Steamboat Pilot & Today

It was an upside down sort of day at Yampa Valley Golf Course in Craig on Thursday.

With winds blowing upward of 40 mph, just about every golfer and team struggled to score low.

But the real story for the Steamboat Springs High School Sailors was who was actually able to shoot low.

Steamboat’s junior varsity team of Sam Samlowski (80), Sam Scheer (82), Tyler Brown (83), Jack Lupori (87) and Matt Sobeck (89) shot a team score of 245 and finished second place overall and just one stroke back of winner Fruita. That’s in contrast to Steamboat’s varsity team, which finished sixth overall with a 257.

Alan Capistron shot an 87, Patrick Weston shot an 89, Skyler Martin shot 90, Isiah Forsyth shot 91 and Erik Sobeck shot 92.

“We were in 30 to 40 mph winds all day long,” Steamboat head coach Steve Dodson said. “It wasn’t really a day where I wanted to look at scores. I wanted to see how the kids handled adverse conditions. I got a little of idea of where they are mentally.”

The round further clouded which four golfers will make the regional tournament in two weeks in Montrose.

Dodson and assistant coach Tom Taylor said the team would use next week to re-evaluate players and work on their short games and mental approaches to golf.

“That’s the job at hand,” Taylor said. “The last couple of spots are so close. We hoped it would separate itself, but it hasn’t. We’ll see how it settles out after next week.”

The mental approach was key Thursday, when only four golfers in the field broke 80.

Samlowski, Steamboat’s low

man on the day, said with conditions like Thursday’s, he kept his approach simple. The wind made it tough to hit greens in regulation, which put even more of a premium on the short game.

“I kept the ball low and just played my own game,” said Samlowski, who highlighted his round with just 30 putts. “I try not to play out of my ability.”

Steamboat next plays Tuesday at Aspen. The team then has one more week of practice before the regional tournament Sept. 21 in Montrose.

Results

Steamboat Springs High School golf results from Thursday at Yampa Valley Golf Course in Craig.

■ Steamboat varsity — 257, sixth place

Alan Capistron 87

Patrick Weston 89

Skyler Martin 90

Isiah Forsyth 91

Erik Sobeck 92

■ Steamboat junior varsity — 245, second place

Sam Samlowski 80

Sam Scheer 82

Tyler Brown 83

Jack Lupori 87

Matt Sobeck 89