Northwest Conference golf teams competed in the last regular season conference match at the Leland Country Club on Tuesday.
Glen Lake won the match, with a ñve-person team score of 176, followed by Benzie Central (185), Frankfort (190), Leland (198), and Kingsley (217).
Glen Lake senior Michael Houtteman claimed first-place with his winning score of 33 (-3) over nine holes. Houtteman was hitting his putts and had little mistakes throughout the windy round.
On hole No. 7, he hit a birdie thanks to a 12-foot putt.
“Just keep doing what I’m doing. Coming to play every day. Practice, get work on my short game,” Houtteman said.
Houtteman edged Benzie Central junior Christien Westcott (39) for the win.
Glen Lake has been improving as a team after going through its ups and downs during the short spring season.
Laker senior Jacob Switzer provided a powerful punch in his third-place, 41-stroke performance on Tuesday by staying composed throughout the round. Switzer finished tied for third with Frankfort senior Aiden O’Dwyer. Switzer recovered from a double-bogey early and remained focused before scoring a birdie on hole eight to end his round.
“We are putting all the pieces together and making sure every part of our game’s getting right. We are getting ready for regionals and the conference championship,” Switzer said. “We Just keep practicing. It’s how you get better.”
Glen Lake also had an impressive score from freshman Joel Martin who shot a 43 and finished tied for fifth overall with Frankfort sophomore Cash Rosum. Onekama senior Peyton Clause (44), Benzie sophomore Rowan Zickert (45), Leland’s Colby Connor (47), and Kingsley senior Ty Morgan (47) rounded out the top-10.
Connor led the Comets with his 47 on a tough shooting day for the Leland team.
“Most of the team didn’t shoot as well as we usually do,” he said. “I started on six and I just stayed really consistent throughout it all. I tried to finish strong. My last drive was kind of bad but I stuck with it and shot a bogey.”
Leland proved it can compete with conference leaders Glen Lake and Benzie early in the season. The Comets will be preparing for Saturday’s conference championship match in hopes of playing spoiler.
“I think if we just go out and play our game, we can just all shoot decently and win,” Connor said.
The Northwest Conference Championships will be held in Interlochen on Monday, April 22. The regional match will happen Tuesday, April 30.
