The wait lasted 24 years and 18 holes.
Platte County junior Brayden Renno lines up a putt during Tuesday’s round of the Class 4 MSHSAA Golf Championships at Columbia Country Club in Columbia.
Platte County senior Braden Hendee became the program’s first all-state performer since 2002 but only needed to play one round in this year’s Class 4 MSHSAA Golf Championships. He shot a steady 3-over 74 on Tuesday afternoon at Columbia Country Club in Columbia and finished in a five-way tie for sixth place in the final standings, comfortably in the group of the top 15 players plus ties to earn medals.
Rain canceled Monday’s round and delayed the start of Tuesday’s play.
Class 4’s final team standings ended up crowded, and Platte County nearly ended another drought but ultimately just missed the second team state trophy in program history. The Pirates finished tied for fifth with Ladue Horton Watkins at a matching total of 318 — just one shot back of Rolla. Carl Junction (319) and Rockwood Summit (321) were right behind.
“We are so very proud of the team,” said Platte County coach Trevor Short, who previously announced his plans to retire after this season. “We battled the delays and the weather with great adversity. We stayed focused on the goal and made every effort to accomplish it. Although we fell short by a stroke, again, we did place very well in the tournament.”
Platte County junior Jack Dillingham hits a putt during Tuesday’s round of the Class 4 MSHSAA Golf Championships at Columbia Country Club in Columbia.
Last season, Platte County ended a stretch of 24 years without sending a full team for state. The Pirates have now done so in consecutive seasons, but both instances required qualifying all five individuals out of Class 4 District 4 after finishing third and just short of the two automatic berths.
Platte County also finished fifth in last year’s two-round state tournament but 21 shots back of a team trophy.
In addition to Hendee, Platte County junior Brayden Renno and sophomore Jack Dillingham finished tied for 45th with rounds of 10-over 81, while sophomore Bryson Hevalow also contributed to the team score with an 11-over 82 — tied for 54th. The Pirates were in position to stay in the top four much of the round until a few late struggles in the round allowed Rolla to move in front and claim the fourth spot.
Platte County ended up with the deepest roster in program history. Hendee and Renno each played at state for a third consecutive year, while Hevalow, Dillingham and Nick Cangelosi — a trio of talented sophomores — eventually earned the final three spots in the lineup. Cangelosi shot an 84 in his state debut.
The lone senior, Hendee became the focal point of Tuesday’s round, and he now joins Barrett Martens (2000, 2001, 2002) and Jeremy Glasbrenner (1999) as Platte County’s only all-state players.
Hendee importantly started fast in the water-logged course, carding his only birdie at No. 15 — hie opening hole. He made 13 pars and ended up with four bogeys, two coming late in the round with a top-five spot still on the line before ending up in the tie for sixth.
The No. 1 player the majority of the past three seasons, Hendee tied for 26th at state last season when he fell out of all-state position after a solid opening round. He came in 65th as a sophomore.
Renno’s volatile junior season came to a fitting conclusion. He made three birdies Tuesday but just seven pars in a second straight solid state tournament that left him just out of the all-state chase. He tied for 41st as a sophomore and was 89th two years ago.
Dillingham’s state debut also included a birdie in what became a longer-than-expected opportunity. He seemingly won the fifth spot in the lineup last season but ended up with a conflicting national robotics event on the day of the Class 4 District 4 tournament.
Platte County’s accomplishment provided a positive and deserved farewell for Short in his final season. He previously announced his retirement and turns over the program to veteran assistant Kevin Janssen, who inherits a roster that could include five returning state qualifiers in an interesting quirk.
Last season, Platte County inserted Kaplan Curtis in Dillingham’s spot for Class 4 District 4 play, and he qualified for state and tied with Renno for 41st. Curtis — another sophomore — saw limited varsity action this season but could contribute next year with the program next looking to finish in the top four at state for the first time since 2001 when Martens won an individual state title in Class 3A as a junior while leading the Pirates to a fourth-place team finish.
