Contender makes early case
April 18, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A younger Grand Rapids West Catholic boys golf team felt it left too many strokes on the course in tying for fourth place at last spring's Division 3 Final at Michigan State’s Forest Akers East.
A season older and remembering that disappointment, the Falcons have left some of the state's top teams in their wake in starting this spring among the hottest teams in Michigan.
West Catholic received this week’s team Second Half High 5 after impressive showings in back-to-back tournaments against some of the state’s top competition. The Falcons shot 315 on April 12 to finish five strokes back of top-ranked Division 1 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at the Kent County Classic at The Highlands. The next day, West Catholic shot a 303 in the Haslett Invitational at Forest Akers East to edge a bevy of strong Division 2 and 3 teams, including the No. 1s in both of those state polls.
“We pretty much expect to contend with anybody,” West Catholic coach Andy Weatherhead said. “We’d like to consistently get to the low 290s. I think that’s possible.”
Four returnees from last season’s team key this line-up. At the top is junior Sam Weatherhead – Andy’s son – who is arguably the state’s top player and finished runner-up at the Division 3 Final after losing a tie-breaker.
He won the individual medal at Kent County with a 68 – four better than Forest Hills Central’s Andrew Yeager, who has signed with the University of Michigan – and then shot a 3-under-par 69 to win at Forest Akers East.
Weatherhead is joined by seniors Matt Kowalczyk and Dalton Drumm and junior Adam Rooney. They all shot 87 or better at Kent County and 83 or lower at Forest Akers East.
All four have taken a jump this spring. Weatherhead shot in the 60s a few times last season, but has been there all this season so far. Kowalczyk and Drumm have cut strokes by improving their course management. And as a group, last season’s Finals jump – the Falcons finished 10th in 2010 – provided a confidence boost they continue to ride.
“No doubt, they were pretty excited,” Andy Weatherhead said of the Haslett Invite win. “We felt going in, as the only west side team going over there, we were in it to win it. We were a little upset the day before because we didn’t win the Classic, but we thought we were good enough. That’s the big thing about golf – thinking you’re good enough.
“It was kind of a spring board last year. We worked hard enough, and we’re good enough to be here.”
Click to read more about this week's other High 5s honorees.
PHOTO: Grand Rapids West Catholic tied for fourth at last season's Division 3 Final at Michigan State's Forest Akers West.
#TBT: Harmon's 135 Still All-Time Low
May 15, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It's been tough for golfers to remember sunny days this week, with most of Michigan seemingly under water – or, in the far north, snow.
But this week's Throwback Thursday recalls a fall weekend 12 years ago, when East Kentwood's Matt Harmon put up the brightest performance during the 36-hole era of MHSAA Boys Golf Finals.
Harmon shot 64-71 over two days at Michigan State University's Forest Akers East, with his 135 total the lowest of that Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final by four strokes and lowest score overall since the MHSAA Lower Peninsula tournament went to 36 holes in 1994.
East Kentwood also won the team championship that weekend, by 11 strokes. Although the Falcons finished only tied for ninth the following season at The Emerald in St. Johns, Harmon repeated as individual champion with a two-day 146 that included a first-round 68.
Harmon, who also had finished Division 1 runner-up as a freshman in 1999, went on to win the Mr. Golf Award in 2002, then star at MSU earning Big Ten Player of the Year in 2007.
Harmon played on the Web.com Tour in 2013, has played NGA Tour events so far in 2014 and is among those listed to play on the PGA Tour Canada this summer. All three are considered stepping stones to the PGA Tour.