By Chris Chaney
Sun staff
A damp and cool day at Weatherwax Golf Course in Middletown left two Clermont golfers on the outside looking in at state tournament berths last week, but only after giving Glen Este’s Thomas Zink and Milford’s Nathan Arnold a unique education in what it takes to make it to Ohio’s golfing zenith.
The two Division I golfers were the lone representatives of their respective schools at the district tournament on Oct. 9 and both walked away after earning invaluable experience.
Arnold made his second appearance in as many years at the district tournament and inched closer to a state-tournament berth by virtue of a 7-over par 79, four shots out of a playoff for the final state qualifying position.
“It was tough mentally because he didn’t get off to a good start,” Milford head coach Phil Sheldon said. “(Arnold) didn’t make many putts on the front nine and shot a 42.
“Then he made the turn and birdied No. 11 and fought hard to shoot a 37.”
Still just a sophomore, Arnold bettered his district score from a year ago by two strokes and closed the gap on the guys near the top of the individual leaderboard. His coach cited a bulked-up summer tournament schedule and the natural maturation process for Arnold’s improved play at the district, but still sees some room for improvement.
“At the most, guys only get four shots at the district and (Arnold) has been fortunate enough to get two shots at it already. Next year, he’ll be bigger and stronger; he’ll be able to hit it farther and be more mentally mature,” Sheldon said. “I wouldn’t expect anything less than him qualifying (for state) next year. I think he would be very disappointed if he didn’t qualify.
“I think hitting greens in regulation (is something he will concentrate on). He’s good enough — I don’t care where the pin is — to two-putt. Putting a bigger emphasis on hitting greens is the key. When he shoots 72 or 71 it’s because he’s hitting 11, 12, 13 greens. When you miss a lot of greens, that puts a lot of pressure on your chipping.”
The medalist at the Eastern Cincinnati Conference Tournament, Arnold’s room for improvement is more nuanced than some of his other competitors, but Sheldon said he doesn’t doubt that his No. 1 will put in the time and work to make the next step.
As for Zink, the junior made his first trip to the district tournament, an experience that head coach Butch Novak expects to help him going forward.
“All in all, I think (the experience) will help him a whole bunch,” Novak said of his junior golfer. “With it being his first time up at the district, I think he did well with it.
“He still has a lot to learn — he’s still a young golfer — but it was a great experience for him.”
Playing Woodside to Highlands, Zink fired a 10-over par 82, shooting identical 41s on both nines.
He advanced to the district tournament by virtue of a 6-over par round of 78 in the sectional tournament contested at Glenview Golf Course a week earlier. The 78 gave him the third-best individual score amongst those whose teams did not qualify. Glen Este finished in fifth place, one spot out of qualifying as a team, by seven strokes.
During the regular season, Zink boasted the fourth-best nine-hole average in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (39.25) and backed that up by coming in third in the season-ending conference tournament.
Still with one season remaining with the Trojans, Novak believes that Zink can get back to the district tournament again next year to compete for one of the coveted few state tournament spots if he continues to hone his game.
“His short game is good, but he’s going to have to putt better and manage the course better,” the coach said. “He needs to make sure that he’s making the right decisions, not hitting driver all the time or making a bad swing. In general, he can make the changes if he puts in the time.”
With Loveland’s Isaac Vock graduating this season, Zink and Arnold are expected to be among the best players in the ECC and the region next fall.