Smith, Wojasinski compete well at state tournament

By Jeremy Wise

Published: May 15, 2008

Two local golfers traveled to Muscle Shoals to compete in the state championship golf tournaments this week, and both finished in the top 15.

In the 1A-2A competition, New Brockton’s Steven Smith fired a 7-over in the two-day tournament to finish tied for fifth, while Enterprise’s Matt Wojasinski fired a 10-over to finish tied for 15th in the 6A tourney.

In the 6A competition, Wojasinski had a rough second day, shooting a 7-over 79 at The Shoals’ Fighting Joe course..

“I couldn’t have played any worse. I was happy to get a 79 the way I played,” he said.

He said if drives didn’t find the fairway, the ball was in very thick and tall “fescue-type” grass.

Wojasinski also said the greens were “very hilly and very big.”

He said to get good scores, the ball had to be on the same level as the hole, or three-putts would result.

Wojasinski had six three-putts, he said.

Only a sophomore, Wojasinski said the experience will help with his next season of high school golf, saying one of the people with whom he played had a golf scholarship to Auburn.

“It will help me prepare. I’ve still got two years to get (to state). I think I’ll be there next year,” Wojasinski said.

Enterprise golf coach Buck Hanson said it was a successful season overall for the team, which had seven straight tournament wins at one point, finished
second at sectionals and was just two strokes shy of qualifying for the state tournament.

He added younger golfers need to prepare now for tryouts.

“Novemeber is not far away. There is work that has got to be done. Start working now and get some tournament experience,” he said.

The team loses two seniors in Mark Krystyn and Scott McClure.

The 1A-2A competition was at The Schoolmaster course at The Shoals, and Smith said he had a lot of problems with his short game.

“I had five three-puts. I had a couple of double bogeys. The short game got me, and that was what I worked on, “ the New Brockton freshman said.

Smith said the course had “bent-grass greens,” which meant if the putt was not aimed at the center of the cup, it was not going to fall.

“It wasn’t going to lip in,” he said.

Brad Smith, Steven’s father and New Brockton golf coach said Smith’s first trip to the state tournament was tough.

“The first day was a grinding day. The second day, he was sticking it on the greens 8 feet or closer, but the putts weren’t falling. He was burning the edges,” the coach said.

Steven Smith said he was glad to participate in the tournament.

“It’s kinda big since this is our first year since the early 1990s, and it’s pretty big since I‘m a freshman,” the golfer said.

Brad Smith believes the future of the New Brockton golf program looks bright.

“We got something started that can be a positive for New Brockton. I think we took a step in the right direction. We hope to take the whole team to sectionals next year,” he said. “We have to have kids step up and play golf all year-round.”