West High Golfers Show Early Promise at Challenging Finkbine

By Tyler Devine

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Finkbine Golf Course provided a tough challenge for the Boys golf teams of City High, West High and Cedar Falls.

Cedar Falls ended the evening on top with a 160 followed by West High with 168 and City High with 188.

West High senior Kyle Jenkins

However, if Thursday’s season opener was any indication, the West High golf team is going to enjoy some success this fall.

West High’s top two golfers struggled a bit with their short game, which is to be expected this early in the season, but both were still sitting pretty at the end of their respective rounds.

Senior Kyle Jenkins led the way for West shooting a one-under 37 on the day and was a medalist for the Trojans.

Jenkins’ long game helped him recover from a couple of bad shots in his short game, but he also used a little bit of luck to his advantage.

City High sophomore Mason Shawver

“My driver is mainly what saved me,” Jenkins said. “It was going straight most of the time. I had one bad hole and then I was trying to recover from that. I got lucky on my last putt (on the 18th hole) and birdied for a 37.”

West sophomore Kyle Spence, who finished with a four-over 40, also struggled a bit from short range, but he will take what he can get on a tough course like Finkbine.

“I struck the ball pretty well,” Spence said. “I missed a few short putts which was frustrating because I like to take advantage of good ball-striking days. Overall, 40 isn’t too bad around here so I’ll take it.”

For the Little Hawks’ top two golfers, the fast greens and a couple of bad shots on the first two holes did not help matters.

For City sophomore Mason Shawver, who shot a nine-over 45, unfamiliarity with the course also made the round a bit more challenging.

“I think I did pretty well,” Shawver said. “I haven’t played this course that much this year but it was good to be out here, it’s a nice course.

“I had a little trouble getting the ball up and down, the greens ended up being a little faster than I thought but I think I handled it pretty well.”

City senior Alex Kooker didn’t quite hit his goal of shooting a 45, but maintained that there were some positives aspects to his game to take with him the next time out.

“My first couple holes went really well,” Kooker said. “I got a good par and bogey after hitting a bad drive on number two. After that it kind of fell apart a little. My chipping game and putting weren’t the best. I was kind of aiming for bogey golf, shooting for a 45 and ended with a 49.

“Not the best round but definitely positives to take out of it. The main thing I think is just to work on the short game.”