SPOILS OF VICTORY: Members of the Princeton High boys’ golf team show off the T-shirts and plaque they earned for placing first in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Open Championship last Thursday at the Mercer Oaks Golf Course (West) in West Windsor. PHS senior star Walter Gumbinger placed first individually with a three-under 69. The Tigers went on to place eighth in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey Group 3 Sectional last Monday at the Flanders Valley Golf Course in Flanders. Pictured, from left, are Phineas Choe, Andrew Spies, Kona McAlester, Walter Gumbinger, Owen Barry, and head coach Patrick Noone.

By Bill Alden

While the Princeton High boys’ golf team has featured several new faces on its lineup this spring, there was a key constant in senior star Walter Gumbinger.

“One of Walter’s goals was understanding that everyone is new and making them welcome and letting them know the expectations and how the team and the program is,” said PHS head coach Patrick Noone.

“When Walter was younger, he was around a core that helped establish that and he did an unbelievable job of passing that on this year.”

With Gumbinger leading the way, PHS brought an 11-0 record and plenty of confidence into the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Open Championship last Thursday at the Mercer Oaks Golf Course (West) in West Windsor. (It was the inaugural CVC tourney after the Mercer County Tournament was discontinued last year to exclude non-conference prep schools.)

“Lucky for us we got off to a good start early,” said Noone. “It got them comfortable. We played a bunch of different kind of games during the season among themselves. I think that really helped.”

As PHS competed in the CVC tournament, Gumbinger had a very good day, carding a 3-under 69 to place first by six strokes. Gumbinger’s heroics helped the Tigers win the team title as they posted a winning score of 303, 16 strokes better than runner-up Notre Dame.

“Walter has been awesome from the day he walked in four years ago,” said Noone of Gumbinger, a Dickinson College commit. “He is an unbelievable player, he has had an unbelievable career. It is just his work ethic and his drive. He is so goal-oriented, he wanted it so bad. He really put everything he had into it. It was really awesome to see the fruits of his labor, that was a culmination of what he has done.”

In rolling to the win, Gumbinger stayed in the moment. “He was really hitting the ball tee to green,” said Noone. “He really just trusted his process. He was extremely patient through his round, he didn’t chase anything. He had a good game plan going in. It was hit the fairways and trust that my swing is what I want it to be.”

PHS sophomore Andrew Spies had a very good day as he tied for second with a 75.

“Andrew is the definition of a gamer, he just finds a way to get the ball into the hole,” said Noone. “He is super competitive. He doesn’t think about anything. He doesn’t worry about his swing, he doesn’t care about what it looks like. He just knows he is going to get the ball into the hole. I think he was 3-over for his first five. He had a nice birdie on his last hole. It was a good way to finish. It was a huge, huge round for him.”

The pair of sophomore Phineas Choe and senior Owen Barry rounded out the scoring for the Tigers as Choe carded a 77 and Barry came in at 82.

“Phineas is progressing, that was the first time he broke 80,” said Noone. “That’s pretty impressive in a county tournament. Owen is a soccer player. He is a state champion and a sectional champion so he is a gamer, too. He is just let me keep doing what I am doing. He is very consistent, hitting fairways and greens.”

Winning the CVC reflects the consistent excellence the PHS program has developed over the years.

“It is huge, especially with a whole new core this year,” said Noone. “We had a core that won it two years ago, they had a 299. Last year we lost by a few. It is good. It has been a culture that this is where we really want to shine and be playing our best golf.”

That culture has been enhanced by support in and out of the school.

“The guys at Springdale Golf Club have been unbelievably gracious, it is a very supportive program,” said Noone. “Andrew Gordon, Chris Brock and Jason Barry (a former PHS golf standout) have been great. A lot of the guys work with Jason. The school has been so supportive of the program. I know how excited they all were for Walter. It is really a good thing.”

As PHS went on to place eighth in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey Group 3 Sectional last Monday at the Flanders Valley Golf Course in Flanders, Noone was excited for his players to get more postseason experience. Gumbinger led the way for the Tigers at the event, tying for ninth with a 4-over 76.

“Golf is a confidence thing, you have something good and you ride it,” said Noone. “In high school golf especially, it is playing invitationals and playing 18-hole tournaments as much as you possibly can. Golf is all about putting yourself in situations. We played some good teams like Wall and Freehold out of conference. We really try to use the schedule to our benefit. Whether you win or lose, the more reps you get, the better.”