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Only rain can stop Barrish, Mikes golf team

3 min read
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So far, the only thing that has prevented Carmichaels High School’s golf team from victory is rain.

The Mikes were a few holes into their Monday match with Brownsville when the skies opened and rain provided an early shower, suspending the golf match.

The forecast for the next three days is more rain – and more frustration – to a season that has been nothing but sunshine.

Carmichaels is 11-0 in Section 8-AA and holding onto first place, thanks to handing Uniontown its lone section loss earlier in the season.

“I’ve never seen it this bad,” said Carmichaels head coach Dave Briggs. “But what are you going to do? Our section has eight teams so we have 14 section matches. You can hold tri-matches but that’s risky. You could have a bad day and that could hurt you.”

The WPIAL has decided to extend the team season until Saturday, three days past the original Wednesday deadline, because of the weather. The team postseason in Class AA gets underway after that and Briggs has high hopes.

“Our goal is to make the team finals,” he said. “The top two from our section get in. We’ve had five solid players all season.”

None more successful than Matt Barrish, a left-handed senior who is coming off a 3-under 30 on the front nine at Rohanna’s Golf Course against Waynesburg Saturday. The round included four birdies and he just missed another birdie when a putt lipped out or he would have had a 29.

Barrish has similar goals for himself and the team.

“I want to make it to the state tournament,” he said, “and I want the team to make it to the finals.”

Barrish didn’t start playing golf until eighth grade and served as team manager for the varsity. Last season, he finished in sixth place in the WPIAL tournament, qualifying for the state tournament. There, he ended up in 11th place.

“I like this game because you have to concentrate on every shot,” Barrish said. “And there has to be precision in your shots.”

Barrish feels his iron play is his strength, but switching to an Odyssey blade putter from a mallet type has dramatically improved his putting. He uses Taylormade M4 metals and hybrids and Callaway irons.

“It just feels better,” Barrish said. “I’ve really cut down on my three-putts.”

Barrish heads a Carmichaels’ scoring lineup that routinely includes Remmey and Delaney Lohr, Ethan Greene and Taggart Shea. Barrish leads with a 36.6 scoring average, followed by Greene (41) and Shea (41).

In the summer, Barrish competes on the West Virginia Callaway Tour, finishing second last summer.

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