Prep golf: Artesia edges Clovis in playoff

LOVINGTON — It just wasn’t the Wildcats’ day. Or so it seemed.

Clovis’ boys golf team had a shaky start to Tuesday’s Black Murphy Tournament in Lovington, with a bogey here, a triple bogey there. Christian Fontanilla even quadruple-bogeyed a hole.

But Fontanilla and the ’Cats rebounded nicely, found their groove, and by the end of 18 holes, they were tied for first with Artesia at 310.

They went to a playoff on the back nine, taking three golfers each. Artesia prevailed, but not after an impressive charge by Clovis.

“Nobody played real well, but all of them played pretty well,” Clovis coach Dale Fullerton said. “It’s pretty good to come back; I was proud of the way they competed. Those were real fast greens. I think that will help us in the long run.”

Even when they reached the playoff, the Wildcats didn’t play poorly, according to Fullerton. Artesia just played a little better.

To his credit, Fontanilla actually tied David Maldonado and Dakota York for the team low of 77 through 18 regulation holes, tucking the quadruple bogey in the past.

“He hit the ball really well today,” Fullerton said. “He just had that one bad hole.”

Kolt Bennett shot a 79 to round out Clovis’ top four. And the Wildcats’ Blayne Casey wasn’t that far behind with an 82.

All the Wildcats managed to stayed focused and not get down about the rough start.

“At one time, I thought we were going to play really bad (Tuesday),” Fullerton said. “I wouldn’t have thought we were going to tie for first. They ended up playing pretty well.”

The Clovis boys, already having their seven legs and 10 tournaments in, will not compete in Thursday’s Last Chance Invite at New Mexico Military Institute. They will instead work on their chipping and putting ahead of Monday’s District 2-6A meet in Santa Fe. The Wildcats are planning to head up there on Sunday and play a practice round.

“We’re all hitting the ball pretty well right now,” Fullerton said, “so if they can keep doing that and work on the chipping and putting, we’ll be in pretty good shape.”

Girls

Clovis’ girls finished third at 356, two strokes behind Lovington for second, while Logan Clayton was fourth overall at 80.

Artesia had the top three finishers — Josey Jackson, Taysea Powell and Brehnan Davis all shot a 79 — and cruised to the team title at 323.

Sydni Hill wasn’t far behind at 84, with a 42 on both the front and back. Clovis’ other golfers were Destiny Hodges (92), Ashley Maldonado (100) and Matti Dosher (107).

“That was Logan’s best,” Clovis coach Steve Speck said. “She did a really good job. Sydni’s been really consistent ... probably the most consistent one lately. Other girls ran into bad holes — a nine here, a 10 there.”

The Clovis girls will do the same as the boys — skip Last Chance and head up to Santa Fe Sunday for a practice round.

Texico’s girls, playing shorthanded, shot a team 409. Kaytlyn Queener had the Lady Wolverines’ low score, a 94. Grace McDaniel (102), Macey Tharp (105) and Charity Wilson (108) rounded out Texico’s scores.

Illness prevented Sarah Harrison from competing for the Lady Wolverines, who will also skip Last Chance due to the Texico High prom.