Four matches into the 2006 varsity golf season and the Mustangs are witnessing the fruits of their labor.
Determined to enter the season with the best possible chance for success, several members of the George Mason High School golf team organized a charity golf tournament early this summer to raise money for a golf camp. The tournament was a success and members from the team spent a week in Southern Virginia preparing for the season. The added course work has paid off, and so far the team is off to a hot start with a 3-1 record.
In their first match, Mason posted a win at home against defending Bull Run District Champion Clarke County. Junior Mike Straub led the team with an 86, and senior Andy Pribulka followed with a 90. Freshman Mike Duning shot a 93, while senior Sean Follin posted a 95. The four solid scores gave the team a 364 total which topped Clarke’s 376.
The next match was at home against Strasburg, where the team again pulled through with a win. Pribulka shot 83, with Mike Straub and sophomore Drew Davies following with 88s. Sean Follin rounded out the top four with a solid 95. Three scores in the 80s for Mason equaled out to a 354, crushing Strasburg’s total of 400.
The third match was played at Madison County, where Mason lost some of their momentum. Straub shot the low score with a 45 and Follin was close behind with a 46. Pribulka and Davies shot 47s, adding up to a 185. Madison put up a 175, and Mason endured their first loss of the season on the nine-hole track.
Mason’s fourth match was played at Clarke County. Spirits were high, as the course had been played many times by several of the players. Pribulka and freshman Evans Mandes posted a pair of 43s, with Straub and Follin turning in 46s over nine.
The fast start has made George Mason optimistic, as this year the team with the best record gets an automatic bid to the regional tournament, a change from prior years. With Mason’s current record, they are tied with Madison County for first place in the district. With the regional bid on the line, upcoming matches against Strasburg and Madison County are must-win situations if Mason wishes to seal the deal on the regional bid.
