Doland’s Kaiden Weinreis continued his stellar play on Monday.
After finishing second at the Class B Boys’ State Tournament last month, Weinreis won the Boys 16-18 division championship during the South Dakota Golf Association Junior Tour at Moccasin Creek Country Club.
Weinreis shot a total of 74, two shots above par.
“I just tried to play it as safely as I could,” Weinreis said. “Just make smart decisions and it definitely led me to a good score today.”
A weather delay pushed everyone’s start time back by 90 minutes.
“I honestly thought we weren’t going to be out here today,” Weinreis said. “But we came out and it was pretty dang humid, but I fought through it and got the round done.”
He said the key was to stay focused on the golf to deal with the challenges of the day.
“I just keep focused on the game of golf,” Weinreis said. “I just do my routines as usual and go out there and play.”
Weinreis said just missing out on winning a state title this spring is a driving force.
“It motivates me a lot,” Weinreis said. “It tells me that I’m up there with all the really good golfers. It makes me want to keep golfing every day and working on my game.”
Weinreis talked about what he can do to take the next step and become a champion.
“I could definitely work on hitting the ball further,” Weinreis said. “I’m not the longest hitter, but I can hit it straight, so if I can add some distance onto my game, I think I could be pretty good in the future.”
The fourth-place finisher in the Boys 16-18 group was Seth Lesnar of Webster, who shot an 82.
“It was hot, humid and sticky,” Lesnar said. “Putting was a little struggle for me today, but I hit the ball pretty well. I could have scored better, but that’s golf.”
When asked if he was happy with his performance, Lesnar replied, “Honestly, no, not at all. I know I could be way better than what I did today, and I don’t think that’s going to cut it for how I want to play.”
Lesnar said having a confident attitude is a key.
“It’s exactly what you need to have, especially in golf,” Lesnar said. “You need to think you’re the best out there and if you’re not, then it won’t go your way.”
Lesnar’s younger brother, Gunnar, competed in the Boys 12-13 Division. Gunnar finished third with an 83.
Seth enjoyed the experience of golfing in the same tourney as his brother.
“It’s awesome,” Lesnar said. “We get to practice together. … It’s just amazing. We rub off on each other, and it makes us better.”
Delaney Johnson of Warner finished third in the Girls 16-18 Division with a score of 94, five shots behind the winner Ava Crooks.
Johnson noted the challenges that the day brought.
“It was rough,” Johnson said. “We were definitely offset by the time, and then it was so hot and humid the whole day.”
Those conditions took a toll on her game.
“It definitely got tiring,” Johnson said. “Especially after going in the back nine. It was just so hot.”
Despite the difficulties, Johnson did point out some positives.
“There were some good sand shots,” Johnson said. “And there were some good driver shots here and there.”
When asked her opinion of the day, Johnson joked, “It was OK. I didn’t play that terrible.”
Aberdeen golfer Carli Withers finished fourth in the Girls 14-15 Division with a score of 114.
“The biggest challenge today was definitely the heat and humidity,” Withers said. “It made it harder to stay comfortable and focused throughout the round, so staying hydrated and mentally locked in was really important.”
Withers also echoed what some of the other golfers said about the time delay.
“Waiting an extra hour and a half made it tougher to stay locked in,” Withers said. “But I just tried to stay patient and keep my focus once we were able to tee off.”
Withers was a part of the Class AA State Championship team with Aberdeen Central this past spring. She talked about how that has benefited her game.
“It was an awesome experience,” Withers said. “Everyone on the team played a part in making it happen, and it was really rewarding to see all of our hard work pay off. Winning a team championship has definitely given me more confidence, and it’s motivated me to keep improving and competing at a high level.”
The tournament moves to Lee Park Golf Course today.
To see complete tournament results, click on the following link:
