Levi Tichi gave the lead duo of Montrose a run at first place Tuesday in Grand Junction.
The Durango High School sophomore shot 2-over-par 73 to place third at the Warrior Invitational played at Tiara Rado Golf Course and hosted by Grand Junction Central. Tichi started on No. 17 and recorded an early birdie to get into red numbers. For the day, he had three birdies and five bogeys. He was one stroke behind Montrose’s Jordan Jennings and Micah Stangebye, who tied for first at 1-over.
Montrose finished first as a team with a score of 13-over from its top three players. Durango finished at 18-over to take second, and Fruita Monument was third at 23-over. Montezuma-Cortez, led by Thayer Plewe, finished fourth at 27-over, and Battle Mountain rounded out the top five at 29-over. Twelve teams and 61 players completed the round.
Plewe shot 4-over for the Panthers and placed fifth. Anthony Flint of Durango shot 5-over to finish alone in sixth. Blake Keetch of Cortez was in a tie for ninth at 7-over. Luke Tichi shot 11-over for Durango and was tied for 14th to give the Demons’ their third team scorer.
Durango’s Luke Ford tied for 21st at 13-over, and Ethan Whidden shot 13-over to tie for 21st. Justin Brunner of Cortez tied for 27th at 16-over.
Tuesday’s performance came a day after Durango tied Grand Junction for third at Bookcliff Country Club with a score of 22-over. Montrose again won at 8-over, and Fruita Monument was second at 13-over.
Stangebye was the individual medalist Monday at 1-under 70. Grand Junction’s Carson Kerr was second at even par, and Jennings was third at 1-over.
Levi Tichi led Durango on Monday with a 4-over, which tied for fifth. Luke Ford shot 8-over to tie for 12th, and Whidden tied for 18th at 10-over. Michael Marquez turned in a great Monday round of 83 to tie for 23rd along with Flint.
Keetch led Montezuma-Cortez on Monday with a 5-over to place eighth. Plewe shot 80 to tie for 16th, and Brunner finished 13-over to tie for 27th. Cortez finished fifth as a team at 27-over.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com