Perham's Marcus Belka will compete in the boys state golf tournament after placing third at the Section 8AA championship Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Bemidji.
Belka shot a 77 the first day of competition and a 72 (even par) the second day, for a total of 149. He finished just four strokes behind medalist Lukas Justensen of Detroit Lakes, who shot a 145.
Head coach Peder Butenhoff said Belka played disciplined golf in the section championship.
"He made very few crucial mistakes, and any mistakes from the first day he corrected on the second day of play," Butenhoff said. "Marcus is very humble, patient, and level-headed. This makes any good golfer a great golfer."
First-year varsity players and ninth graders Tait Borman and Brayden Glorvigen also competed in the section finals. Glorvigen finished in the middle of the pack, shooting 86 his first day and 90 his second day. Butenhoff was pleased with their performance. "Tait gained great experience and Brayden showed maturity by finishing in the middle overall," he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
They qualified for the section championship by doing well at the subsection in Park Rapids, which was competitive this year, according to Butenhoff. Perham battled with Fergus Falls for third place until the final couple of holes, when Fergus edged out the Yellowjackets 337 to 347. Individually, Belka finished fifth with a 78, while Glorvigen and Borman both shot personal records of 85 and 91, respectively. Ethan Guck rounded out the team score with a 91. Josh Kaline also played in his first varsity meet and scored his best of the year with a 97.
"With other young players Cole Rueter, Jaxon Bain, and Grant Wiser posting scores in the 90s, Perham will have a very formidable team next season," Butenhoff said.
Belka begins state tournament play Tuesday, June 15, at Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan.
