HARTLAND — Aidan Oake was literally along for the ride the past several times Hartland competed in the state boys golf tournament.
Now a high school junior, the son of veteran coach Nathan Oake is a driving force in getting the Eagles back to the level to which they’d become accustomed.
Hartland is returning to the state finals for the first time since 2021 after shooting 297 to win the Division 1 regional it hosted Tuesday, May 26 at Dunham Hills Golf Club. Portage Central was second with a 301.
When the Eagles last qualified, also by winning a regional at Dunham Hills, it was the eighth time in 11 seasons they reached the state tournament. They finished in the top 10 in seven of those trips.
Aidan Oake had a front-row seat to the Eagles’ success as a young golfer growing up around the program.
“He was able to get in the car with me for quite a few of these when we traveled to The Meadows or various regional tournaments,” coach Oake said. “He’s been front-and-center as a middle schooler and elementary schooler. He earned it today. He played hard and he wanted to lead his team today.”
Aidan Oake helped stamp his own legacy on the Hartland program by shooting 2-over-par 73 to tie for fourth place individually. He was part of a Hartland team that lost a tie-breaker for the final state berth two years ago, then had an off day to finish eighth at regionals last season.
Now he will get to experience a state tournament as a participant, rather than a spectator. After watching past Hartland teams compete on the big stage, he knows the mindset he wants to take into the state finals June 5 and 6 at Ferris State University’s Katke Course.
“One thing I remember from coming out and watching is not to take it too serious,” Oake said. “You can’t be playing live or die, especially in a game like golf. It makes it difficult. So, when we get there, we’re just going to go out there and have fun and see what we can do.”
Senior Wyatt Johnson and junior Liam Kastamo tied for sixth with 74s, while sophomore Jase Sensor and senior Michael Maurin tied for 10th with 76s for the Eagles.
“This is a big milestone for not just me, but for us as a team,” Aidan Oake said. “It means a lot. This is such a good group of guys. There’s nobody else I’d rather be around. They’re such a tight-knit group from top to bottom. We’re able to push each other every day in practice. Iron sharpens iron.”
Howell senior Anson Forsyth, a two-time state champion snowboarder, qualified individually for the state finals by tying for fourth with a 73.
Forsyth wasn’t even in Howell’s varsity lineup last season when a group of five seniors qualified as a team for the second year in a row. He is one of several Highlanders who kept the program competitive this season, despite the graduation losses.
“Last year I was one of the varsity ‘B’ guys, just trying to get a spot on varsity,” Forsyth said. “I didn’t end up playing too much, but this year I got to play more.”
Howell missed qualifying as a team by one place, finishing fourth with a 314.
“Everyone else didn’t think we were going to be any good this year, but I think we showed we still were going to be good,” Forsyth said.
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Coach’s son leads Hartland to regional golf championship
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
