Former Great Bend USD 428 superintendent Tom Vernon has sharpened his golf game. Vernon led a hand-picked team to first place with a 14-under-par of 57 in the annual Kansas State Catbackers golf event at Stoneridge Country Club. Vernon holed the longest putt at No. 9 (22-6) and had the closest-to-the-pin at No. 16 (5-1).

The team eagled No. 10, thanks to an approach shot by Mike Vernon, the head football coach at Hutchinson High.  

The runner-up team of R. Ball, C. Smith, M. Schettler and R. Myers shot 14-under-par 57, but lost a tiebreaker.

CATBACKER SCRAMBLE

Stoneridge Country Club, par 71

57—Tom Vernon, Mike Vernon, T. Harris, Randy Wetzel, 30-27

57—R. Ball, C. Smith, M. Schettler, R. Myers, 29-28

59—N. Klug, M. Cairney, A. Crouther, J. Francis, 31-28

61—S. Dobratz, M. Huddleston, Kent Turak, C. Tutak, 30-31

61—Chuck Wilson, M. Haney, Chance Haney, D. Clark, 31-30

62—L. Fanshier, L. Burns, D. DeForest, J. Werth, 32-30

62—J. Mayers, A. Andrews, J. Burhenn, P. Brown, 33-29

63—C. Campfield, A. Spanier, J. Skelton, Jeff Kuckelman, 32-31

63—T. Pivonka, J. Pivonka, S. Schenkel, D. Thull, 32-31

64—R. Krause, D. Call, Mike Boys, M. Guthrie, 32-32

64—K. Mullen, R. Tutak, Dave Olson, R. Mason, 33-31

66—Foster, Foster, Thompson, Clark, 34-32

67—M. Harbaugh, S. Harbaugh, G. Unruh, B. Sanders, 34-33

68—O. Snook, C. Higgins, S. Wondra, T. Huddleston, 34-34

69—Jerry Ney, C. McDowell, J. White, A. VanLoenen, 36-33

73—K. Krier, K. Krier, Hoffman, Wilkens, 36-37

75—G. Achatz, S. Haney, S. Thill, Kim Vink, 39-36

76—D. Call, L. Marmie, M. Wilson, J. Pivonka, 40-36

Hole prizes

Senior longest drive No. 3—Dave Olson

Longest to pin No. 4—Kent Tutak, 4-6

Closest second shot No. 5—Mike Huddleston, 11-1

Women’s farthest drive No. 7—Kim Vink

Longest putt No. 9—Tom Vernon, 22-6 

Men’s longest drive No. 10—Chance Haney

Farthest from pin No. 12—Mike Boys, 28-1

Longest putt No. 15—Kent Tutak, 17-11

Closest to pin No. 16—Tom Vernon, 5-1