WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL

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THE SHAG BAG

Bill Cooney has covered golf for the Wisconsin State Journal since 2004, including several U.S. Bank Championships, a pair of PGA Championships and a U.S. Senior Open as well as many state and local events. The Appleton native grew up playing Reid Municipal Golf Course -- and still considers its 17th and 18th as some of the state's top finishing holes -- and, when he has the day off, counts on the middle tees, at least one mulligan and an occasional gimme-putt to break 80 at a handful of area golf courses.

E-mail Bill Cooney

FRI., JUL 4, 2008 - 12:09 AM

The Shag Bag: West's Battista not on first team?? ... What a joke

I have a serious problem with the Wisconsin High School Golf Coaches Association's all-state boys golf first team.

How do you leave the WIAA Division 1 medalist, Madison West senior Mike Battista, off the list?

That's unacceptable. Battista, who fired a two-day total of 4-under 140 at University Ridge Golf Course in June, made the second team. Eight golfers made the first team. Are you trying to tell me eight golfers are more deserving than the player who won Wisconsin's state title in its highest division?

Battista was also the co-medalist at the Waunakee sectional with a 71. At the Middleton regional, he finished second with a 72. He finished fourth at the Big Eight Conference tournament with a 76, not a eye-opening score but certainly not terrible.

Now unless he's throwing up scores in the 90s during the season -- which he wasn't -- there's no reason not to put him on the first team.

I'm not saying anyone that made the Division 1 first-team -- Sam Frank, Brady Keegan, Anthony Aicher, Cody Strang, Jeff Groose, Mike Sorenson, Ryan Prickette or Jack Schultz -- doesn't deserve it.

But am I the only one who thinks this non-selection is a bit ridicoulous?