The varsity golf team came up just short in their pursuit of a district title on Thursday, June 2.
Playing at Paint Creek Country Club, the Wildcats shot a team score of 328, two strokes behind district winner Lake Orion, who shot a 326.
The silver lining in it all is the Wildcats qualified for regionals, which will take place next week at Flushing Valley. Also qualifying for regionals were Rochester Adams, Swartz Creek, Rochester High School and Grand Blanc.
Scoring was made difficult due in part to the high winds and thick rough, which had become soaked with all of the rain this spring.
‘The scores were high across the board,? said varsity golf coach Terry Kelley. ‘I thought we would have to have four boys under 80 to qualify, and as the day progressed, I could see through errant shots and difficultly kids were having around the greens and getting out of the rough that a higher score might get in.?
Oxford was able to get in four scores under 85. Leading the way for the Wildcats was Nick Hocker with a 78, J.J. Lewis shot an 81, Nolan Chapman had an 84 and Josh Hosking had an 85.
‘I don’t feel like some people do ? that second-place is the first loser,? Kelley said. ‘It’s been a great season for us. Our tournament record has been excellent, our duel record was excellent.?
‘We don’t want to rest on that, we want to go Flushing and then onto the state finals,? he added.
However, Kelley noted on Friday, June 3 getting on the course at the regional tournament is still in question because the course flooded due to all the rain this spring.
‘As of a few days ago, the course is still under water. The river that runs through there, it flooded up, the local sewers were backing up and that was being deposited on the course and there were a number of trees down,? he said.
When asked about the competition, Kelley said Oxford drew the toughest regional in the state.
‘We’re looking forward to it,? he said.