Seeking gold: Pair of aces lead Pirates’ chase for golf title

This has been quite a run for the Polson boys golfers, a quintet of seniors that will play their final high school meet Friday and Saturday, the State A tournament in Sidney.

Carson Hupka, Christian Lund, Espn Fisher, Hunter Emerson and Torrin Ellis picked up a third-place trophy at the 2021 State A, then fell seven strokes short of state champion Laurel last September.

That was the Locomotives’ fifth state championship in six tries, excluding the 2020 Covid year. They’re the main barrier between the Pirates and that elusive team crown.

Fifth-year coach Cameron Milton knows this. As his teams head east — the Polson girls and defending champs and solid favorites to repeat — he hopes this weekend the Pirates pull off a sweep.

“We’ve never beat Laurel,” Milton said of the boys. “The girls are absolutely killing it. … The girls are kind of on cruise control. The boys have to go out and get it.”

To do that, he figures, Hupka and Lund, the 1 and 1A of the squad, will have to lead the way.

“They’re two workhorses,” he said. “If we’re going to win this weekend it's going to be on the backs of those two, for sure.”

It’s an interesting duo. Lund said he was in fifth grade when he picked up the sticks; he also remembers it was eighth grade that Hupka started showing up on the course.

“I played a little bit when I was younger, with my parents,” Hupka said. “Like, once a year.

“I started playing in seventh grade because all my friends were playing. And once Covid hit, I played all the time. I’d get my homework done and play all day. And I got good, quick. I’ve just been in love with the game ever since.”

Lund, who is referred to by his middle name — Otto — on the course, saw Hupka catch and then surpass him. But then Lund himself, to hear Milton tell it, “turned a corner,” in 2023.

“Maturity. Ball striking,” Milton said. “I mean, this kid hit thousands and thousands of rage balls this summer.”

Hupka takes it a step further.

“Otto, he’s always hit it well, and consistently,” Hupka said. “It’s always been about his putting. He’s been out there every day this summer, until it got dark. He worked on everything, but really focused on putting. And obviously his rounds have gotten better.”

Lund was medalist at last week’s Western A Divisional, shooting a 72 and going even par through holes 7-10 at Whitefish Lake’s South Course — a stern test, Milton noted — to prevail over Libby’s Reese Malyevac, Corvallis golfer Tate Jessop and yes, Hupka.

“Some pretty big boy golf,” Milton said.

“Divisionals, coming down the stretch — after hitting a lot more balls, a lot more shots — I felt less nervous about the big shots or the important ones,” Lund said.

Before divisionals Hupka — he shot 75 in Whitefish — had a stroke average of 73.8 while Lund’s was 76.8.

These numbers are good enough to garner college attention, and they conceivably coulde be teammates again: Lund has pretty much decided on Montana Tech, and while Hupka has an offer to play golf for MSU-Billings, he has an interest in engineering as well.

They’re also numbers to take up against 2021 medalist Cameron Hackmann and Sam Norman of Laurel, and 2022 medalist Aubrey Kelley of Livingston.

Laurel and Polson squared off this season, in the Old Works Challenge, a four-team event in August. It didn’t go well for the Pirates in stroke play on Aug. 15 or in match play the next day — though Hupka was absent, playing a PNGA event, and Lund noted he won his match with Hackman at Fairmont Hot Springs the second day.

They’ll see the championship course for the first time Thursday — Laurel has been there for three rounds, including divisionals — with the exception of Ellis.

No matter. It’s a new week, and a final 36 for the Pirates. Polson’s only other boys golf title came in 1996.

“I think we can do it,” Lund said. “We’re all seniors this year, we all have experience. It’s supposed to be worse weather the second day, so hopefully that works in our favor. But we do need to play pretty good.”

“I think we’ve all prepared well enough,” Hupka added. “We’re ready. We know it’s our last shot, so we’re going to give it our best shot and see how it goes.”