Miriam Hagg hits a tee shot during Thursday’s four-way meet with Triton and Rochester at Stonehenge Golf Club. (Photo by James Costello)

WARSAW — Thursday’s three-way girls golf meet at Stonehenge was an opportunity for sectional opponents to get an early look at one another on the same course on which they’ll be playing each other come tournament time.

If Thursday’s meet was any indication, Warsaw ought to fare pretty well — the Lady Tigers carded 203 to beat out Triton’s 218 and Rochester’s 245 — but head coach Tad Nieter is taking it with a grain of salt. There’s a lot of golf left to play before sectionals, and the Tigers are focused on themselves more than any opponents.

“There are so many other factors in golf. I know Triton, they won’t think twice about it, and Rochester won’t either,” Nieter said. “I always tell our girls we’re not playing an opponent. We’re playing a course, and we’re playing ourselves.”

Even still, Nieter had to be pretty pleased with Thursday’s result, particularly in light of the fact that the Tigers were playing without usual number one, Delaney Wihebrink. Cassidy Good bumped up into the number five grouping and ended up scoring for Warsaw, shooting 55 to give the team its fourth score.

“That’s huge because she didn’t start playing until last summer. So if you count it as a calendar year, that’s amazing. That she comes in and steps in at four, that’s huge,” he said.

The Tigers’ top two carded the top two overall scores Thursday as Grayson Kilburn fired a 47, and Izzy Ray shot 48. Ray has been a rock for her team in the early going.

“Izzy Ray has been so consistent for us,” said Nieter. “Early on she’s got our low scoring average of the season. If she can keep that up and pace us, that’ll be great. I know she’s going to drop scores when she gets her putting in.”

Izzy Ray hits an iron during Thursday’s meet.

Putting in general has been an early issue for the Tigers, who improved to 4-1 in nine-hole play with Thursday’s wins.

Madelyn Ray struggled with her short game on the way to a 56 playing in the top flight Thursday. Hers wound up being Warsaw’s scratch score as Miriam Hagg carded 53, sister Izzy and Kilburn went one-two on the leaderboard, and Good stepped in with her big 55.

But it isn’t only Madelyn’s putting that could use some work; Nieter sees room for improvement from all of his players in that department. In fact, that’s exactly what he has planned for Friday’s practice round.

“Our putting, we spend 80 percent of the time on the putting green, and we still kind of struggle on that. But… it’s early in the season,” he said. “We have a lot that we need to work on, and I have a few ideas on the drawing board to hit tomorrow for practice before our match Saturday with CMA. Putting, once we get that dialed in I’ll feel a lot more confident.”

While Warsaw played solidly on its home course, Triton’s lineup also shot well on its home away from home. Head coach Jack Carpenter reckons Thursday’s round marked an improvement of roughly 30 shots over past groups’ performances at Stonehenge over the previous five years or so.

Part of it is a familiarity with the course, where the Lady Trojans have logged a lot of hours early in the season. But playing at Stonehenge has just made the Trojans all that much better in general, said Carpenter.

“We’ve actually been practicing here all summer. We’ve been using their facilities. Stonehenge has been very good to us,” he said. “But the girls have not played a lot of holes. It’s been mostly range, chipping and putting.

“Playing here is going to make you better just because the course. The greens are harder. You’ve kind of got to keep it in play, so to speak, so it can only help us practicing here and playing here.”

Triton’s best round came from Megan McFarland, who used solid ball striking to card a 49.

“She hits the ball very well off the tee. Tonight she was hitting it long so consequently she has a shorter iron into the green, which is better for her than putting a longer iron in her hand when you hit a poor one off the tee. I saw her four holes tonight hit just terrific tee shots,” Carpenter said.

“She played very well tonight. She’s ecstatic about the 49. So is coach.”

Alysha May hits a short chip shot.

Alysha May continued to play consistently for her team with a 53, while Kate Gardner carded 57, and Whytnie Miller shot 59. Delanie Groves’ 61 was the Trojans’ fifth score as Triton moved to 3-1 in the early going after wins over both North Miami and Whitko in a three-way at Peru Municipal Monday.

Hopefully, it’s only the beginning for Triton.

“I could go back to last year, and I don’t know if we ever shot under 220. I don’t think we ever did. We were closer to 240 last year probably on an average,” recalled Carpenter. “So our first two nine-hole rounds have been 220, now 218. So I’m very pleased with that. Satisfied, never. I’m never satisfied, but we’ve got girls that are going in the right direction. They work hard, they listen, they at least try to do what we tell them, which is a good thing. They’re a fun group to work with.”

Meanwhile Thursday, Lakeland Christian’s lone golfer, Abby Fishel, shot 48 to finish tied with Izzy Ray for the second best score of the night. Rochester was paced by Renea Bickle’s 56.

In the JV meet, Warsaw’s 224 beat out Triton’s 263.

The JV Tigers were led by Julia Hildebrand’s 55, followed closely by dual 56s from Anna Morgan and Brooklyn Fitzgerald. Valerie Messmore was just one stroke back with a 57, and Kenney Patton carded 59.

Samantha Edington shot 58 to lead the Trojans JV, while Jeanine Soriano shot 66, Maddi Ritchison shot 67, and Natalie Olvera turned in a 99.