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CANTERBURY – Dover High School golf coach Matt Fennessy was pleased with his team’s progression during the season, but even he couldn’t believe the way it finished at Tuesday’s Division I team championship.
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The Green Wave may have entered as the No. 5 seed, but they left a gusty-and-frigid Canterbury Woods Country Club as the Division I runner-up.
Dover senior Carys Fennessy medaled for the third time in her career in the championship by shooting a 1-under-par 71 in the Green Wave’s second-place total of 414.
Bedford convincingly won the championship by 19 strokes with a team score of 395.
“They played very well; I’m so proud of them,” coach Fennessy said. “We played well this year and certainly got better, but even this is beyond my expectations.”
Carys Fennessy led a group of Green Wave scorers that also included Ben Zbikowski (10-over par 82), Tyler Buchanan (13-over 85), Michael Goreman (14-over 86) and Des Fennessy (18-over 90).
“It was really surprising to be honest,” Carys Fennessy said. “I think the conditions helped. We’ve been playing and practicing the last few days in this cold weather. I really do feel the weather was in our favor. We just grinded through the round.”
Fennessy shines in high school team finale
After a summer that included a 15-stroke win in the New Hampshire Women’s Amateur Championship and her debut at an LPGA event – the FM Global Championship at TPC Boston in August – Carys Fennessy wanted to savor her final high school season before she heads off to play for the College of Charleston next fall.
She certainly lived up to the part of being the ultimate leader in ending her high school team career on a high note.
“The wind kind of messed me up; there were a couple downhill par 3’s I struggled with,” Fennessy said. “I putted pretty well and did what I needed to on the par 5’s. It was a solid round.”
Matt Fennessy knows that with his daughter putting up the scores she does that the team always has a chance to put up a good score as long as they play solid around her, which is what happened on Tuesday.
“She played phenomenal today,” Matt Fennessy said. “This is already a tough course, but then you throw in the wind and the conditions and she battled through it. It was nice to send her off her senior year in second place because it’s the highest she’s ever got.”
As the lone senior, Carys Fennessy excelled in steering a group that included four sophomores and two freshmen.
“She’s selfless and gives so much of her time to work with the younger kids and give them support,” Matt Fennessy said.
Next up for Carys Fennessy is the opportunity to win her fourth straight girls individual championship on Saturday at Beaver Meadow Golf Club in Concord.
She enters with a four-stroke cushion over Bishop Brady’s Maddie Savery, after shooting a 3-under par 68 two weeks ago in a qualifier at Campbell’s Scottish Highlands in Salem.
“I think I’ll be fine,” Carys Fennessy said. “Honestly, a no-shot lead is fine with me, so I think 4 is plenty.”
Dover’s Zbikowski comes on strong
Matt Fennessy has always seen the potential in Zbikowski’s game, and it came to fruition when the Green Wave needed it most. The junior’s score of 82 was integral in Dover holding off Londonderry (415) by one stroke and Windham (416) for second place.
“I’m so happy for Ben, he really improved this year,” Matt Fennessy said. “He’s always had the capability to shoot good scores and he came up big for us today. I can’t wait to see what kind of player he is next year.”
Zbikowski said he sees the game much better this year from a lot of hard work. His day ended with a bit of disappointment, as he lost a three-way playoff hole for the 16th-and-last spot in Saturday’s boys individual tournament.
“I had a birdie toward the end of my round that kind of kept me in it, but I think the biggest thing out here is keeping it in play and I did that pretty well,” Zbikowski said. “I think everything has really improved a lot. I play so much golf and it’s just getting there.”
Johnston back in contention for Exeter
Exeter senior Jascha Johnston had one goal entering Tuesday and that was to be in a good position to book-end his high school career with a boys individual championship, and that mission was accomplished.
After winning the individual title as a freshmen and placing second the past two years, Johnston heads into Saturday’s individual tournament at Beaver Meadow Golf Course in Concord three strokes behind leader Taylor Miller (3-over 75) of Keene.
Londonderry’s Cole Metivier and Pinkerton’s Brady Cuneo are tied for second (4-over 76).
“(Johnston) was on a mission to be in contention again Saturday and he did it,” Exeter coach Ira Martin said. “It was some really tough conditions, but he’s so experienced and has been in these tough situations. He found a way.”
Johnston was in 21st place after shooting a 6-over-par 42 on the front nine, but had two birdies in an even-par back nine to finish with a six-over 78. He’s tied for fourth place with Windham’s Thomas Manning, Bedford’s Jackson Joidan and Salem’s Lincoln Frietas.
“He’s given himself an opportunity and I know I wouldn’t count him out,” Martin said. “He’s mentally ready and physically ready to compete at this level. His chance is as good as he wanted it to be.”
Exeter placed seventh on the day with a score of 435. The Blue Hawks other scorers were Brady Smith (11-over-par 83), Braeden Gwinn (18-over-par 90), West Valliant (19-over-par 91) and Jack Rackcliffe (21-over par 93).
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Division I golf tourney Dover is second in state; Fennessy medalist
