Grafton golf team advances; Port freshman brings thrills

The Grafton High School golf team did about what it was expected to do, and a Port Washington player pulled off a near-unthinkable upset at the Division 1 regional at Quit-Qui-Oc on May 26.

Grafton shot 323, finishing second to Cedarburg’s 320. Senior Jake Leidel, last year’s North Shore Conference Golfer of the Year, shot 75 and finished in second place.

“He played really well. He was steady. He had no double bogeys or higher,” coach Phil Trottier said. “If you don’t have any double bogeys or higher, you’ve got a pretty good chance of breaking 80.”

Nate McCallister and Jack Birmingham tied for 10th with 82. Braxton Boehlke shot 84 and Kendyl Conrad shot 85.

“We still had three big holes out there,” Trottier said.

Port shot 338 and finished fifth, behind Plymouth’s 329 and the last spot to qualify for the sectional as a team.

But the Pirates’ Jack Schowalter shot 77, tying for third, to qualify as an individual.

“That’s really good,” coach Rory Palubiski said.

Eric Krentz shot 82 and also qualified.

“He shot the best round he ever shot,” Palubiski said.

Freshman Cooper Giese tied Glacier Trails Conference Golfer of the Year, West Bend East senior Tony Farchione, at 84 and the two went to a playoff to determine who moves on.

The two played No. 10, which has a 90-degree dogleg left. Giese is about 5 feet 6 inches and 120 pounds, and Farchione, about 6-0 and 200.

“It was David vs. Goliath,” Palubiski said.

On top of that, the regional was otherwise over, so a gallery of around 40 people were watching.

“When the playoff was about to begin, I said to him, “You’re playing with house money here. The pressure is on him. Just go play golf and don’t worry about it,’” Palubiski said.

Both hit good drives. Giese’s approach, however, was headed dead straight out of bounds. But it hit a tree and bounced back into play, Palubiski said.

Farchione knocked his ball on the green about 25 feet from the hole.

Giese chipped to about 12 feet away. Farchione missed his birdie putt by about two and a half feet.

Giese had to make his par or his season was over.

He told Palubiski, “‘You know what coach, today would be a good day to make a putt. I haven’t made a putt all day.’”

He drained the putt.

Farchione lipped out his knee-knocker. Giese moved on.

On the advice of Palubiski’s son Jaden, Giese shook Farchione’s hand and congratulated him on a good season.

Port’s trio and Grafton’s team were to play at Rolling Meadows in the sectional in Fond du Lac on Wednesday, June 3.