Biller comes through for Shawnee

SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP - It was a bittersweet few minutes for Michael Malone at Shawnee Country Club. Among the first eight golfers off the course in a Western Buckeye League match with Bath, the No. 1 golfer from Shawnee was the medalist with a 5-over par 41.

He came over to the table where the third and fourth golfers were adding up their rounds, laughed and shook his head. Not necessarily a horrible score, but not what he was looking for, either.

Then Joe Biller, the No. 6 golfer, walked off the course. The senior saved face for the Indians with a 1-over 37. His score was the icing on the cake as Shawnee beat the Wildcats, 163-205.

"Our team is pretty even through the lineup. Any guy in the top eight can beat anyone else on any given day," Malone said. "Everyone had an off night, then we had a guy come through with a decent score."

Biller started strong, with a birdie on the 314-yard par-4 first. He proceeded to par the second.

"I started out the year as our 3-man, and it went downhill from there," Biller said. "After my first tee shot (Thursday), I knew it was going to be a good day."

His round started to come unglued midway through, with bogeys on 3, 5, and 6, and a double on 4. Birdies on 7 and 8, and a par on the tough par-4 ninth righted his round.

"I don't think about scores during my round," Biller said. "That's when I usually start messing up."

Malone's round consisted of three bogeys and a double, but he finished with three straight pars.

Other scores for Shawnee included No. 2. man Cody Kopilchack and No. 3 Johnny Ellis with 42s.

The Wildcats struggled on the greens. The first two golfers, Matt Holt and Matt Hughes, took 18 putts each. The similarities didn't end there, with both turning in team-low 44s.

"I'm having trouble putting," Holt said. "Those greens were lightning fast."

Holt had three pars, four bogeys and two doubles. Hughes started rough - three double bogeys in the first three holes, and another on No. 5 - but he rebounded with four straight pars to end the round.

With a freshman (Holt) and a sophomore (Hughes) leading the way, Bath coach Andy Herr knows there will be some rough stretches. However, this is a program that is only two years removed from a state championship appearance.

"We're very young. We're getting our feet wet," Herr said. "We've got at least two freshmen and a sophomore getting substantial practice and match experience."