BROOKINGS – Colman-Egan’s Kade Groos defeated James Valley Christian’s Carter Wells on the fourth playoff hole to successfully defend his title at the Region 2B Boys’ Golf Tournament on a gorgeous Tuesday at Edgebrook.

The golfers finished regulation tied at 7-over-par 77.

“It was a struggle,” Groos said of his round. “I couldn’t make 3- to 4-foot putts. Other than that, I just battled going from tee to green.”

The senior parred all four holes – Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 6 – in the playoff. He got up and down at the sixth, making a short putt for the win after Wells’ pitch for par hung on the lip of the cup.

Groos, competing in the final group, opened with a 38 on the back nine and closed with a 39 on the front. Wells, who was one group ahead, shot 37-40.

Chester Area won the team title with a 245 total and Colman-Egan  was second at 253, as both teams automatically qualified for state. Howard and JVC tied for third with 261s.

“It feels pretty awesome; it’s a great feeling your senior year. Hopefully we can go out with a bang,” added Groos. “I just hope to golf well and put our team in the top eight, get a plaque.”

The Flyers’ Cole Pry placed third with a 79 (38-41).

Senior Bodee Groos provided the Hawks with their second score, shooting 81 (42-39) to take fourth. Senior Chandler Gullickson carded a 95 to round out the team tally. Sophomore Nate Tolley added a 102.

“Obviously Kade winning again was great – I think it was the same score that he had last year – so that was good to see that he was able to do it again; for him to do it in a playoff, especially with a crowd of 40 people following him was pretty impressive,” said CE coach Billy Stitz. “Bodee played great golf. In reality, I don’t think we would have made state without Bodee shooting 81 today. And then Chandler, our third golfer that scored for us today with a 95 was a few strokes off of making state himself, but now he and Nate get to go as a team, and I think they did pretty well today.”

Groos did, in fact, shoot 77 a year ago in miserable, rainy conditions at Edgebrook and also won the region title in a playoff, defeating teammate Mason Hemmer on the first hole.

Arlington senior Scott Sampson rounded out the top five this year, firing an 82.

Completing Chester’s team score were Chase McDonald (82) and Cole Thielbar (84) as they placed sixth and eighth, respectively.

The top 18 boys qualified for state.

Other area qualifiers were Deubrook Area sophomore Luke Urevig (ninth, 86), senior Nick Olson (14th, 89), senior Jack Bandemer (15th, 90) and freshman Nash Colberg (17th, 90) and Cardinal sophomore Trey Ramstad (16th, 90). With four individual qualifiers, the Dolphins will be eligible to win the state championship. Howard will also be eligible after qualifying three golfers.

Colman-Egan placed third at the state tournament in 2017. Kade Groos took fourth on the individual leaderboard, while Bodee Groos was 38th and Gullickson 67th. The Hawks lost Hemmer, who finished 17th, to graduation.

Kade Groos will be making his fifth appearance in the state tourney – he tied for 20th as a sophomore, placed 19th as a freshman and tied for 31st as an eighth-grader. The Hawks were eighth in 2016 and ninth in 2015 in the team standings.

Bodee Groos (tie-90th in 2016 and tie-59th in 2015) and Gullickson (tie-99th in 2016 and tie-110th in 2015) are set to play at state for the fourth time.

Sampson is also heading to state for a fifth time. He tied for 39th as a junior, tied for 67th as a sophomore, tied for 59th as a freshman and tied for 86th as an eighth-grader.

Ramstad tied for 79th last season and ended up 88th in 2016. 

Olson (tie-45th in 2017 and tie-67th in 2016) and Bandemer (tie-42nd in 2017 and 116th in 2014) are moving on for the third time, while Colberg (68th in 2017) will make his second appearance. Urevig is set to make his state tourney debut.

The Class B State Boys’ Golf Tournament is Monday, June 4-Tuesday, June 5 at Cattail Crossing in Watertown.

Team scores

State qualifiers – Chester Area 245, Colman-Egan 253. Others – *Howard 261, James Valley Christian 261, Arlington 263, *Deubrook Area 265, De Smet 284, Flandreau 309, Dell Rapids St. Mary 362, Lake Preston 379. Incomplete – Elkton-Lake Benton, Wessington Springs.

Individual top 18 (state qualifiers)

1, (won four-hole playoff) Kade Groos, CE, 77; 2, Carter Wells, JVC, 77; 3, Cole Pry, CA, 79; 4, Bodee Groos, CE, 81; 5, Scott Sampson, A, 82; 6, Chase McDonald, CA, 82; 7, Cody Cavanaugh, DS, 83; 8, Cole Thielbar, CA, 84; 9, Luke Urevig, DA, 86; 10, Lane Hodges, H, 86; 11, Jacob Messmer, WS, 86; 12, Kalub Carmichael, H, 87; 13, Noah Hodges, H, 88; 14, Nick Olson, DA, 89; 15, Jack Bandemer, DA, 90; 16, Trey Ramstad, A, 90; 17, Nash Colberg, DA, 90; 18, Ryan Stahl, JVC, 90.

Others

Will Parry, A, 91; Devon Burggraff, F, 93; Ethan Cross, H, 93; Nick Kersting, A, 94; Richard Rink, JVC, 94; Chandler Gullickson, CE, 95; Caleb Wiskur, ELB, 95; Sage Ottoson, CA, 98; Rett Osthus, DS, 98; Jevin Goertz, JVC, 99; David Allen, F, 101; Nate Tolley, CE, 102; Dom Hansen, DS, 103; Cade Birkel, DS, 110; Tyler Fastnacht, WS, 110; Jacob Saude, DRSM, 114; Noah Olund, DRSM, 114; Austin Strande, LP, 115; Tanner Christensen, LP, 115; Colby Olson, LP, 128; Jason Cook, DRSM, 134; Nick Curd, LP, 136; Brandon Cook, DRSM, 138; Bradley Heinemann, F, 138; Allen Strande, LP, 146.

Register photos: 

Above: Colman-Egan senior Kade Groos rolls a putt on the 18th hole during his round of 77 in the Region 2B Boys’ Golf Tournament on Tuesday at Edgebrook. He won a four-hole playoff to repeat as medalist.

Below: The Hawks’ Bodee Groos chips onto the 18th green. He placed fourth at 81 and Colman-Egan ended up second in the team standings.

Below: Deubrook Area’s Luke Urevig putts on No. 18. He carded an 86 to lead the team and place ninth as the Dolphins qualified four golfers for state.