Purdy delivers as Jayhawk-Linn wins title

By David Wolman, davidwolman@miconews.com

Jayhawk-Linn golfer Garrett Lowe lines up a shot during a meet earlier this season. Lowe and his teammates will head to Salina on Monday for the Class 3A state golf meet. (Photo by David Wolman)

Jayhawk-Linn coach Gary Schmitz knows that he can count on his No. 1 golfer, Chad Purdy, to produce a top score.

On a day when a strong winds and a tough course produced higher-than-normal scores, Purdy delivered not only for himself, but also for his team.

Purdy, a state qualifier last year, carded a 77 at Monday’s Class 3A regional at Caney Country Club to win the individual title. He finished four strokes ahead of Caney Valley’s Michael Theiss, who shot an 81.

That difference in scores turned out to be the main reason Jayhawk-Linn, which carded a four-player score of 349, won the team title, qualifying the entire team for state. Caney Valley, the runner-up with a team score of 353, also qualified for state.

But this day belonged to Purdy and company.

“If it was not for his 77, we would’ve lost (the team title),” Schmitz said.

Purdy was the only golfer to shoot less than a 40 on either the front or back nine.

Strong tee shots and limiting his mistakes were what allowed Purdy to take the title.

“He was just on top of his game,” Schmitz said.

All five Jayhawks, whose rounds counted toward the team score, finished in the top 16.

Ethan Proffitt joined Purdy in the top 10. A strong front nine, on which he shot a 42, helped him place ninth with a round of 88.

Trevor Connor shot a 90, placing 12th.

BJ Hatfield and Garrett Lowe tied for 16th with a 94.

The only minor — actually major — complaint Schmitz had on this celebratory day was the course.

He said he thought the greens were too sloped. He also didn’t like how the pins were set up on the corners of the greens.

“There were a lot of quality golfers here,” he said. “Management set up the course too strong.”

Other than that, it was all positive.

Jayhawk-Linn won its first regional title since 2002 and its sixth team title on the season, including the Pioneer League title on its home course last month.

“I’m real happy with what we’ve done this year,” Schmitz said.

Adding a state title to their collection Monday in Salina would be the icing on the cake.

The tee times for state at Salina Municipal Golf Course were released earlier this week.

Jayhawk-Linn golfer Blake Johanning will start the team when he tees off at 8:30 a.m. on hole No. 10. Other tee times are Lowe, 9:10, No. 10; Hatfield, 9:40, No. 10; Connor, 10:10, No. 10; Proffitt, 8:30, No. 1; and Purdy, 10:30, No. 1.