GCMS’s Connor Engel putts on the first hole during the IHSA Class 1A state tournament on Friday at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington.
BLOOMINGTON – Connor Engel of the Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley boys golf team finished the IHSA Class 1A state tournament with a score of 159, tying for 35th overall.
“I’m definitely not happy with it, but I’m not disappointed. I felt like I accomplished quite a bit this year,” Engel said. “I’m just thankful I got the opportunity to play.”
Engel’s season included individual medalist honors at the Beecher Sectional.
“It’s definitely one I can’t be too upset with,” Engel said.
Through Friday, Engel scored a 79, earning a round on Saturday due to being one of the top 40 individuals not on a top-eight team.
“That’s definitely an accomplishment,” Engel said.
He ended the day with a birdie on the par-4 18th hole. He parred the 10th hole, the 11th hole, the 12th hole and the 16th hole.
On the front nine, he shot a 39, getting birdies on the fourth and the seventh hole and parring the sixth and the ninth hole.
“I just had a lot of bogeys and birdies. I didn’t make a lot of pars, but I was just able to keep my head in the right spot,” Engel said. “I was pretty nervous on day one and day two, but I was able to keep my head in there so I didn’t blow up, which is always good.”
On Saturday, he shot an 80, including a 41 on the front nine and a 39 on the back nine.
Engel bogeyed five holes on the front nine. On the back nine, he birdied the 16th hole, but bogeyed the 12th and 14th holes and double-bogeyed the 13th hole.
“There were a lot of missed opportunities,” Engel said. “I just didn’t play my best golf, and that’s all I can say about it.”
Engel says he plans on attending Eastern Kentucky after graduating from GCMS.
“At this point, I don’t think I’m going to play on the actual golf team, but I’m going to get my degree in professional golf management,” Engel said. “There’s going to be a lot of golf in my future and a lot of time to improve.”
Engel did not start playing golf until his freshman year.
“I was kind of behind a lot of my competitors,” Engel said. “A lot of people get junior high golf and have been playing their whole life. I played baseball most of my junior days.”
Along with Engel making it to state, Ryan Carley missed the cutoff for individual state qualifiers in the sectional round as a sophomore as he was part of a tiebreaker for the 10th individual spot.
“The future of Falcon golf looks bright,” Engel said. “There are definitely good things to come for the program.”
