The two Greenwood High School golf teams have completed the majority of their 2024 links schedule and are preparing for the postseason, including the conference tournament next week and hopefully earning a berth in the 5A state tournament. Head Coach Ryan Casalman has provided results from four recent matches over the past two weeks and the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs have positioned themselves as teams to be reckoned with in the league tournament.
On September 4th both teams traveled to Alma and Eagle Crest Country Club for a match that included most of the teams from the 5A West conference. When the dust settled after 18 holes, the Greenwood girls finished third as a team and top golfer Cambree Shrum shot 100, which placed her eighth overall. The Greenwood boys finished fifth as a team and Everson Adams shot an impressive 73, placing him in a three-way tie for fourth overall. In the upcoming conference tournament, the top four teams will qualify to move on to state competition.
Five days later, on September 9th, the GHS linksters had another road match at Bella Vista Country Club. The match was hosted by Siloam Springs, also including Greenwood, Van Buren, Harrison, and one non-conference opponent, Springdale Har-Ber. The Lady Bulldogs finished third overall, shooting a combined 304. Cambree Shrum won the ladies division by firing an 85, fifteen strokes better than at Alma. The Bulldogs finished fourth and shot a team total of 345. Everson Adams finished second and shot another 18-hole round of 73.
The following day, last Tuesday, September 10th, Coach Casalman and his players traveled to Ben Geren Park in the River City for the final day of the annual Ryder Cup matches with Fort Smith Southside. After the first two meetings earlier this season, the Southside girls and boys led six points to four. But the GHS linksters rallied on the final day of competition and the Bulldogs won four matches while the Lady Bulldogs won two matches. That result tied the overall point total, resulting in a playoff.
Greenwood then won the playoff and brought home the Ryder Cup! Bulldogs winning their matches were Everson Adams, Carson Wade, Dean Hogeland, and Jake Gigerich. GHS girls winning their matches were Cambree Shrum and Jordin Jackson. Everson and Cambree competed in the one-hole playoff and won to give Greenwood the 11 to 10 win. Other GHS players competing were Journey Clements, Addi Phonepradith, Addie Dugan, Jaxon Cole, Cooper Hogeland, Dace Drennan, Wyatt Frye, Blake Christainsen, Jayden Garnes, and Tanner Miller.
The next day, on September 11th, the GHS linksters had a dual match with Van Buren. The Greenwood girls won their match by shooting 132, winning by a huge margin of 38 strokes. The Van Buren girls shot a 170. Cambree Shrum was the overall individual winner with a score of 39 shots over nine holes. The GHS boys finished tied with the Pointers at 160. Greenwood won the playoff hole with Everson Adams besting Van Buren’s top golfer. Everson was also the winner in the overall boys competition with a low score of 36.
On Monday and Tuesday of this week, Greenwood’s golfers are playing in the Confidence Classic at Bella Vista Country Club, an 18-hole event as all teams in the state and the 5A West are gearing up for their postseason league and state matches, all of which also cover 18 holes. That will be the only competition for the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs this week, who will spend more time practicing on their home course at Vache Grasse Country Club.
Next Monday and Tuesday, September 23-24, the Greenwood linksters and other 5A West squads will gather at Big Creek Country Club in Mountain Home for the league tournament to determine which teams and players will move on to the state tournament. There will be a practice round on Monday with the actual tournament held on Tuesday. The girls state tournament will be held at Paragould Country Club in Northeast Arkansas, September 30-Ocotber 2. The boys state tournament will be the following week at Hot Springs Country Club, October 7-9.