By Terry Douglass
terry.douglass@theindependent.com Experienced Islanders aim to sharpen their short game

"They're all good ball-strikers and hit the ball real well," Grand Island fourth-year coach Scott Fox said. "But they'd be the first ones to tell you that if we're going to improve this year, it's going to have to be with our short game and our touch around the greens.

"We don't give up many strokes to the green, but last year, we gave up a few strokes around the green and on the green. Even last summer, we sat down together and that was our focus for this coming season was improving our short game with our chipping, putting and our bunker play."

Last year, it was a difference of six strokes that kept the Islanders out of the state tournament as a team. On a five-man team, that equates to a little more than one stroke per player.

When broken down in those terms, it seems that the motivation for the Islanders to improve upon their short game hasn't been difficult to find. The near miss last May at districts serves as a constant reminder.

"What's been encouraging is that we've identified it as our biggest problem and we've all agreed to it," Fox said. "I don't have to sell them on it because they all agree to it. I think that makes them even a little more motivated to practice it.

"It's easier to want to go to the range and hit balls for an hour, but it's more difficult to go to the practice green and putt for an hour. They're motivated to improve at it and that's what has been nice about this group."

Fox said that several Grand Island's golfers began their preparation for this season as early as last summer.

"Quite a few of our guys played in the Michelob, played in the Pepsi, played in the Mayor's Cup and a lot of other local amateur tournaments as well," Fox said. "That even includes some of our incoming freshmen who played in some amateur and junior tournaments and they played well.

"It was definitely a good offseason."

Grand Island returns four starters from last year's lineup and welcomes back eight total letter-winners. Senior Seth Rhodes was an individual state qualifier in 2007 and will be counted on to lead the way along with fellow returning starters in senior Gavin Brown and juniors Logan Almond and Ryan McCarty.

The Islanders will play six varsity golfers in Thursday's season-opening home dual against Hastings at Riverside Golf Club. Senior Joel Mostek and freshman Alec Anania are expected to round out the Grand Island lineup.

Other returning letter-winners include junior Mitch Kozak and sophomores Lucas Elsbernd and Tyler Johnson.

With more experience this year, Fox is also looking for more consistency.

"If you look last year at our season, we had some good periods in there where we played really well as a team, had a couple of guys medal and we'd shoot a nice score," Fox said. "Then we had some lulls in there where we kind of dropped off.

"Obviously, at the end of last season, we felt like we were a good enough team to qualify for state and we didn't. That was disappointing."

With that in mind, Grand Island's collective quest is obvious: state qualification.

"I think in all of our minds, that's the end goal that we want to achieve," Fox said. "We're obviously going to have to focus on what's in front of us and improve upon the parts of our game that are lacking and then, when we get to that point in the year, hopefully all that preparation will pay off."

Boys GISH Golf 2008

March 13, Hastings; 20, North Platte Invitational at Iron Eagle; 28, Grand Island Invitational at Jackrabbit Run.

April 4, Kearney Invitational; 10, Hastings Invitational at Lochland; 14, Omaha Creighton Prep Invitational at Champions Club; 16, Tri-Annual Invitational at Columbus Elks; 24, Capitol City Invitational at Lincoln Highlands; 28, Grand Island Cup at Riverside.

May 1, Heartland Athletic Conference meet at Lincoln; 9, Grand Island Invitational at Riverside; 12, District meet at Riverside; 20-21, State meet at Lincoln Highlands.