By Zach Long
Chase Petri lines up his final putt to secure all-state honors.
The all-time great ambassador for the game of golf, Arnold Palmer, once said: “Success in golf depends less on strength of body than upon strength of mind and character.”
Will Creekmore and Chase Petri led the Matoaca golf team to a Conference 12 championship this season, and exemplified the strength of mind to push even further to the state tournament.
The Warriors finished the regular season with a 10-7-1 record, and took on many top programs in the area before making a post season run. The team posted a season-best 311 score in the Conference 12 tournament. Petri and Creekmore led the way with a 72 and 73. Creekmore, a senior and two-time individual conference champion, was edged out by one stroke. His teammate Petri, sophomore, who would take the title.
The Warriors post season will continue in Newport News for the 5A regional tournament. Matoaca was in second place after day one, but ended up falling short finishing third place. This ended their season as a team. However, Creekmore was able to put up a spectacular 2-under par 142 score for the tournament and advance to the state tournament. Petri would join him with a 4-over par 148, and continue a tandem post season drive.
It will feel like home for the Warriors golfers since the state tournament will be played at Magnolia Green Country Club. The two will represent the Warriors in tremendous style. Despite injuring his shoulder on the first day, Creekmore shot a two-day total of 163 and finished in the top 12 of all players. Petri would card a 74 on the second day for a 153 total and finish fourth overall. This would also garner him an all-state designation.
In a sense, this terrific finish to the season marks a passing of the torch for Matoaca golf. Creekmore has taken visits to Bridgewater and Hampden-Sydney, and may aspire to play at the collegiate level. He leaves behind a legacy of four decorated years, as a leader for the Warriors. Petri should be the name to watch next year, as Matoaca could produce another strong season in 2017. Petri has two more summers to perfect his game and become a household name in the Central Virginia high-school golf scene.
