Junior newcomer wins tough golf tournament, leads Howell to team championship
BRIGHTON — Not all peer pressure is negative.
Derek Kantola’s friends on the Howell golf team have been trying to persuade him for three years to join them on the squad.
He finally took them up on their offer as a junior this season, which has provided a huge boost to a Highlander team which is a serious threat to — at minimum — qualify for its first state tournament since the fall of 2004.
“All my friends, all the guys who played today, they always wanted me to come out through the years,” Kantola said. “It’s a good team. We have a chance to win states, I think.”
With the addition of Kantola to an already strong lineup, that’s not far-fetched goal for the Highlanders.
In an event featuring numerous golfers with state tournament experience, Kantola shot 2-under-par 70 to finish first out of 79 players Thursday in the Black/Green/Gold/Orange tournament at Kensington Metropark Golf Course.
He won by three strokes over seniors Harshan Juttu of Novi and Zane Farah of Flint Powers Catholic, leading Howell to the team championship.
Kantola never saw it coming.
“No, not at all,” he said. “It’s my second high school tournament. I didn’t think about winning. I thought about breaking 80, but I shot 70, so I’ll take it. I didn’t think I was going to win one my first year.”
Kantola said he’s been playing golf with his father “since I could walk,” but hockey was his primary focus. He played varsity hockey for Howell as a sophomore, scoring one goal and one assist in 15 games, before giving up the sport last winter to get a job.
He also spent the winter hitting golf balls indoors with friends on the golf team.
“I had a couple players who played for me the last two years who said he was planning on trying out,” Howell coach Jeff Hughey said. “They said he was the real deal. I told him to come out and try out. He’s fit right in with all the other guys caliber-wise and score-wise. He’s right there with all the other guys.”
Kantola showed signs of things to come by shooting 76 in his first tournament to tie for 23rd out of 130 players April 8 at Oakland University.
“That was a big confidence boost,” he said. “I’ve been playing some bad golf, so it felt good to shoot good.”
Kantola finished Thursday’s round by hitting a 160-yard shot from near a tree to within six inches of the hole for a birdie. For the most part, he didn’t have to bail himself out of danger the rest of his round.
“I was just hitting it really well,” he said. “I hit the greens. I was just making a lot of putts, leaving myself a lot of easy pars. When I needed to make a birdie, I could make them. I just didn’t get a lot of bogeys, which is the big thing.”
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Howell shot 301 to beat Brighton by six strokes for the team championship. The 16-team field included the last two state Division 1 champions, Detroit Catholic Central and Northville, and a Brighton team that placed third in the last two state tournaments.
“It means a lot to these guys,” Hughey said. “Last year, not making it through regionals and winning the division with a lot of these guys, it stuck with them. They have a lot they want to prove to say we’re just as good as anybody else. These guys worked hard over the winter. It’s great we got this win.”
Completing Howell’s score were junior Jacob Dault with a 76, junior Luke Downing with a 77 and junior Zach Spencer with a 78.
Levi Pennala tied for fifth with a 75 to lead Brighton. Riley Morton shot 76, Jacob Daavettila 77 and Jackson Frelich 79 for the Bulldogs.
Brighton's B team finished seventh with a 317, led by Mitchell Stoll's 76.
Kensington will host the preseason KLAA tournament Tuesday.
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Derek Kantola wins golf tourney at Kensington, leads Howell to title
