South golf team’s season turned at City Cup
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PARKERBURG -- From a season which almost didn't happen, the Parkersburg South golf program is in position to make some noise at the Class AAAA state golf tournament in Wheeling on Monday and Tuesday.
The Patriot golfers experienced a few unknowns when the 2026 season commenced, but former Blennerhassett Middle School golf coach Holmes Marty stepped forward and arrived in time exactly one day prior to opening day.
South didn't exactly blaze any trails the first month of the schedule and failed to win a match during that period.
Fast forward to this past Tuesday at Berry Hills Country Club. The South foursome of Jackson Ruble, Easton Wolfe and Cooper Sams placed fourth in the team standings and took the final qualifying spot out of the Southern Regional.
The Patriots will be joined in the Class AAAA field by Parkersburg's Jack Louden, who qualified as an individual.
"Yes, everything with this program is like night and day from the beginning of the season," coach Marty said. "That first month, if it was a quad we finished fourth. If it was a tri-match, we finished third. Not only did we not win a match, we did not beat any teams that we've played. It was frustrating to the guys. It was frustrating to me because I knew their potential.
"Losing the City Cup to Parkersburg was a gamechanger. PHS is really good and we were frustrated we lost to them at their place. We played them again here (at the Links at Woodridge) and beat them by 17 strokes. That was when the switch changed."
The Patriots placed seventh out of eight teams last year at the state tournament. This year, there is the anticipation the team could finish as high as second. Southern Regional champion Hurricane is playing at another level, but South is optimistic.
After all, the Patriots were holding down second place at the turn at Berry Hills CC ahead of George Washington and Cabell Midland.
"I'm really proud of how the team played at regionals," said Welch, a sophomore who fired an 83 on Tuesday. "I wasn't expecting us to go that low. We were watching the scores pretty close. It came down to the end with us and PHS.
"I think we are in a good spot for states. We just have to go out there and see what we can do, and not focus on what people are doing."
Without Sams being aware, the theme of Tuesday's regional was getting the job done for their senior year. Mission accomplished, so now the quest becomes placing high atop the team leaderboard.
"Qualifying for state was a pretty good feeling because the first month into the season we didn't have a win and nobody was really expecting us to make it," Sams said. "We didn't even know if we would have a season to be honest with you. But we were able to lock in at the end of the season when it mattered."
The four representatives from the Northern Regional (Washington, University, Morgantown and Wheeling Park) put up comparable scores as South's three-man total of 242 on Tuesday.
"Hurricane is definitely the top dog," said Ruble, a junior who shot a 79 at Berry Hills CC as South's No. 1 golfer. ""But if we all play good golf, that is definitely a factor. I'm definitely very grateful to get the opportunity to play in the state tournament with the team two years in a row.
"Honestly, at the beginning of the season I thought there was no shot because we didn't have a win. I'm very grateful the rest of the guys came out and very thankful for (coach) Marty. In mid-July we didn't have a coach and I didn't know what to do at that point. I'm so glad he stepped up."
Out of the No. 3 hole in the South lineup, Wolfe finished with the team's second low score at 80. Not the longest of hitters on the team, the course in Wheeling may set up well for Wolfe in terms of keeping the ball down the middle of the fairway.
Wolfe's putt for par on the 18th hole at Berry Hills sealed the fourth-place finish at regionals.
"On hole 17, I double-bogeyed which was unfortunate because I was on a great run," Wolfe said. "I got up the box on the 18th hole and Jackson Ruble came up to me and said he thought I needed a par to seal the deal.
"My tee shot was great. I lagged my putt a little bit short. I had a little bit of the nerves because I left it seven to eight feet. But when I made the putt, my teammates all came over to congratulate me. That 80 was my best tournament score and best score of my life, so I felt pretty good about that."
South's alternate, junior Garrett Cline, will join the team again for the state tournament with his official set of clubs - and not the version he used during the first half of the season which resulted in some ribbing from his teammates.
Cline returned to competitive golf for the first time since middle school.
"What turned my season around - I got an actual set of clubs," Cline laughed. "At the beginning of the season I had a variety of clubs. I had like two 3-woods, two 9-irons, a 7-iron. It was rough. But I was still shooting in the 40s and upper 30s.
"I'm just grateful to be allowed to go support my team."
Lineups can be adjusted after the first of two rounds, so Cline's presence will be invaluable.
And regardless of next week's outcome, the Patriots are well-stocked for next season. At the Wood County Middle School Championships, Blennerhassett won by 36 strokes. A handful of those Blennerhassett golfers are eighth graders who figure to make their presence as freshmen.
"I lived in Wheeling for many, many years - I attended Wheeling Jesuit, so I am familiar with all three courses there in Wheeling," Marty said. "It's a tough, tough course, but we will be there Sunday and take our practice round. We were in the hardest region, so to be in contention and be in second place the majority of the day I think we can contend with everybody but maybe Hurricane."
Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com