Moorhead Rising, Records Falling as Spuds Combine for a 283 in 8AAA; Buckellew Shoots 65

SARTELL -- Moorhead left the field pretty much in tatters at GreyStone Golf Club on Tuesday in the Section 8AAA Boys Tournament.  They did more or less the same thing to the section record book, as they concluded a 28-stroke victory and earned another trip to the state tournament.

The Class AAA portion of the tournament will be played next week (June 12-13) at Bunker Hills GC in Coon Rapids.

Bryant Buckellew led the Spuds' assault on all the sectional standards for low scoring. He shot a 7-under-par 65 (a section record) and won the individual medal with a 36-hole tally of 138 (also a record). His teammate Ben Welle was second at 141, after closing with a 69.  Yet another Moorhead player, freshman Dane Sethre-Hofstad, came back from a first-round 76 with a 71, and the resulting 147 put him in a tie for third place with Nick Brundell of Alexandria. 

Buckellew's 65 equals the lowest score shot in any sectional tournament in Minnesota. Nick Forsberg, who was then a sophomore at Staples-Motley, set the record two years ago in the 6AA tournament.

Records beyond the sectional and conference levels are not meticulously maintained in high school golf. Consequently, there's usually some doubt about the lowest scores, but it seems likely that the 283 the Spuds put together on Tuesday is a state record for post-season competition. The old record was held by Forest Lake, which shot a 284 two years ago in 7AAA -- and ended up not winning the section championship. (Elk River won the 7AAA title that year, with a 286-290--576 -- even par.)

 Moorhead's winning 36-hole total was 581. Not quite a record, but fairly close (Staples-Motley produced the same score in 6AA this week), and good enough for an 18-stroke margin of victory over second-place Alexandria. 

BOYS HIGH SCHOOL GOLF

Section 8AAA Tournament

GreyStone Golf Club

Par 72

Sauk Centre

Final results

1. Moorhead                   298-283--581

2. Alexandria                  309-300--609

3. Brainerd                      310-302--612

4. Buffalo                         308-309--617

5. Bemidji                        312-312--624

6. St. Cloud Tech           316-327--643

Individuals (the top five players not on the winning team advance to the state tournament) 

1. Bryant Buckellew , Moorhead            73-65--138

2. Ben Welle, Moorhead                          72-69--141

T3. Nick Brundell, Alexandria                 74-73--147

T3. Dane Sethere-Hofstad, Moorhead  76-71--147

5. Michale Foley, Brainerd                       75-73--148

6. Trey Dale, Brainerd                               79-72--151

7. Hunter Bruhn, Buffalo                           74-78--152

8. Tommy Olson, Brainerd                       77-76--153