As head coach of the Brophy boys golf team, Jon Shores has been running the Brophy Grayhawk Invitational for 10 years.
Saturday, for the first time, Shores saw his team finally win their own tournament as the Broncos beat Hamilton with a fifth-score tiebreaker.
For the first time Shores would be able to present the first-place trophy to himself, but wouldn’t you know it, Shores forgot to bring the trophies. If he’s at all superstitious, he won’t bring the trophies ever again.
The Broncos and Huskies finished the 27-hole tournament, played on Grayhawk’s Raptor Course, with identical team scores of 455. Going to the fifth-score tiebreaker, Brophy won thanks to a second-round 86 by David Lowe. It topped a 96 by Hamilton’s Trevor Pickrell.
“Neither player played up to their standards,” Shores said. “It was an interesting way to win it.”
Desert Vista was third and Tucson Salpointe fourth.
The Broncos got off to a great start on Saturday making the turn at 8-under-par as a team. They finished the day at 9-over-par 297 as they struggled on the back nine. But Brophy wasn’t the only team to have troubles on the back nine.
“The back nine was a real grind,” Shores said. “A lot of teams struggled. It was very hot and a lot of the boys got tired.”
Brophy got solid scores on Saturday out of sophomore Tyler Kertson with a 72 and a pair of 74’s by senior Mason Smith and sophomore Ryan Theisen. The Broncos victory also showed the depth of their lineup. Two of the school's top players who were competing in a national tournament in California.
Horizon’s Blake Canon was medalist on Saturday with a two-day total of 3-under-par 105. He equaled his all-time best high school round with a 5-under-par 67 on Saturday.
“I hit every fairway today so that really helped,” Canon said. “I really could have played a lot better. I missed quite a few short putts.”
The sophomore, who won last year’s 5A-II championship, started his day with birdies on the first two holes. Both birdie putts were just two inches from the hole.
Mountain Pointe’s Michael Anderson was second with a 106 total after a round of 2-under-par 70 on Saturday. Hamilton’s Nate Wong was third.
You may want to hurry if you want to see Canon play golf in Arizona. His goal is to earn a Division I scholarship outside the state.
Canon, you see, has had it with the heat. He’ll be looking for a more friendly climate when it comes to making a choice for his continuing education.
Team scores
Phoenix Brophy 158-297-455; Hamilton 155-300-455; Desert Vista 163-295-458; Tucson Salpointe 158-308-466; Red Mountain 160-307-467; Mountain Pointe 155-314-469; Horizon 155-325-479; Mountain Ridge 174-353-527.
Individual scores
1. Blake Cannon, Horizon, 38-67-105; 2. Michael Anderson, MP, 36-70-106; 3. Nate Wong, Ham, 38-71-109; 4. (tie) Tyler Kertson, Brophy, 39-72-111; Matt Liringis, DV, 39-72-111; 6. Mason Smith, Brophy 38-74-112; 7. (tie) Peter Koo, Ham, 37-77-114; Colton West, RM, 40-74-114; 9. (tie) Ryan Theisen, Brophy, 41-74-115; Ken Iida, Ham, 39-76-115.
