PELLA — Newton junior Ethan Walker started the final 18-hole round of the conference tournament in fourth place but after an impressive runner-up finish at Bos Landen Golf Course on Tuesday, Walker rallied to finish second in the regular season standings.
Walker was joined by teammate Lincoln Ergenbright in the top eight overall as the Cardinals finished fifth in the six-team conference field.
Newton finished its three-round total with a 1,123 after firing a final round 382 on Tuesday.
“Today was a tougher course than Saturday, which led to higher scores,” Newton boys golf coach Pat Riley said. “I’m not disappointed in today’s outcome. We were still in the hunt for the top three as all of the schools struggled.”
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The Little Hawkeye Conference went away from conference duals this spring and moved to three 18-hole regular season conference meets.
The three-round total declares the regular-season conference team champion and individual finishers.
Pella was in third place after the opening round but rallied to win the conference title. The Dutch finished with a three-round score of 1,040 and won the most recent 18-hole tournament with a 344 on its home course.
Oskaloosa was the first-round leader but finished second after taking third in the final round. The Indians shot a 374 at Bos Landen and had a three-round total of 1,066.
Grinnell (1,071) finished third, Dallas Center-Grimes (1,083) was fourth and Pella Christian (1,187) took sixth.
Will Simpson of Pella was the medalist in the final round with a 75 and won the overall individual championship with a three-round score of 221.
Newton’s Walker turned in a 78 to complete his three-round score of 243. He edged Grinnell’s Cole McGriff for second by one stroke. McGriff also shot a 78 for his final round but the difference came in the second round where Walker edged McGriff by one shot.
Walker’s final round 78 at the par 72 course included three birdies and eight pars.
Lincoln Ergenbright tied for seventh overall in the final standings. He was 11th at Bos Landen with a 93 and his three-round score was a 266.
“It was pretty cool to have two kids in the top seven overall,” Riley said.
Brody Cazett (310), Kinnick Pritchard (311) and Braydon Chance (335) all played three 18-hole rounds for Newton, while Derek Lanser played the opening round and the final round.
Cazett shot a final-round 105, while Lanser had a 106, Pritchard carded a 107 and Chance fired a 114.
“We are getting better, and that’s all I care about,” Riley said. “I believe we will be ready when it counts.”
Oskaloosa’s Carter Parks started the final round in second but shot a 97 on Tuesday to finish fifth. Ayden Gordon was tied with McGriff in fifth to start the day but shot an 83 to move into fourth.
Grinnell’s Nathaniel Zug began the day in ninth but carded back-to-back-to-back 88s to place sixth.