Column: Short game, short season
Shaun Forrest had all of one season as an assistant before he answered the call to lead the Whitefish golf teams in 2024.
“I don’t have a real strong golf background, to be honest,” Forrest said Wednesday. “I’ve always played a little bit of golf, but more golf since Covid. I’ve had about 20 years as a football coach in my background.
“Last year we had an assistant golf coaching job open, and Tait Rocksund asked me if I’d help out. I did, and I really enjoyed it, Tait stepped down and I guess here I am.”
On Tuesday the Whitefish boys finished second at their own invitational golf meet, by one stroke to Corvallis. The girls finished third, behind Hamilton and Frenchtown.
Given that 10 of the 12 Western A boys teams competed, this is promising. The Bulldogs are experienced, if young. Just one senior, Riley Brown, played on last year’s team.
Forrest counted 25 boys at tryouts this summer, and a few were familiar: Senior Otto Klein, who shot 77 Tuesday, junior Aiden Rickels and sophomores Ashton Taylor and Mason O’Neil.
Add in two-sport athlete C.J. Thew — he plays for the football Bulldogs as well — Fin Hobart and Colby Minton and you have the makings of a squad.
“They’ve probably played 120-plus rounds this summer,” Forrest said. “I’ve had a great commitment from the players, especially the boys side. They really grinded.”
Forrest is entering his fifth year teaching history and P.E. at Whitefish. The Choteau native has taught and coached all over this side of Montana, including Glacier High the year it opened. Generally, he’s been an assistant. That includes wrestling at Flathead, and football and track in Whitefish, Hamilton and Columbia Falls.
He’s seen his share of state track team titles, and enough coaching formulas to know what works. Not much has changed at Whitefish, where three stations — driving range, putting green and chipping — continue as practice staples. The super-qualified Jeff Doorn, whose son Art played at Whitefish and then New Mexico State, and Scott Minton (Colby’s dad) assist.
We should note the Whitefish girls, who like the boys finished fifth at divisionals a year ago, have talent. Senior Stella Jaffe, a 2022 standout who spent last year in California, is back, as is sophomore Ryhlee Scott. Forrest loves the effort of senior Ava Zignego as well.
Polson swept the State A titles a year ago, then saw just about all of that talent graduate (Kila Cannon is back for the girls).
Corvallis’ boys look powerful, and don’t count out the Columbia Falls Wildcats — Winslow Peters, Tucker Gonzales and Will Pickard led them to a third-place finish Tuesday.
Frenchtown’s Katie Lewis is back to defend her girls title; Bigfork’s Keni Wade is back to challenge after a runner-up finish in 2023 (and a State B championship in 2022).
The season has been a blur — counting JV meets, Forrest said he had Bulldogs golfing on six of the last seven school days. The ending also comes quick. Divisionals, which was just moved from Columbia Falls’ Meadow Lake Golf Course to Old Works in Anaconda, is Sept. 26-27.
The State A meet is Oct. 4-5 in Polson.
“It’s a really intense season,” Forrest said. “It’s intense but short.”
The Bulldogs, owners of 31 State A titles, should be used to it. Work that short game — the season’s over in five weeks.
Fritz Neighbor can be reached at 406-758-4463 or at fneighbor@dailyinterlake.com.