First off, a huge thank you to the Carter family. For those who may not know, our CatchMark SportsNet team is small, and weekends often mean juggling multiple events and responsibilities. That’s where our SportsNuts come in — the dedicated folks who help us extend our coverage and keep local athletes in the spotlight.
This weekend, the Carter family stepped up in a big way. They provided us with rundowns, updates, and everything we needed to tell a complete story about these two standout golfers. Their support made this article possible — and for that, we’re truly grateful. Thank you!
ALLENDALE – It wasn’t the cleanest start for West Michigan Conference standouts Titan Carter and Max Scharp at the MHSAA Division 3 Boys Golf State Finals, but both were able to bounceback and finish in a respectable 14th and 38th.
Titan Carter (Shelby) – T-14th, +13 (81 – 76 – 157)
After a strong performance at regionals to qualify as an individual, Carter entered the state finals as one of the top players from the WMC Rivers and a name to watch statewide. He opened Friday’s round with a challenge few would envy — finding five separate sand traps within his first five holes. But Carter managed to escape each with minimal damage, needing just five putts across that stretch to stay afloat.
On the front nine Friday, Carter totaled just 13 putts. He finished the day with a 81 (+9), keeping him within striking distance of the leaderboard despite somewhat inconsistent ball placement. An estimated 29 total putts and a some strong mental will were the story of his Day 1 round.
Saturday was a different challenge. Carter found more fairways and dialed in his approach game early, notching a birdie on his second hole to move to -1 for the round. At one point, he climbed into a tie for 13th overall and was just a stroke outside of eighth with five holes to play. However, the putter that carried him on Friday cooled off on Saturday, particularly from inside five feet. Still, Carter managed to shoot a 76 (+4) and finish tied for 14th place at +13 overall — an impressive showing in a field of over 100 of the state’s best.
Max Scharp (Manistee) – 38th, +21 (87 – 78 – 165)
For Max Sharp, Friday’s opening round score of 87 doesn’t begin to tell the full story. Scharp’s round was marred by misfortune — including two triple bogeys and a double — caused by tough lies, bad bounces, and unfortunate kicks. The most memorable moment? A triple bogey late in the round after playing a hole without shoes, the result of an unexpected situation that would have derailed most golfers
Despite the chaos, Scharp showed some grit and kept his round alive with steady play between the mistakes. He made the cut and earned a spot in Saturday’s final round, where he flipped the script.
On Day 2, Scharp came out composed and much more consistent, carding eight straight pars to open the round and immediately gaining ground on the field. His strong second-day performance propelled him from 62nd place all the way up to a 38th-place finish, with a final-round 78 (+7). At one point during Saturday’s round, he had climbed as high as 28th.
Overall, Jackson Lumen Christi took the win, finishing with a two-day total of 626. They were followed by Traverse City St. Francis (639) and Grand Rapids Northpointe Christian (645). In individiual top scoring, Shepard’s, Chris Crockett took the title with a day 1, 70 and a day 2, 75 for a two-day total of 145.
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