Glen Lake's Champ Sets Sights Higher

September 9, 2015

By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half

TRAVERSE CITY – The ball landed on the green a few feet past and left of the hole.

One hundred and eleven yards away, at the tee box on the 11th hole at the Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids, Glen Lake's Nichole Cox squinted through the bright sunshine on this late August day to see where she would putt for birdie.

Turns out, there would be no birdie putt. The backspin Cox put on the ball with her pitching wedge, coupled with the slope of the green, drew the ball right to the cup. Just like that, the defending Lower Peninsula Division 4 champion had her first career hole-in-one en route to a personal-best 3-under 69 in winning the Cardinal Invitational.

That shot typifies Cox's torrid pre-Labor Day start to the 2015 season. Four matches, four impressive victories, including the two-day, 36-hole Lober Classic at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. Cox shot rounds of 71 and 76 on the Spruce Run and Wolverine courses to take the title by two strokes over Brighton's Annie Pietila, who had led by three shots after opening with a 68.

"It was crazy," Cox said. "I was proud of myself. That was my goal (to win the tournament)."

Glen Lake was the smallest school in the 26-team field.

"I think that might be the best competition we'll see until the state tournament," Lakers coach Paul Christiansen said.

The 17-year-old Cox also won two matches at Mistwood. She fired an even-par 71 to claim the Traverse City West Titan Invitational by nine strokes and then came back a few days later with a 1-under 70 to capture a triangular match by 13 strokes.

Of her five 18-hole rounds, she's played four at par or under par.

"She's pretty motivated," Christiansen said. "She is her own toughest critic. She has high expectations. She'll say her goal is to win every match this year."

To do that, Cox said she's had to sharpen her focus. She said she no longer worries about her score during a match. Instead, she is more intent on the "simple things," like making sure she hits the fairways and greens. The rest, she said, will take care of itself.

"I've been making a lot more up and downs," the junior said. "I feel good about it right now."

Always known as a long ball hitter off the tee, Cox has steadily improved as a putter.

"I can basically two-putt from anywhere (on the green)," she said. "I don't three-putt much. That's a big step from last year."

She's also had her share of one-putts, knocking down a number of long birdie attempts.

Her putting has been aided by a stronger approach game, thanks to a new set of Callaway Apex irons she put in her bag before the season.

"(The switch) was mostly to control her iron play, trajectory and distance," Scott Wilson, her swing coach in the Junior Elite program at Crystal Mountain, said. "She dialed in almost immediately. Certainly that's a concern when you make an equipment change like that (before the season), but it was the right fit for her. I wish we would have done it sooner."

Cox, who was third in LP Division 4 as a freshman, enjoyed a solid summer on the links, competing in the Michigan Women's Open and Michigan Amateur, where she reached the Sweet 16.

"Every year she just gets better," her father, Duane, said. "She's playing with more confidence. It's not just one thing that's getting better, everything is getting better. Her numbers this year are so much better – and they were good last year."

Christiansen said it's fun to watch her play.

"Really good players have their own swing coaches, and I don't want to mess that up," he said. "I think you can have too many voices. My job is to keep her relaxed, keep her in the moment, keep her level-headed so she's not too hard on herself. You have to be able to let a bad shot go."

Christiansen maneuvers around the course to watch all of his golfers during a match, so he's not with Cox constantly.

"That's one cool thing about golf, unlike some other sports where the coach is with you 100 percent of the time," he said. "You've got to adjust to situations yourself and learn course management. She's played so much golf, she's really good at figuring out what she's doing right and wrong."

Cox has been around the game for years. When she and her twin brother Brandon were in kindergarten, their parents bought a home with a driving range. The family has operated the Dune Valley Driving Range the last 10 years. It's across the road from the Dunes Golf Club, which the family plays regularly.

"I thought it would be a great place for kids to grow up," Duane said.

Cox edged Farwell's Bria Colosky by one stroke to win last season’s MHSAA Final with a 36-hole score of 159. They and two others entered the second round tied for first at 83, but Cox shot a 76, to Colosky’s 77, to finish the competition.

"I thought I lost it because I double-bogeyed my last hole," Cox said. "I was pretty convinced I blew it for myself. I was surprised that I won."

Cox would like to take that surprise element out of the equation this year.

"The goal is to get better every match so that next month she's ready to roll (in the MHSAA tournament)," Christiansen said.

Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.

PHOTOS: (Top) Maple City Glen Lake's Nichole Cox watches a shot during last season's Lower Peninsula Division 4 Final. (Middle) Cox unloads a tee shot during another 2014 event. (Middle photo courtesy of Glen Lake High School.)

Manistique Shines on Graduation Day

By John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com

May 30, 2015

ISHPEMING — It was a day Manistique senior Hailey Hoholik will remember for a long time as she led the Emeralds to their first Upper Peninsula Division 2 golf title in five years on Friday.

The Manistique girls finished with 419 strokes, followed by two-time defending champion Iron Mountain at 460 and Hancock with 496 at Wawonowin Country Club. 

Hoholik also was crowned U.P. individual champion with 99 strokes, just hours before her high school graduation. 

“We’ve been practicing all phases of the game,” said Hoholik, who will attend Lake Superior State University this fall. “My short game isn’t bad, but it could use a little more work. My tee shots were good. I was getting a lot of distance. The weather conditions were also good. It rained a little in the beginning, otherwise it wasn’t bad. There wasn’t much wind.”

Westwood’s Lauren Farley was runner-up at 102. She was followed by Manistique junior Rachel Ryan (104) and Emeralds sophomore teammate Lauren Page (106). 

We certainly had a balanced effort,” said Emeralds’ coach Deb Taylor. “The girls worked hard for this all year, especially this past week. I think this is big for our golf program and our school. Hopefully, this will help motivate the girls.”

Hoholik became the first individual champion for the Manistique girls program since 2002, when Janelle Kemppainen earned medalist honors. Hoholik placed fourth in Division 1 a year ago, hitting a 97 on the Marquette Golf & Country Club’s Heritage course.

On Friday, however, Hoholik shot 50 through the halfway point and followed that with a 49 through the final nine holes at Wawonowin. 

“Hailey kept her driver in her bag, which probably helped,” Taylor said. “Hailey is my niece and I’m very proud of her. In fact, I’m proud of all the girls. Rachel and Lauren should be solid for us next year. I’m already looking forward to next season.”

All five Manistique golfers earned All-U.P. honors by placing among the top 10. Iron Mountain’s Kathyrn Brown placed fifth with 108 strokes and Hancock’s McKenna Monticello was sixth at 109. 

Manistique senior Maggie Morrison and Iron Mountain’s Cassie Feira shared seventh at 110, followed by West Iron County’s Madeline Waara at 112 and Manistique sophomore Brooke Whiskin at 113.

Click for full results. 

PHOTOS: (Top) Manistique poses with its MHSAA championship trophy after winning Friday’s Upper Peninsula Division 2 Final. (Middle) Manistique’s Hailey Hoholik unloads a drive on the way to earning the medalist honor. (Photos by Keith Shelton).