PCM boys golf brings back plenty of experience for HOF coach

Mike Cardin spent 26 years as Ottumwa’s head boys golf coach. He led the Bulldogs to nine state championships and guided four individuals to state titles.

And after three seasons as a volunteer assistant at PCM, Cardin was set to take over the Mustang boys’ program last spring.

Unfortunately, his first season leading the program was delayed an entire calendar year after the entire spring seasons were wiped out last year because of COVID-19.

Cardin is back for his “second” season this spring and the Mustangs bring back a lineup filled with experienced veterans. Four varsity players are back from two years ago but Cardin has to figure out what his lineup looks like after the top two scorers graduated from the 2019 roster.

“I still feel confident we can be competitive,” Cardin said. “We didn’t officially get started until after Spring Break so I don’t know where guys will be yet, but I have athletes who have been competitive in other sports. I think I have a pretty good system and if they buy into it, I think we can be competitive.”

Seniors Andrew Mitchell, Gatlin Boell and Grant Landgrebe and junior Gabe Lanphier are all back from the 2019 varsity team. Seniors Brayden Berger and Brian Nicholson also played a few holes at the varsity level.

Mitchell is the top returner after averaging 39.5 for nine holes and 86 for 18 holes in 2019. Boell averaged 41 for nine and 87.29 for 18 holes. Mitchell and Boell will both dual sport this spring with track and field.

Landgrebe averaged 41 for nine holes and 92.71 for 18 holes, while Lanphier shot an average of 47.5 for nine and 95 for 18 holes in his first high school season.

Berger shot one nine-hole round of 50 and one 18-hole round of 95 last year. Nicholson’s only 18-hole round was a 100.

The rest of the 15-player roster includes senior Kyle Landgrebe, juniors Keaton Thomas and Drake Roorda, sophomores Grant Van Veen and Hudson Geer and freshman Nick Faver, Mark Bussan, Nate Richardson and Zach Roorda.

Brad Hill is back as the boys’ assistant golf coach. Tony Ford will be a volunteer coach for both the boys’ and girls’ teams.

The Mustangs played in the state tournament and were one of the best teams in Class 2A in 2018. In 2019, they averaged 162 in their three nine-hole rounds and 338.57 in their seven 18-hole rounds.

Cardin said last year that he probably won’t approach practice like most golf coaches. He doesn’t have his players ‘just go out and play.’

Instead, his focus will be mostly on the short game.

“When we can get on the course, we will do a short-game skills test,” said Cardin, who was elected into the Iowa High School Golf Hall of Fame in 2014. “We will get them a short-game score and then go from there. The short game matters. That makes the difference in the scores.

“After we do that, we will do one qualifying round to get a baseline score.”

Cardin was the boys golf coach at Ottumwa from 1987-2012. He has won seven boys state titles and two co-ed state championships. He also guided his boys program to three runner-up finishes.

Before taking over the program at Ottumwa, he coached at Indian Hills Community College for one season.

PCM 2021

Varsity Boys Golf Schedule

April 6 — Lynnville-Sully (Diamond Trail), 4 p.m.

April 12 — Bondurant-Farrar (Terrace Hills), 2 p.m.

April 15 — Des Moines Christian (Jester Park), 9 a.m.

April 19 — West Marshall (Lincoln Valley), 2 p.m.

April 26 — Home Invitational, 1 p.m.

April 29 — Moravia (The Preserve), Noon

May 1 — Knoxville (Pine Knolls), 9 a.m.

May 4 — HOIC Invitational (Lincoln Valley), 9 a.m.

May 8 — Colfax-Mingo, 9 a.m.

May 14 — Sectionals, 10 a.m., TBA

May 17 — Pella Christian (Bos Landen), 2 p.m.

Home meets in bold