Fond du Lac places 4th @ WIAA Boys Golf State Meet

Go to link below for complete 2018 WIAA State Boys Division 1 Golf Meet – Individual results

http://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=player&tid=15731

Fond du Lac – Individual results

Elliott Nelson           Day 1   36 – 37- 73      Day 2   43 – 36 – 79   

Jack DuChateau      Day 1  34 – 42 – 76    Day 2   39 – 38 – 77

Jonah Duwell          Day 1  38 – 38 – 76    Day 2   41 – 41 – 82

Seb Hoban             Day 1   42 – 38 – 80     Day 2   41 – 44 – 85

Sam Elliott             Day 1   39 – 41 – 80     Day 2  38 – 38 – 76

Go to link below for complete 2018 WIAA State Boys Division 1 Golf Meet – Team results

http://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=team&tid=15731

1^st     Marquette University    598

2^nd    Arrowhead                   606

3^rd    Eau Claire Memorial     613

4^th  Fond du Lac       619

Congratulations to the team and coaches on a great season !!

MADISON – It was at the WIAA Division 1 Ashwaubenon Regional when Fond du Lac golf coach Jim Flasch brought up the term, “Fondy push.” According to Flasch, it started as his players were making the turn onto their second nine and was just there to reiterate and emphasize that his team finish the round strong. Don’t fade down the stretch of the round but rather keep the focus up and move the team up the leaderboard over the final holes. “They have all been able to do it from regionals until now here at state,” Flasch said. “It was great to see it down here, playing against the guys we were playing against.”

Fueled by that second-nine push, Fond du Lac overcame some teamwide early-round struggles and held off Kaukauna for fourth place in the final Division 1 standings.

The Cardinals, who were in second place after the first round, finished with a 619 to come in behind only Marquette University (598), Arrowhead (606) and Eau Claire Memorial (613) in the two-day tournament at University Ridge.

“It was tough and we just had to grind it out,” Jack DuChateau said. “We always think about the team. Just think about the team and grind your shots out to the end.”

No player illustrated the ‘Fondy Push’ more than top golfer Elliott Nielsen. The senior got off to a horrendous start, standing 8-over after the first six holes, but rebounded to play the final 13 holes at 1-under par and only a double-bogey hiccup on No. 15 prevented Nielsen from going even lower. “It felt amazing to finish out the back nine with an even par,” said Nielsen, who had birdies at No. 7, No. 14 and No. 17. “It could have been a lot of worse but the coaches came up to me and told me to finish it off for my team and I didn’t want to let them down.”

Nielsen climbed back up into a tie for 16th place with a two-day total of 152. It wasn’t the final number he was looking for but he realizes the way he finished helped the team hold onto fourth place. “I was hoping for a better individual finish, but as a team we played pretty well,” Nielsen said. “I can’t complain.”

DuChateau, who netted birdies on Nos. 2 and 16, finished one stroke behind his teammate Nielsen. “Yeah, pretty happy with the round,” DuChateau said. “Not happy with how I finished, but that happens.”

Sam Nielsen was next with a 156, two shots better than Jonah Duwell to round out the Fondy golfers.

“To come back and hold on to fourth, with the competition that’s here, I’m proud of the guys,” Flasch said. “Our dream came true to be in the final groupings. The kids had an experience of a lifetime and I know they will never forget it.”

Fond du Lac shot a 305 in the first round at University Ridge on Monday and is in second place in the Division 1 competition heading into Tuesday’s final round. “Ever since the practice round, we had a good plan and they stuck to it today. They were able to keep it together long enough to pull out a 305,” Fond du Lac coach Jim Flasch said. “Our 304 at sectionals proved that we could shoot something like that and I’m happy for the boys that they could duplicate at state.”

Marquette leads a logjam of teams atop the Division 1 leaderboard after shooting a 299, with the Cardinals looming just six strokes back. Middleton and Arrowhead are tied for third place at 306 followed closely by Kettle Moraine (307) and Sheboygan North (311).

All five Fondy golfers shot an 80 or better and the Cardinals were led by a trio who are in the top 15 on the leaderboard.

Elliott Nielsen led the way with a 73 and is sixth overall, while Jack DuChateau and Jonah Dowell were in a tie for 15th after rounds of 76. Sam Nielsen and Seb Hoban each carded 80s.

Elliott Nielsen’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 16th hole that briefly had him under par.

One of the keys to the Cardinals’ success was a strong start as they avoided any jitters. As a team, Fond du Lac played the first two holes a combined 1-under par and four of the five golfers shot in the 30s on the front nine.

“That was big because you don’t have to try to save any rocking boat. They could just keep moving forward,” Flasch said. “The big thing we’ve tried to do this year is have a back nine push. It seems like these guys have the resiliency to stick together and make the back nine as good or better.”