Witherow Goes Back-to-Back; Lakeview Wins the Team Title in Boys' Class A

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BECKER -- Smoke-filled skies resulting from northern Minnesota wildfires shrouded Pebble Creek Golf Club in Becker for the 2023 Class A Boys’ State High School golf tournament, but there was no haze in Cole Witherow’s game as he methodically worked his way to the state championship. With three birdies on the front and steady play down the stretch, he took the trophy shooting a final round 69 to win by the same margin he started the day with.

An eagle on the par 5 second vaulted Hunter Schmidt into the conversation early in the proceedings. But Witherow poured in a birdie on the same hole, allowing him to maintain his two-stroke advantage at the start of the day. Schmidt then bogied hole Nos. 3 and 6 to drop back to even for the day and tournament. Witherow extended his lead to with a birdie at the fifth hole.

Witherow avoided a hiccup on Np. 8 when his second shot came up short of the green and his chip went long. But he made the slippery downhill 10 footer to keep his momentum into the turn. It was the kind of par saves that helps you win championships. He bounced back with a birdie at the ninth to extend his lead to three at the turn.

Jake Fishbaugher also had a birdie and eagle on the fourth and fifth holes that got him going early and kept him with in striking distance. Fishbaugher kept the pressure on throughout the back nine with birdies on the 11th and 18th holes against a bogey on the 17th but with Witherow's steady play down the stretch - pars on every hole on the back nine - made him tough to catch. Fishbaugher finished in solo second with a final round 68 - the best round of the tournament. 

With the win, Witherow has now won back-to-back Class A Boys' state titles.

Lakeview HS took a two stroke lead into the final round and extended that to seven shots to win the team title over Walker-Hackensack-Akeley.

THE 2023 MSHSL BOYS' CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP
PEBBLE CREEK GOLF CLUB
BECKER, MINN.

WEDNESDAY'S FINAL TEAM RESULTS
1. Lakeview                                     322-314--636 
2. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley        324-319--643 
3. Fertile-Beltrami.                          332-319--651 
4. Fillmore Central                          331-323--654 
5. Heritage Christian Academy       339-323--662 
6. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa            339-349--688 
7. Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton   342-349--691 
8. Ottertail Central                          355-342--697

WEDNESDAY'S FINAL INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Cole Witherow, New Life Academy of Woodbury - 69-70--139 
2. Jake Fishbaugher, Fillmore Central - 68-73--141 
T3. Carson Boe, Lakeview - 71-72--143
T3. Hunter Schmidt, Martin County West - 71-72--143 
5. Parker Brock, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley - 71-74--145 
6. Ryan Nelson, Park Christian - 75-75--150 
7. Brady Schwinghammer, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa - 79-72--151
8. Carson Besonen, Lac qui Parle Valley - 75-77--152 
9. Tony Carlin, Fosston - 79-74--153
T10. Carson Erickson, Sleepy Eye United - 75-80--155 
T10. Lane Arends, Lakeview - 76-79--155 
T10. Ryan Schrupp, Renville County West - 76-79--155 
T10. Ryan Engel, Ada-Borup-West 76-79--155 
T10. Ethan Finseth, Fertile-Beltrami - 74-81--155

For full results, visit: https://www.mshsl.org/2023-state-golf-results