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Steamboat solves River Valley Ranch riddle

Dale Strode
The Aspen Times

CARBONDALE — The Steamboat Sailors solved the riddle of River Valley Ranch on Tuesday.

The Steamboat Springs High School boys golf team won the annual Aspen Invitational with steady play from top to bottom on a damp day in Carbondale.

The Sailors, led by individual medalist Britt Walton, won with a three-player composite score of 221 — a whopping 11-stroke team victory.



Host Aspen was second at 232, the highest finish for a Class 3A team in the 10-team field.

Rifle was third at 233 with Basalt fourth at 237.




Battle Mountain finished fifth (242).

On a day when the prep golfers avoided most of the scattered showers, they still battled damp course conditions and a bit of standing water.

But Walton found the course to his liking.

“The course was in great condition even with the wet fairways. That made it great to hit,” said the Steamboat Springs sophomore, who was the only golfer to shoot par on the par-72 course.

“I made quite a few long ones … 20-, 25-footers for birdie. It was a good day,” said Walton, who won his first high school tournament at River Valley Ranch.

He said he played the course once before.

“I played it once three years ago with my dad,” Walton said.

Teammate Brandon Martin finished two strokes back in second place with a 74.

Another Steamboat golfer, Eric Sobeck, shot a 75 to finish tied for third with Tristan Rohrbaugh, of Basalt, one of the hottest golfers on the prep circuit.

“It was fun on the front,” Rohrbaugh said. “I went 35-40. I kind of blew up on the back.”

He said he drove the ball effectively Tuesday until the 18th hole.

“I made the long putts and missed the 3-footers. It was that kind of day,” said Rohrbaugh, the son of Karla and Doug Rohrbaugh.

Teammate Nick Calabro shot 80 and Peter Steckler added an 82 for the Longhorns.

Rohrbaugh had won three tournaments entering Tuesday.

Clayton Crawford led the host Skiers with a 76, including a lip-out putt on the final hole.

Will Hazen shot a 77, and Patrick Martin carded a 79 for Aspen’s team 232.

Trey Robinson also shot an 82 for Aspen.

dstrode@aspentimes.com