The 2026 season is officially underway!

The Thunderbolts opened the year at the Talawanda Invitational at Hueston Woods, finishing 4th out of 12 teams with a team score of 345. Northmont also had two players finish among the top five individuals in the entire tournament, highlighting the strong leadership and experience of our senior class.

Team Scores
Eli Morgan (Senior) – 80 — 3rd Overall
Carson Auxier (Senior) – 81 — 5th Overall
Wade Wallace (Sophomore) – 91 (First varsity event as a new team member)
Jonas Roberts (Senior) – 93
Jack Luttrell (Junior) – 93 (First varsity event as a new team member)
Alex Webb (Sophomore) – 94 (First varsity event as a new team member)

It was great to see three new members of our program—Jack Luttrell, Wade Wallace, and Alex Webb—gain valuable tournament experience in their first event representing Northmont.

Just as impressive was the play of our senior leaders. Eli Morgan earned a 3rd-place individual finish, while Carson Auxier placed 5th overall in a strong field of competitors. Their performances gave the Thunderbolts a solid foundation and demonstrated the experience and leadership they bring to the team.

Player of the Match

Eli Morgan (Senior) earned Player of the Match honors after leading the Thunderbolts with a round of 80 and finishing 3rd overall in the tournament. Eli's consistent play and ability to avoid big numbers helped set the tone for the team in the opening event of the season.

Coach's Corner

Although a fourth-place finish is something to build on, we left several strokes out on the course. As a team, we lost 17 golf balls during the round. Lost balls quickly lead to penalty strokes, extra shots, and bigger numbers.

The encouraging part is that this is a very fixable area. Had we simply eliminated about half of those lost balls through better course management and smarter decisions, we likely would have found ourselves competing for second place.

Golf is a game of minimizing mistakes as much as making birdies. As we continue to improve our course management and commit to smart decisions, our scores will continue to come down. The potential this group has is exciting, and we're looking forward to seeing that growth throughout the season.

Looking Ahead

The Thunderbolts have a quick turnaround as they travel to Pipestone Golf Club for their next competition. Pipestone is always a great test, rewarding players who keep the ball in play and stay patient throughout the round.

Our focus this week will be simple: eliminate unnecessary penalty strokes, keep the ball in play, and trust the work we've put in during practice. If we do those things, we're confident we'll be in position to compete near the top of the leaderboard.

Thank you to all of our families and supporters for your continued encouragement. We look forward to another opportunity to represent Northmont with pride.

Go Bolts!