When Douglas boys' golf coach Brent Eddy was informed that this year's Northern 4A Regional Championships would be played on the Tigers' home course, Genoa Lakes, it gave his squad extra incentive to qualify for the tournament.
Heading into the year with a talented veteran squad, the Tigers knew they definitely had a shot. They sealed it up Tuesday afternoon, clinching the No. 2 seed out of the Sierra League with a third-place finish in the final league tournament.
"This has been an up and down season for our team," Eddy said. "However, we are confident going into the zone tournament that we can compete with the best.
"There are some great teams this year -- Spanish Springs, Carson, Galena and Manogue have all had team scores in the high 300s and low 400s, so we know what we are up against."
Carson won Tuesday's tournament with a team score of 415, followed by Reno at 449.
Douglas came in with a 450, followed by South Tahoe (453) and Damonte Ranch (458).
Carson, Douglas, Reno and Damonte Ranch clinched the regional spots in order.
Senior Troy Shields led the Tigers Tuesday, placing third overall with an 82.
"Troy had a great round especially, considering the conditions," Eddy said. "High winds played havoc with the players balls effecting everything from putting to getting off the tee."
Standout sophomore Thomas Wicker shot an 84 to finish first overall for the season in the Sierra League standings.
"Thomas played extremely well through the his first 9, shooting a 1-under 34," Eddy said. "As the wind kicked up, so did his score."
Eric Guzman (90), Trevor Wentz (94) and Cody Hines (100) also competed for the Tigers on Tuesday.
The regional championships will be Monday and Tuesday at the Genoa Lake Golf Resort Course and Lakes Course.
