Tucker golfer cards a 39 despite broken thumb to lead win
You’ve got to give Michael Buckley a thumbs-up for what he’s accomplished for the Mattituck High School boys golf team. He’s playing some of his best golf despite competing with a broken right thumb.
Buckley, the team’s No. 2 seed, shot a three-over par 39, helping the Tuckers to a 9-0 victory over Greenport/Southold at Laurel Links Country Club on a picture-perfect on Thursday, Sept. 18.
Sophomore Sam Quartararo, the top seed, also recorded a 39 in the Suffolk League VI match.
Buckley, a senior, was thrilled to be competing less than a month after fracturing the vital digit.
“I was turning around, and I didn’t even know the wall was so close, and I just jammed it,” Buckley said about how he got injury. “When it happened, I didn’t think it was broken. It got worse. I had to go to a doctor. It was broken. It doesn’t hurt as much. I can play now.”
Head coach Paul Ellwood admitted that he wasn’t certain if Buckley could compete.
“He said he was going to give it a try. He didn’t get it casted,” Ellwood recalled. “He’s managing it. Just taking it easy. Hopefully it heals so he can play a little bit more towards the end of the season. But, this seems to be working for him.”
Buckley returned to competition a week ago. He has compensated by not swinging as hard.
“I turn over the ball more without the top thumb, which has actually helped me play better,” he said. “I have to swing less than 100 percent because otherwise I would re-injure it. I don’t want to push it.”
Buckley defeated sophomore Mickey Smith, who shot a 44.
His 39 was two strokes off Buckley’s best round of the year, a 37 in a 7-2 loss to Riverhead on Sept. 9.
“My drives are pretty good. My short game was very good,” he said of his most recent performance. “I stuck a lot of good chips, like two feet so I can tap in.”
Photos by Jeremy Garretson
Sometimes less can be more.
“We’ve been talking about a lesson to everyone,” Ellwood said. “Loose grip. Swing easy. Trey [Hansen] did that today and shot his record round. He shot a 41, his best round ever. He said, ‘I just pretended I’m Michael. I have a broken thumb. I’m holding the club loose and swinging it easy, not trying to kill it.’ It paid off for him. Unfortunately, [Buckley] had to break his thumb. But when guys see it in practice and working, they’re, ‘Oh, wait, yeah, maybe I should try this.'”
Quartararo, who won his match against senior Glenn Heidtmann (43), praised Buckley.
“I’m very happy that he’s able to play,” he said. “He’s a big part of our team. Being the number two, he’s an important spot, so it’s good that he’s able to play. I’m very happy that he’s still shooting the scores that he was before. He’s doing better, actually.”
Quartararo also enjoyed a strong afternoon as the Tuckers (3-2, 3-2) swept all six match-play encounters against the Settlers (2-3, 1-3).
“My wedges were working pretty good,” he said. “I was chipping good. I was putting good. I made a few clutch putts toward the end of the round.”
At No. 3, senior Greyson Gunder defeated sophomore Chase Horne, 48-54. Junior Brennan Daly edged sophomore Owen Buonaiuto at fourth seed, 48-50. Senior Brian Lynch beat sophomore Brady Treharne at the fifth spot, and Hansen, a senior, downed senior Luke Kohl at No. 6, 41-50.
“Did great,” Ellwood said. “Anytime you break 40 at this place, you’re shooting a good score. This is by far the toughest track in our league. We love playing here because it makes us better. We’re better by the end of the year, because you have to hit every kind of shot on this course.”
Greenport head coach Jeff Ellis said that he was encouraged with the progress his golfers have made.
“It was a shutout match, but this group is playing the best golf that we’ve probably played as a team, and probably as long as I’ve been coaching,” he said. “Golf’s a little different. I’m looking at their scores as opposed to how they’re doing against other teams. But we’re getting better. We’re not to the Mattituck, Riverhead, Eastport spot yet, but we’re getting close.”
