Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The calendar says that spring is here but the snow on the ground makes it look like winter.

Despite the late snow golf season is here and area teams will be returning to the course soon.

Here are five golfers to watch this season as the spring golf season gets underway.

Trevor Thein

Senior, West Branch

A Grandview signee, Thein is seeking a strong finish to his prep career after posting his best season last spring.

As a junior Thein ranked second on the team with a career-best nine-hole average of 44.7 and had the low nine-hole (37) and 18-hole (74) scores for the Bears.

Thein fired a 74 to finish runner-up at the RVC meet a year ago and advanced to the district meet shooting an 88 to place sixth at the sectional meet.

Brandon McCarty

Sophomore, Clear Creek Amana

McCarty didn’t waste any time getting comfortable in the number one spot in the Clipper lineup.

In his first season of varsity competition McCarty led the team with a 41.2 nine-hole average and had a low round of 77.

McCarty finished runner-up at the WAMAC West Divisional with a season-low nine-hole score of 37 and shot an 85 at the WAMAC Super Meet to finish two strokes out of the top 15.

Ted Bridges

Junior, West Branch

Owned the best nine-hole average on a strong West Branch squad and was playing his best at the end of the season.

Bridges led West Branch with a 43.5 nine-hole average and fired a 75 to win the sectional title.

He earned all-conference honors with a 10th place finish at the RVC meet where he shot an 81.

Ethan Yahr

Senior, Solon

Yahr enters his senior season the leader and number one golfer for the Spartans after a strong junior season in which he earned all-WAMAC honors.

Yahr shot a 77 to place fifth and earn first-team all-conference honors at the WAMAC Super Meet a year ago.

The senior has signed to continue his golf career at Hawkeye Community College.

Mark Schomer

Sophomore, Regina

Another golfer that didn’t require much time to take over the top spot, Schomer had a strong debut season last spring leading Regina in nine-hole average.

Schomer boasted a 46.7 nine-hole average in his first season of varsity competition and advanced to the district meet with a seventh-place sectional finish.

He will look to improve on his 20th place finish at the River Valley Conference meet last season.