MAYVILLE - Gary Petit knew he'd have to get smart to make state.
Although Monroe's senior ace shot two strokes over the cut at Wednesday's WIAA Division 2 sectional at Mayville Golf Club, he put himself in fine position before playing the waiting game.
After shooting a 5-over-par 41 on the front nine and only hitting seven of nine greens in regulation, Petit focused on hitting his fairways to card 37 shots on the back nine and put together a 6-over 78.
"On the back nine, I just told myself to hit irons into the fairway," Petit said. "I did that a couple of times and once I got my rhythm of my swing, I hit my cut driver. I thought I'd play smarter."
After suffering a potentially-deflating double-bogey on the par-3 No. 16, Petit did all he could to keep his count near the cut. He shot a par 3 on No. 17 before scrambling for par on his last hole as a Cheesemaker.
Finally in a groove in the tee box, Petit launched a drive nearly 300 yards right down the straight and narrow on No. 18 before pushing an iron well to the right rough, a mental mistake for which he'd make amends.
"He tried pulling the shot and decelerated his backswing, and you're always going to push it when that happens; Gary knows that," said Monroe coach Jeriamy Jackson, who walked with Petit down the stretch.
Quickly back on his mental horse and heeding his coach's urging of "Trust your swing!", Petit lofted a gorgeous shot to get up and within 15 feet, just below the hole.
"I came back with a 60-degree over the trees, trusted my swing and gave myself a shot at birdie," Petit said.
"He could either go under or over and the only way he was getting a birdie was to go over," Jackson said.
Petit failed to make good on his bird, as he struck his slightly-uphill putt a bit too strongly and it curled around the left side of the cup. It was just one of 18 tough pin placements that had players and coaches alike mumbling to themselves all day.
"The pin placements were tough, a couple of paces off to the left and right side of the back of the greens," Petit said.
"They have to be tough in a sectional meet to challenge the kids," Jackson said.
Monroe's group, which placed sixth with 352 strokes, was in the early groups, thus hitting the clubhouse before most others and forcing Petit to pace. That is, after he cleared up a disagreement over his first round that was originally posted as a 42.
"Every shot counts," Petit said.
With Edgerton missing the team cut by two combined strokes, Crimson Tide senior Mike Hesselman (75) and sophomore Dan Ozga (76) strolled in late and bumped Petit from the top three individuals not on qualifying teams.
"Obviously, he's really disappointed that his senior year is over and he isn't going to state," Jackson said. "But Gary has absolutely nothing to hang his head about."
Edgerton's made a practice of spoiling the Cheese after Tuesday's 2-1 victory over Monroe in the WIAA Division 2 baseball regionals. Viroqua senior Jay Halverson joined the individual state-goers with 75 strokes.
Monroe's Badger South rivals Madison Edgewood (1st, 325) and McFarland (2nd, 333) qualified as teams. Spartans' senior Logan Kranz shot a 71 to lead all golfers.
Monroe's only other golfer to even sniff the 80's was junior Brandon Wilson, who finished with a birdie on 18 after crushing his drive to settle for an 88. Juniors Mitch McArdle and Aaron Krattiger shot 93s, while senior Alex Holmes had a 95.
Although Monroe's senior ace shot two strokes over the cut at Wednesday's WIAA Division 2 sectional at Mayville Golf Club, he put himself in fine position before playing the waiting game.
After shooting a 5-over-par 41 on the front nine and only hitting seven of nine greens in regulation, Petit focused on hitting his fairways to card 37 shots on the back nine and put together a 6-over 78.
"On the back nine, I just told myself to hit irons into the fairway," Petit said. "I did that a couple of times and once I got my rhythm of my swing, I hit my cut driver. I thought I'd play smarter."
After suffering a potentially-deflating double-bogey on the par-3 No. 16, Petit did all he could to keep his count near the cut. He shot a par 3 on No. 17 before scrambling for par on his last hole as a Cheesemaker.
Finally in a groove in the tee box, Petit launched a drive nearly 300 yards right down the straight and narrow on No. 18 before pushing an iron well to the right rough, a mental mistake for which he'd make amends.
"He tried pulling the shot and decelerated his backswing, and you're always going to push it when that happens; Gary knows that," said Monroe coach Jeriamy Jackson, who walked with Petit down the stretch.
Quickly back on his mental horse and heeding his coach's urging of "Trust your swing!", Petit lofted a gorgeous shot to get up and within 15 feet, just below the hole.
"I came back with a 60-degree over the trees, trusted my swing and gave myself a shot at birdie," Petit said.
"He could either go under or over and the only way he was getting a birdie was to go over," Jackson said.
Petit failed to make good on his bird, as he struck his slightly-uphill putt a bit too strongly and it curled around the left side of the cup. It was just one of 18 tough pin placements that had players and coaches alike mumbling to themselves all day.
"The pin placements were tough, a couple of paces off to the left and right side of the back of the greens," Petit said.
"They have to be tough in a sectional meet to challenge the kids," Jackson said.
Monroe's group, which placed sixth with 352 strokes, was in the early groups, thus hitting the clubhouse before most others and forcing Petit to pace. That is, after he cleared up a disagreement over his first round that was originally posted as a 42.
"Every shot counts," Petit said.
With Edgerton missing the team cut by two combined strokes, Crimson Tide senior Mike Hesselman (75) and sophomore Dan Ozga (76) strolled in late and bumped Petit from the top three individuals not on qualifying teams.
"Obviously, he's really disappointed that his senior year is over and he isn't going to state," Jackson said. "But Gary has absolutely nothing to hang his head about."
Edgerton's made a practice of spoiling the Cheese after Tuesday's 2-1 victory over Monroe in the WIAA Division 2 baseball regionals. Viroqua senior Jay Halverson joined the individual state-goers with 75 strokes.
Monroe's Badger South rivals Madison Edgewood (1st, 325) and McFarland (2nd, 333) qualified as teams. Spartans' senior Logan Kranz shot a 71 to lead all golfers.
Monroe's only other golfer to even sniff the 80's was junior Brandon Wilson, who finished with a birdie on 18 after crushing his drive to settle for an 88. Juniors Mitch McArdle and Aaron Krattiger shot 93s, while senior Alex Holmes had a 95.
