Golfers tee off season
Sonja Karp
NLJ Sports Editor
The Newcastle High School Golf team got their spring season under way as four Dogies headed to Sundance to participate in the Sundance Spring Invitational. Though coaches Brad Troftgruben, Wyatt Voelker and Brad LaCroix were low on numbers for this meet, and the conditions in which they played left much to be desired, they were pleased with how each young man performed on the day.
“The weather was definitely not good, but the kids really grinded it out, given the circumstances,” Troftgruben said. “It was cold and it was wet, and the course itself wasn’t in great condition after not wintering well.”
Troftgruben noted that he was missing his top three golfers, who were gone for other extracurricular activities, and the lone Lady Dogie was kept off the links due to illness. As such, with only three varsity golfers the Dogies didn’t have enough athletes to earn a team score.
“It was great to get these guys their first competition of the season, and for two of them, it was their very first competitive golf experience,” he explained. “There were definitely some nerves at work, but I thought they did really well despite that.”
Tyler Stith was the Dogies’ top finisher, coming in 21st with a score of 116. Troftgruben confirmed that Stith’s score was pretty close to what he was shooting at the end of the fall season, which, given the weather and course conditions, was a good start to his spring season.
“Ty had a good day. He had one little stretch where he had some hiccups, but he came back from that,” Troftgruben said. “He putted well and ended well for the day, so he was happy with how he played, and he figured out some things with his drivers and made some changes, so that really helped him out. I am really happy with how he played.”
Freshman Troy Christensen debuted his varsity career as the Dogies’ second golfer, coming in 25th with a score of 123.
“I was impressed with Troy for sure, especially for being just a freshman and brand new to competitive golf,” Troftgruben said. “He played better than I would have expected for his first time out. He stayed really consistent throughout the day, stayed focused and had fun with it all day.”
Golf is definitely a mental sport where a bad mind-set, or dwelling on mistakes, can have a detrimental impact on a player’s final score, so Troftgruben was pleased to see Christensen handle that aspect of the game well.
Ethan Parsons finished 31st with 138, while Gustavo Munoz played a scramble with three others, therefore didn’t mark an individual score.
“I was a little worried that there would be a lot of frowns and frustration given all the circumstances, but I didn’t really see any of that,” Troftgruben said. “They had a smile on their faces all day and I think they were just happy to be able to get out there and play.”
This week, the Dogies were scheduled to play at Devil’s Tower on the 28th, however, it was canceled due to rain. As such, the varsity golfers will head to Torrington on Friday for a 3A meet there.
Newcastle @ Sundance Spring Invite 4/25/25
Men’s Team Results:
1. Wright 379
2. Sundance 384
3. Guernsey-Sunrise 428
4. Lusk 447
NTS. Newcastle
NTS. Hulett
Men’s Individual Results:
21. Tyler Stith 116
25. Troy Christensen 123
31. Ethan Parsons 138
NS. Gustav Munoz