CP, Biehuzen tame the wind

Updated: April 30, 2011 11:28PM

DEMOTTE — Not good.

That was the diagnosis from Crown Point coach Del Kutemeier as his team finished play in the Kankakee Valley Invitational on Saturday.

The Bulldogs, among the first groups in the clubhouse, appeared to limp in with a score 351.

Even more surprising, their No. 1 player and the best player in Northwest Indiana, Nick Grubnich, shot an 82.

Proof that it’s hard to tell what can happen when the wind blows.

Grubnich’s 82 held up for medalist honors and Crown Point actually coasted to a seven-stroke victory over Andrean.

It was just one of those days where conditions were near impossible. KV coach Brad Burvan had the tees all the way back, which meant they measured at a cool 6,801 yards. Combine the distance with winds that whipped in the vicinity of 30 mph and it was tough.

“The wind was the real winner today,” Grubnich said. “It got us. It was playing super tough out there.”

The Bulldogs also had an ace up their sleeve in Sam Biehuzen, a sophomore, who was playing in the first varsity match of his career. Biehuzen shot a stellar 83, which was good enough for solo second place.

Biehuzen was very happy with the performance.

“Any time I can be within seven or eight shots of Nick, I am more than happy,” he said.

Biehuzen was appropriately intimidated when he walked onto the putting green and heard they were going to play from the tips.

A little guy, he said he drives the ball 200 yards tops. That is pretty much a 5-iron for Grubnich.

Biehuzen, however, kept his head while everyone else was losing it in the wind.

He made seven pars and 11 bogeys. He got up-and-down for every par that he made.

His best work came on No. 7, a 600-yard par 5, and No. 8, a 240-yard par 3. Both were early holes for him because the teams teed off in a shotgun format.

Both played into the wind.

Biehuzen knew he didn’t have a chance to reach either in regulation. But he was able to make par on both, skipping an 8-iron close on No. 8 from 50 yards out. That got him excited.

“That gave me a lot of momentum,” he said. “That turned the round around for me.”

Biehuzen truly was happy to just be playing. Kutemeier inserted him in the lineup only because the two of his teammates were participating in an orchestra recital.

Kutemeier will have to think twice about how he makes his lineup out next time.

“You can’t beat that,” Kutemier said of his score.

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