Shakopee nips New Ulm

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- New Ulm senior Ryan Herzog has normally been considered New Ulm's No. 3 golfer for most of the season, but Monday at the New Ulm Country Club he put together the best round for the Eagles with a 43.

However, it wasn't enough as the Eagles fell by five strokes in a 171-176 nonconference boy's golf loss to Shakopee.

Herzog shot a 2-over on the first hole, but put that behind him as he was just two shots away from earning medalist honors.

Shakopee's Nick Pexa had the low score, carding a 41.

"My short game was not the greatest," Herzog said. "I couldn't putt. Pretty much every drive was in the fairway, but I just couldn't get the short game. My short game around the green is really good, but I need work on my longer irons."

"Ryan can come out and shoot a low 42 or an upper 38 any time he wants to," New Ulm coach Randy Ogren said. "He was off a little bit, but we need him to start coming in with some low scores."

Jon Herzog, a sophomore, shot a 44 along with Brian Heitzman. Jim Fromm shot a 45 to round out New Ulm's scoring.

"We've been kind of up and down all year," Ogren said. "We get two good scores in and we get a few high scores. I wouldn't say it was a bad day. There was some wind and it was cool, and you try real hard to press. If you try too hard, the wind takes the ball a little more than it should."

Ogren also said that inexperience and lack of practice time played a factor in the team's loss.

"We've had a few days off and we just need to get out on the range a little bit more consistently."

Travis Kohlrusch and Matt Thelen each shot a 43 for the Sabers. Jesse Rife shot a 44 to give Shakopee a final score of 176.

"I think the kids are trying, and I think sometimes they try too hard," Ogren said. "Maybe they can just take one extra club and not swing so hard and maybe be happy with a bogey instead of end up with a double or triple. It's all course management, and it will come."

On the girl's side, Kayla Nesvold may have been a surprise at the top of the board for the Eagles as she shot a 50. Nesvold, whose highlight of the day came on the third hole with a chip-in just off the green, finished sixth strokes behind medalist Heather Peterson, who led Shakopee with a 49.

"She [Nesvold] said she played a little over the weekend and felt good about the way we was hitting the ball," girl's coach Todd McKeeth said. "I think she was confident tonight. Fifty is a pretty good score. And then she had a nine on the last hole, which coulda had her in the 40s pretty easily, if she would've taken a couple of strokes off."

The ninth hole, a par-5, was easily the most difficult of the day as most had problems finishing their round.

"It's a par-5, and for girls especially, that length just kind of intimidates them and they feel they have to hit the ball harder," McKeeth said.

"Then you got out-of-bounds on the left which they are thinking about," he said. "And a lot of the girls are sure of the distances with their clubs, so they're not sure what they want to do."

The girls lost 210-228. Morgan Hirth shot a 55 and Cala Haag shot a 58. Randi Wise shot a 65 for the Eagles (0-4), who also travel to Wabasso today.

The boys "B" squad lost 174-204. Nate Grathwohl shot a 48 and Jack Schmitt shot a 51 for the Eagles.