The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate golf team teed off its 2025 season on Friday, Aug. 15, landing first place at the Alamosa Invitational.
The team then played two more tournaments over the course of the next week, taking second and third.
“I think we have a chance to be competitive this year as a team,” coach Mark Faber said, adding he thinks the golfers also believe that. “We’re in a good spot there, I think.”
Faber noted there are 14 Pirates out for the program this year, noting, “it’s grown a bunch, so that’s a good deal.”
The team is a mix of new and experienced golfers, Faber explained, noting there are five freshmen on the roster.
He added the coaches spent a lot of time on the course this summer with the golfers and getting to know them and “they seem like really good kids.”
The team’s two state qualifiers from last season — Johnathon Smith and Tyler Dimond — are also returning to the team.
Faber also indicated the Pirates are facing a new way to qualify for the state tournament this year.
Instead of playing in a regional tournament for a chance to advance, Faber explained golfers can compete in up to 12 tournaments, with their top five tournament scores averaged and the top 84 golfers in the classification making state.
The team’s first tournament of the year was the Alamosa Invitational.
The Pirates logged a team score of 238 at the 13-team tournament, beating second-place Rye by 13 strokes.
Smith also logged his first win of the season at the event, shooting par with a score of 71.
Smith shot eagle on one hole, birdie on three holes and par on 11 holes.
“Jonathon, of course, played really well,” Faber said, noting Smith almost “let it get away from him at the end, but he ended up winning it.”
Dimond finished fifth at the tournament with an 81, which included shooting birdie on three holes and par on four holes.
Dimond, the coach noted, picked up where he left off last year.
“I’m expecting ... some really good things out of Tyler,” Faber said.
Chatwin Pickering tied for ninth with an 86, which included shooting par on six holes.
“I was impressed with Chatwin as a freshman,” Faber said, adding Pickering played well in his first high school tournament.
Maximus Ibram tied for 22nd with a 92. He shot par on four holes.
Logan Lamoreaux finished as part of a four-way tie for 26th with a 96. He shot par on five holes.
Faber highlighted that Lamoreaux just started playing golf over the summer.
“I thought it was good,” he said of Lamoreaux’s play at the tournament.
Ty Richey shot a 108 to tie for 44th, with his effort including shooting birdie on one hole.
Faber noted this is Richey’s first year playing golf, adding the senior is working hard and he wishes Richey had played more years.
The Pirates followed that effort with a third-place finish at the 21-team Durango Hillcrest Open on Monday, Aug. 18.
The team again scored 238.
Fruita Monument won with an overall score of 225, with Durango taking second with a 234.
“That was a very competitive tournament,” the coach said, adding the team wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was a good start for the team.
Smith ended in a three-way tie for sixth on the day with a 76 on the par-71 course, which included logging birdies on three holes and par on 10 holes.
Faber noted Smith struggled a little bit, but played well again.
Dimond finished 14th with a 79. He shot birdies on three holes and par on eight holes.
“Tyler played well,” Faber said, adding he “had a really good round.”
Pickering finished as part of a five-way tie for 23rd with an 83. His effort included shooting birdie on one hole and par on five holes.
Faber suggested he was again pleased with Pickering’s play.
Max Brown finished 94th with a 102, which included shooting par on three holes.
Lamoreaux finished 100th with a score of 113, with the Pirate shooting par on one hole.
Deaglan Denen finished 103rd with a score of 120.
The Pirates then competed in the Panther Invitational in Cortez on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
The Pirates took second at the 15-team Panther Invitational on Tuesday, Aug. 19, logging a score of 235.
Durango took first with a score of 226.
Smith tied for first on the day after shooting a 71 on the par-72 course, with Faber explaining Smith became the day’s winner after a scorecard playoff.
Smith’s effort included shooting birdie on five holes and par on nine holes.
Faber noted he had a “rough start, but a great finish” and played “really well” the last 13 or 14 holes.
Dimond tied for 13th with an 81, with his work including shooting par on 10 holes.
Pickering finished as part of a six-way tie for 16th with an 83. His effort included shooting birdie on two holes and par on eight holes.
“Tyler and Chatwin both stayed right there,” Faber said, noting they each had a couple of holes that were hard on them.
Brown finished as part of a seven-way tie for 56th with a 95. He shot par on five holes.
Lamoreaux and Denen finished as part of a three-way tie for 66th with scores of 97.
Lamoreaux shot par on four holes, and Denen shot par on two holes.
Faber noted Brown and Denen played better at the tournament than they have previously, which he noted was nice to see.
Ibram finished 76th with a 103. He shot par on one hole.
Richey tied for 80th with a 106.
Now, the Pirates face a potential lull in action until early September, though Faber noted he’s working to add in another tournament and give the kids the best chance of making state he can.
Faber indicated that the team will continue to analyze its play to look for what works and what doesn’t in order to keep improving.
He noted the team is a really good group that wants to work and improve.
Schedule
The following schedule was accurate as of press time, but is subject to change.
Next up for the Pirates unless an additional tournament is scheduled will be a tournament on Sept. 5 in Monte Vista beginning at 9 a.m.
Then, on Sept. 9, the team will host its sole home tournament of the season beginning at 9 a.m.
On Sept. 15, the Pirates will travel to Farmington, N.M., with action beginning at 10 a.m.
On Sept. 17, the team will return to Alamosa, with play beginning at 9 a.m.
The Pirates will return to New Mexico on Sept. 22, this time for play hosted by the Kirtland Central Broncos. The tournament will begin at 9 a.m.
The team will again play in Farmington on Sept. 29, with play beginning at 11 a.m.
randi@pagosasun.com
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