It's often over said in sports that it doesn't matter how one starts, but how they finish.
Well, clichés are often cliché for a reason, and Newberg senior Ray Greller is living proof of that.
Greller orchestrated a stellar second-round performance at the OSAA 6A boys golf state championships at Quail Valley Golf Course in Banks on Tuesday, May 14, to finish in a five-way tie for third. After shooting a score of 5-over 77 in round one on Monday and sitting at 28th, Greller responded with the second-best outing of the second day, shooting 3-under 69 and sinking six birdies, finishing at 2-over 146.
“I worked hard on the range earlier (on Tuesday), just trying to hit more into the wind shots because I was very unprepared for (Monday),” Greller said. “I hit a lot more greens today, and I putted well (on Monday) — I just wasn't close enough to make it count.”
The day started solid for Greller, securing a par on his opening hole. It didn't take very long for the senior to find his groove.
"I was feeling good most of the day," Greller said. “When I saved bogey on (Hole 2) and then went par-birdie-birdie the next three holes, that’s when I was like, ‘OK, we got a chance to shoot a low one here. Let’s just try and close this round out solid.’”
Greller's turnaround showing epitomized the Tigers' overall execution on Tuesday, with his little brother Luke Greller notably improving by 13 strokes and shooting an even 72, ultimately finishing 25th.
“This year for me, it was a great experience … there’s no pressure like state,” Luke Greller said. "I think moving forward, it just sets a precedent for how much work we need to put in and the offseason.”
James Teters, meanwhile, improved by eight strokes to finish tied for 59th with teammate Jackson Carr, who shot a consistent 12-over 84 both days. Senior Monte Romersa bettered his score by one stroke, finishing 87th, as the Tigers composed the fourth-best team score of round two after sitting in 12th after round one. They ultimately finished eighth.
“We knew we could score that way all season and we needed to put it together at the right time,” Newberg head coach Joel Matykowski said. “We put together our best round of the year on the second day to give us a top-10 finish in state and Ray getting tied for third. That's just emblematic of these guys. They always dig, they battle and they're a great group of guys to be around.”
“I think they just were a little more settled nerves-wise today. (Monday) was their first time playing a state round," Ray added. "I think they just were in control better of their games and everyone learned from (Monday) and played better, which was fun. It was certainly nice looking down at scores during the round and seeing all the teammates were playing better.”
It's no coincidence that Ray's best finish at the state championships in his high school career coincided with the boys team's return to state. He said he felt more relaxed on the course than in previous years, soaking in moments of laughter and conversation on the bus ride over, a ride he journeyed alone last year. While a return to state felt inevitable for the two-time Pacific Conference individual champion, a team-bid was far from guaranteed.
“We had some guys that just started grinding and practicing and working really hard at it," Matykowski said. "Monte Romersa, he worked so hard. His improvement from last year to this year was amazing. And our sophomores this year were all freshmen last year — they just grew into it another year and really performed well.”
And with the three sophomores returning next season, and a couple of JV golfers exuding potential, the future seems bright for the Tigers.
“We’re looking forward to getting three guys back from this year's team that came here to state,” Matykowski said. “I think we’re going to be competitive for the next couple of years and just kind of keep trying to build it from there.”
Elsewhere, at the OSAA 6A girls golf state championships at Trysting Tree Golf Course in Corvallis, Adele Gregory shot scores of 87 and 99 across the two days of competition to finish tied for 49th.
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