Bulldog golf teams look forward to another competitive season
Bulldog golfer Billy Smith plays in the Western A Kickoff tournament at Whitefish Lake Golf Course last season. (Whitney England/Whitefish Pilot)
The Whitefish High School golf team is ready to swing into a new season with Tait Rocksund in his second year as head coach and several returning varsity players ready to pick up where they left off last year.
In the 2021 season, the boys narrowly missed repeating as state champs, losing by just 9 strokes to Laurel. Their second-place score of 606 for that tournament was the sixth lowest team total posted since the Montana Class A records started being kept in 1978 and the second lowest team total ever posted by a Whitefish High School boys team at state. The 2006 Whitefish Bulldogs posted a 595.
Rocksund, who spent five years as an assistant coach prior to taking the helm, says the Bulldog boys golf team understands what it takes to be successful. They will make another run for the championship this season with returning All-state seniors Billy Smith and Johnny Nix. Other seniors on the varsity team are Tag Walker and Matthew Peschel.
“Billy Smith won the 2022 Montana Junior Amateur a few weeks ago and Johnny Nix won the Western A Divisional for Class A golf in Montana,” Rocksund noted.
Rocksund also expects several other players to be strong for the team this year and added that Peschel is the most improved player heading into the new season.
“The goal for the boys team is to put ourselves in a position to be competitive on day two at state to win the title,” Rocksund said. “Laurel and Polson will be our top competition on the boys’ side this year.
The girls team aims to better their impressive fourth-place finish at state two years ago and a sixth-place finish at state last year, with help from returning varsity players, sophomore Stella Jaffe and junior Leia Brennan.
The Lady Bulldogs graduated five seniors from the team two years ago and last year graduated team leaders Anyah Cripe and Macy Whisenand, who had won All-state honors, but Rocksund says the team has a lot of young talent.
“Stella won a few Flathead Valley Junior Tour tournaments this summer and is getting more comfortable winning golf tournaments,” Rocksund said. “She recently had an ‘albatross’ — holing out on a 4-hybrid from 180 yards on hole 12 of the south course at Whitefish Lake Golf Club.”
Brennan was the most improved golfer last season and Rocksund expects her to continue to perform with more tournament experience.
The Bulldogs will get the season started on Friday against East Helena at the Bill Roberts Golf Club in Helena. On Monday the Bulldogs will compete at the Columbia Falls Invite and on Tuesday will host the Western A Kickoff at Whitefish Lake Golf Club beginning at 9 a.m.