West Plains golfers Ashby Wood and Johnny Sutherland are heading to the state championships after earning all-district honors at the Class 4 District 3 tournament, which concluded Monday at Briarbrook Golf Course in Carl Junction.
Wood shot a 75 on the par-72 course to place fifth, while Sutherland carded a 78 to finish 12th.
The Class 4 state tournament is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, May 18 and 19, at Columbia Country Club in Columbia.
West Plains Head Coach Brenton Bush said Wood and Sutherland spent the season setting the tone for the program.
“These two seniors have stood out representing the Zizzer golf team exceptionally well,” Bush said. “There was great competition in our district, holding some of the top state-ranked teams and individuals.”
While Sutherland and Wood extended their seasons, Bush said the remaining golfers gained valuable experience against elite competition. Brooks Cobb, Luke Skeeters and Tayt Duggins each turned in solid rounds for the Zizzers.
The formula for success moving forward for the two veteran golfers is to trust the swing that got them there.
“The focus for Johnny and Ashby is to focus on and play their game," Bush said. "When they play their brand of golf, they are at their best. I am excited to see how they finish their high school golf career at the state championship."
Regular Season Finale
Before heading to districts, the West Plains golfers closed their final stretch of the regular season with a mix of momentum, inconsistency and weather interruptions.
On May 1, the Zizzers traveled to Mtn. View and secured a first-place finish with a team score of 334. Cobb led the way with a 79, followed by Luke Skeeters at 81, Wood at 82 and Sutherland at 92.
“It was a rough day on the course, but we still came out on top," Bush said.
The day prior, on April 30, the Zizzers competed at the Ozark Mountain Conference (OMC) Tournament hosted in Marshfield, finishing fourth with a 311. Both Wood and Sutherland earned all-conference honors, each shooting a 75. Cobb shot a 78, and Luke Skeeters posted an 83.
Earlier in the week, the Zizzers cruised through the start of the April 28 Marshfield Invitational, playing what Bush described as the team’s best golf of the season before a thunderstorm halted play. West Plains was in a strong position through 13 holes when the weather hit.
“We were playing our best round of golf through the year,” Bush said. “Through 13 holes, Johnny was 4 under, Ashby was 1 under, Brooks was 3 over, and Jared was 9 over. The thunderstorm rolled in and we weren't able to finish our round.”
Junior Varsity Success
The future of the program also showed promise late in the season. All five members of the junior varsity squad shot personal records at the Mtn. Grove varsity invitational on April 23, finishing fifth in a field of about 20 teams.
Cale Combs led the JV Zizzers with an 80, securing a top-10 finish against varsity competition. Drew Skeeters followed with an 83, Brady Seager carded an 86, Grant Finley added a 93 and Tristyn Lambert rounded things out at 108.
“I am super proud of the whole team, as all five players PR’d in an invitational,” Bush said. “The underclassmen have shown huge growth throughout the season, putting up impressive numbers to end their season.”
