Lamphere senior Jesse Carpenter and freshmen Koede Bautista will compete in the Division II Regionals today at Fieldstone Golf Club in Auburn Hills. (Photo submitted).
Lamphere senior golfers Vince Mandarino and Justin Ross will compete in the Division II Regionals today at Fieldstone Golf Club in Auburn Hills. (Photo submitted).“My motto is what the great Hank Haney from Golf Channel says, ‘Practice more than anyone else,’ ” Lamphere golf coach Art Maisano said Wednesday. “We play five days a week. We don’t have access to a nearby course, so we chip and putt all the time. We’ve always gotten better as season goes on. Like this year, we struggled early and have sort of played better and better.”
Maisano, now in his ninth season at Lamphere, said this year’s regional team is not the best team he has ever fielded, but it has the potential to be one of the best.
“Last year was our best team - a record setting team that went to regionals but couldn’t get out,” he said. “But this year we have golfers who can be pretty good.”
The Rams most valuable golfer will not be determined until today’s match.
“We have a point system and Jesse Carpenter is No. 1 but all five are dead even,” he said. “Thursday will decide the MVP.”
Carpenter is “pretty steady,” the coach said.
“He doesn’t shoot really low or too high,” Maisano said. “He just chugs along, the same score every time.”
Justin Ross, a senior, “doesn’t get in trouble as much as the other guys do,” Maisano said. “He hits them all down the middle of the fairway. He’s a good putter, too.”
Vince Mandarino, a senior, can shoot a 39 or a 50.
“When he’s hot he’s hot, when he’s not he’s not,” Maisano said. “He’s one out of the group who can shoot the lowest score. He goes for a lot of stuff, hits a driver instead of a 3 wood. Kind of like a Tiger Woods - a risk reward thing.”
Billy Aman, junior, is coming on and steadily improving, Maisano said.
“We haven’t found his best part of his game yet,” he said. “That’s a good thing.”
Another Lamphere junior who will not be at regional today is the Rams’ most improved.
“Todd Pieper is a solid sixth man,” the Coach said. “Hopefully he can improve next year.”
And the fifth golfer to be at Fieldstone today is Koede Bautista, a freshman.
“He’s real young and can be real good,”Maisano said. “He’s got as much potential as any golfer we’ve ever had. We never had a freshman make varsity and this year we had Koede and Jack Strong.”
To qualify for regionals, Lamphere finished in the top six teams in districts.
“We finished fourth,” said Maisano, noting the Rams hosted District 17 at Maple Lane in Sterling Heights. “We shot a 347. Our lowest individual was Justin Ross with an 86.”
The Rams finished 4-6 in the Macomb Area Conference Silver Division.
“Because they persevered is why we are going to regionals,” he said. “Early in the year I talked to the kids and they looked at me like I’m ready to walk off, but they ended up with decent scores. We were 1-5 and finished 4-6.”
Maisano said Fieldstone is a tough course.
“It’s a tricked up course, but it’s a first class, beautiful course,” he said. “It’s going to be a great experience. Perseverance with kids is what got them here. I am proud how well they did. I am not concerned with the other teams competing. We can only control our swings; hopefully they play well and enjoy the game.
“We out-practice and out-play them. We play five days a week no matter what. This year it clicked, and they believed. They didn’t give up. I tell them to have fun - the most important thing.”
A 9 a.m. shotgun start is scheduled Thursday at Fieldstone
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