Hunter Butterfield takes a swing during Grand’s home region victory on Sept. 14. Photo by Trystan Warpness
The team teed off at noon at the Red Rocks Golf Course in Moab, sporting 12 players overall. While the entire team played, only six players were registered as competitors, and of those, the top four scores were counted in the team’s overall tally.
Heavy rains during the competition made play more difficult, but Grand’s golfers overcame the challenge to finish on top. Senior Zak Hazlett shot the best score of the day at 75. Senior O’Bryan Charleston shot an 80, juniors Dale Thomas and Kris Kemp,both shot an 84, while junior Hunter Butterfield shot an 86.
“We did really well,” said head coach Steve Hazlett. “Our total score by the end of the day put us 37 points ahead as we go into our region match Wednesday [Sept. 21] in Monticello. I think we have a really, really good shot at taking region. We’re looking at a team this year that has a good chance to win state if they put it all together.”
The GCHS boy’s golf team also took first place at a tournament in Emery the previous week, Sept. 8. A total of seven Red Devil golfers competed in that event. Zak Hazlet shot a personal best of 70, while Kemp finished with a score of 80. Butterfield shot an 83, and junior Dale Thomas shot an 86. Junior Anthony Shepardson, and seniors Ernie Lopez and Charleston also competed in that tournament.
The Red Devils were scheduled to tee off at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at the region tournament on the Hideout Golf Course in Monticello. The state competition will be Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 3 and 4 in South Sevier on the Palisade Golf Course.