Platte County’s balanced lineup continues to portend undeniable opportunity for success now and into the future. In Monday’s home tournament, the Pirates fielded two full teams with 12 total players and encouraging mix of high-end results.
Platte County senior Braden Hendee hits a chip shot during the Pirate Scramble Invitational on Monday at Shiloh Springs Golf Course.
In the end, Platte County finished tied for third and seventh out of 15 teams in the Pirate Scramble Invitational at Shiloh Springs Golf Course. The unique format pairs up players with the top two rounds out of three making up the team score. Over the 18 holes, each player hits a shot, and the teams play from the preferred spot of the two outcomes.
“The teams did a really good job today,” Platte County coach Trevor Short said. “We got a chance to partner up for a scramble and had a fairly successful day. Overall, I thought we did pretty well and the team enjoyed the format of the tournament. It is good to get another player’s perspective and help during the round and it gives them real world experience for possible future outings.”
Platte County senior Braden Hendee and Brayden Renno posted a 3-under 68 and finished just one shot out of a tie for first. The Pirates finished at a team score of 140 with the sophomore duos of Jack Dillingham/Kaplan Curtis and Bryson Hevalow/Nick Cangelosi posting matching 72s.
Rockhurst took the team title with a 136 after sophomores Lucas Francois and Connor Roth tied with second-place Smithville’s team of seniors Kai Crisenberry and Spencer Clark for individual medalist honors at 4-under 67. Kearney tied with Platte County at 140.
Impressively, Platte County sophomores Huntley Harken and Jack Rolfes finished tied for 11th with a 71 for the second six. The Pirates’ twos posted a team 143 with juniors Braylon Gates and Asher Hitzelberger matching the 72s of Dillingham/Curtis and Hevalow and Curtis.
Platte County sophomore Jack Dillingham hits a putt during the Pirate Scramble Invitational on Monday at Shiloh Springs Golf Course.
Platte County entered this spring with Hendee and Renno as two-time Class 4 MSHSAA Golf Championships qualifiers, helping lead the Pirates to the first team state berth in more than two decades last season. Curtis also played at state, while Dillingham spent much of the season in the varsity lineup before a scheduling conflict kept him out of the postseason roster.
The biggest challenge right now appears to be figuring out the optimal lineup moving forward.
With Hendee and Renno locked into the top two spots so far, Platte County has also used Dillingham, Curtis, Hevalow, Cangelosi and Gates in the varsity lineup at times this season. The Pirates receive a preview of this year’s Class 4 District 4 host course in Monday’s Oak Park Invitational on the Posse Course at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex in Smithville with a chance for the lineup to state a case for inclusion.
Platte County 165, Staley 173
The lone senior on the roster, Hendee took home medalist honors in a home dual Thursday at Shiloh Spring Golf Course.
Platte County came away with an eight-shot victory with Renno and Hevalow adding 42s, while Dillingham and Cangelosi again showed the balance with 44s. That essentially allows all five of the Pirates’ players to contribute to the overall team score.
Playing at home for the final time this season, Platte County honored Hendee on a unique solo senior night. He’s spent nearly the entirety of his career in the No. 1 spot and rightfully owns high expectations for the remainder of 2026 with a chance to end the Pirates’ drought for all-state players.
