There were no hiccups in the Sedona Red Rock High School golf team’s 2017 debut as it won a four-way dual match against Verde Valley rival Camp Verde High School, Northland Preparatory Academy and Wickenburg High School.

The Scorpions [1-0] scored 167 during the nine-hole round, played at Verde Santa Fe Golf Course on Thursday, March 3. The top four scores from each team are used to determine its final score for the match.

Senior Neil Smith and junior Seth Farmer led the way as the top two individual finishers and the only two to finish par or better.

“I think Seth and Neil stepped it up a notch, they played great,” Red Rock coach Mike Webster said. “I would say the outlook for us this year is pretty good.”

The team, which was runner up at the 2016 Arizona Interscholastic Association Division III state championship, lost just Keagan Webster, Mike’s son, who was its No. 1 golfer.

Farmer has filled in Webster’s spot while Smith is the No. 2, and senior Stesiree Ho is No. 3.

Ho finished with a 52. Mike Webster said that putting was a point of difficulty in particular for her on the day, but is also the team’s biggest problem.

Senior Swedish exchange student Daniel Bouvin is fourth on the team’s ladder, and shot a 44, while senior Olivia Webster shot a 55.

“Bouvin played out of his mind, he had a great round of golf,” Mike Webster said. “He ended up shooting a 44 in his first match in high school.”

Smith birdied the sixth and seventh holes, but bogeyed the final two to finish at one-under with a 35.

“My short game [was strong]. I hit the greens and putts were just falling,” Smith said. “I’m probably strong going into the greens, if I can get close I can set up a two-putt for par.”

Farmer had an almost identical outing as Smith, finishing each hole with a par or birdie, but bogeyed just once to finish with a 36.

“I felt pretty good, it was just another round of golf,” Farmer said. “My short game was a little wonky. I feel like my driver was the biggest problem … I have an ax to grind with it the next couple of days.”

The team played a nine-hole match with Williams High School and Bagdad High School on Tuesday, March 7, at Oakcreek Country Club, winning with a total of 181. It next plays against Northland Prep and Williams at
3 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, at Oakcreek.