something. It was to play boring golf — hit the fairway, green and two-putt. … I knew I was hitting driver bad, so I decided to put it away for the day and see what happens. It ended up turning out well.”
The pleasant surprise was Bolte nearly had company.
Sophomore Ty Gilbert shot a personal-best 75 to reach a three-way playoff for the final spot. The Wildcats also shot a season-best 316 to place fourth in the team standings, the program’s lowest round during coach Tony Villa’s decade tenure.
“I would have loved to make it out as a team, but in the Central District it’s so difficult,” Bolte said after he and the rest of the Wildcats finished seven shots behind Worthington Kilbourne, which took the third and final team qualifying spot.
“You can’t ask for anything more than fourth sometimes,” Bolte added. “Having Ty get in a playoff in his first sectional was really nice.”
Bolte finished in a three-way tie for third. Brady Catalano, of team runner-up Upper Arlington, was medalist at 67, and Zach Radtke, of team champion Dublin Jerome, was right behind at 68.
Thanks to the live scoring app, Bolte knew he was sitting in good position. Finishing on the front nine, he played the final seven holes at even par.
“It helps to see the score just to know if I par the last four holes, I make it and just to see how I stack up,” Bolte said. “This could have been my last one. I shot 81 at Turnberry, so I knew it wasn’t just a guarantee I was going to leave.”
Bolte and Grove City’s Grant Ruffing took the first two individual qualifying spots. Gilbert tied Mount Vernon’s Spencer Hughes and Bexley’s Zachary Topolosky for the third and final.
Gilbert, who was eliminated with a bogey on the second playoff hole, bettered his previous best by four strokes. He had eight pars on his final nine holes — the front nine.
“I guess off the first tee hitting your driver well, it feels good the rest of the way,” he said.
Gilbert, a first-year competitor, did not let the pressure bother him. In fact, it was the reaction of Villa and Bolte after making his short par putt on No. 9 that told him he was part of something special.
“I didn’t really realize how I was scoring until the end of the round,” Gilbert said. “When I saw 75, I was surprised because the whole way I was thinking about every shot and how to execute it.”
Freshman Grady Fields parred his final three holes and finished with a 79. Senior Alex Wamer rounded out the scoring with an 89 as the Wildcats finished a stroke ahead of fifth-place Grove City and two ahead of sixth-place Bexley, and sophomore Adam Tucker added a 102.
Granville juniors Samuel Pfau and Alex Organ shot 78 apiece, leading the Blue Aces to a seventh-place total of 321. Classmate Brogan Burgett added 82 and sophomores Chase Holtzapple 83 and Owen White 100.
Freshman Peyton Pennington shot 93 and junior Aiden Nicol 98 to lead Licking Heights.
740-973-4541
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Mitch Bolte ends Newark’s drought, qualifies for district boys golf
