Experience ultimately showed for Platte County’s top players in gusty conditions. The Pirates ended up a middling seventh out of 13 teams in Thursday’s Darren Floyd Memorial Tournament at Tiffany Greens Golf Course in Kansas City with senior Braden Hendee and junior Brayden Renno — a pair of two-time state qualifiers — the top individuals
Platte County sophomore Bryson Hevalow hits a chip shot during the Darren Floyd Invitational on Thursday at Tiffany Greens Golf Course in Kansas City.
Early in the round, Platte County sophomore Bryson Hevalow looked poised to lead the way before fading late in what turned out a battle to survive the ups and downs.
Hendee ended up tied for 12th with a 9-over 81, surviving a pair of shots into the water down the stretch. He played the final five holes at 1-over, including one of his two birdies.
Renno shot an 84 and tied for 25th. He carded 11 birdies but also put up a triple bogey and one hole at 4-over to ultimately hurt his placement.
Hevalow started at No. 13, and after a pair of bogeys, the first-year member of the lineup made a birdie and three straight pars to make the turn at 1-over. He made only two more pars the rest of the way but still factored into the team score to continue an encouraging start to the season for the youthful players around Hendee and Renno.
Platte County sophomores Nick Cangelosi and Jack Dillingham added matching 87s in the third tournament so far this spring. The Pirates were just four strokes out of a tie for fourth with Lee’s Summit taking the team title at 318.
Only two Class 4 schools were in the field with Platte County well ahead of Smithville (12th, 367). The Pirates’ 337 was their highest total so far this season, which started with a victory at the Winnetonka Invitational with a 306.
Platte County junior Brayden Renno hits a putt during the Darren Floyd Invitational on Thursday at Tiffany Greens Golf Course in Kansas City.
Liberty North Invitational
In a deep 19-team field, Platte County came in with a solid eighth-place showing Monday at Winterstone Golf Course in Independence.
Helias won the team title with a 300, while Platte County’s 321 ended up just 1 shots back of third-place Liberty North. Hendee finished in a four-way tie for 13th with a 5-over 77. He made a birdie on the par 5 16th after playing his first seven holes at 3-over and that started a strong stretch of play with a double bogey at No. 1 the biggest blemish in the remainder of his round.
Dillingham (tied 24th, 79), Hevalow (tied 41st, 82) and Renno (tied 46th, 83) rounded out Platte County’s score while Cangelosi posted an 84 in another bunched finish. The Pirates have four players on the roster with significant prior varsity experience, including sophomore Kaplan Curtis — the third returning state qualifier from last year’s fifth-place team in the Class 4 MSHSAA Golf Championships.
Early in the round, Dillingham moved to 1-over with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 12 and Hevalow made eight pars plus a birdie at No. 16. Renno carded a pair of birdies but carded only five pars total.
