Article by: Rick Pledl
Noah Kirsch had a simple explanation for his win at the Lake Arrowhead Invitational Monday afternoon – a tournament shortened by rain and played on two tight golf courses at the famed central Wisconsin golf facility of the same name.
“I hit good tee shots,” Kirsch said matter-of-factly. “That’s what you have to do out here, because a lot of the holes are driver-wedge.”
Staying out of the woods and the water has always been job No. 1 when playing the two Lake Arrowhead GC golf courses, but perhaps even more so this week after the Nekoosa area was raked by a heavy, hours-long downpour Sunday afternoon.
Kirsch stayed out of trouble, as he said he didn’t lose a ball during the 27-hole competition.
The rain limited Sunday’s first round, held on the Pines Course, to just nine holes. And the second nine was played in moist conditions on the Lakes Course, where the layout’s numerous water features over-spilled their banks.
Kirsch, a 17-year-old senior-to-be at Lancaster High School, admitted he caught a break Sunday afternoon when he was in the last group to finish nine holes before the skies opened. Many other players were brought back to finish their first nines after conditions cleared in the early evening.
Kirsch finished play Sunday with an even par 36, but he recognized the ripe scoring opportunities before him on Monday, so he started firing at flagsticks. The round was played with preferred lies due to the wet conditions.
“Especially with the good tees shots setting me up, I was in attack mode all day,” he said. “Yesterday I didn’t hit the driver as good, and that’s why I wasn’t able to attack as much.”
Kirsch made six birdies in the final round to shoot a 67. He finished his 27 holes at 5-under-par 103, which was one stroke better than Kaeden Nomm of Minocqua, who shot 34-70–104.
Nomm, who last week won the WSGA Junior Boys Championship at Reedsburg CC, had opportunities to catch Kirsch on the final few holes. But he bogeyed the par-3 16th hole and failed to make birdie on the par-5 17th, where his second shot rolled to the back fringe but he could not get up and down.
Ironically, Nomm shot 67 to come from the pack and win the Junior Boys last week, just like Kirsch did to him to win at Lake Arrowhead.
Nomm recognized the similarities, although they weren’t much solace to him.
“At least I kept it close,” Nomm said Monday. “I struggled mostly on the greens. I was hitting the ball well, but I just couldn’t make any of the putts I needed to make. I made a lot of par putts and missed the birdies.”
Caden Jacobson of Lake Delton was the only other player to finish in red figures, shooting rounds of 33-72–105. Jacobson was the overnight leader at 3 under.
Hannah Dunk of Janesville earned medalist honors among girls after shooting 38-72–110 for a 2-over-par finish.
Norah Roberts of Racine (40-74) and Ashleyjen Powel of Appleton (37-77) tied for second place at 6-over 114, but Roberts was awarded runner-up honors via a scorecard playoff.
Dunk admitted she played “very well” on her way to victory Monday afternoon.
“Everything was very consistent today, and I didn’t really miss a green that often,” the 16-year-old Dunk said. “I think I putted well – my putting saved me a lot today.”
Unlike Kirsch, Dunk was on the wrong end of the draw when the deluge approached Sunday. She finally finished play around 6:30 p.m. after the rain cleared and dinner was served at the course.
The Lake Arrowhead Invitational is one of Wisconsin’s most prestigious junior golf tournaments. Players gain entry by their play at other big state events or through the Wisconsin PGA Junior Foundation points list.
All that got Dunk thinking about her win, and she couldn’t help but smile.
“I think it’s crazy to win such a big tournament like this,” Dunk said. “You have to get an invitation to play in this tournament, and then to win it, that’s crazy, especially after yesterday with all the bad weather.”
