Photo by Tracy Dreslinski Farmington High senior Jordan Weinger led his team to the Division 1 Oakland County tournament championship May 13 at the Pontiac Country Club. Weinger also finished in first place individually.

By Christian Davis
C & G Sports Writer

BIRMINGHAM — Farmington High senior Jordan Weinger’s first premonitions of just how good the golf team could be came in his sophomore year.

The Falcons had just won the Oakland County Division 2 tournament, which guaranteed them a spot in D-1 the following year.

“We were out to eat after we won, and he says, ‘Before I graduate, we’re going to win Oakland County,’” coach Dennis Zaleski remembered May 19. “That’s a good goal to have. I had no reservations about it.”

Weinger and the Falcons made good on the prediction May 13 at the Pontiac Country Club, proving to be the best squad in the county.

Farmington finished with 295, while Birmingham Brother Rice carded 300 to finish second.
Weinger took it a step further, leading all golfers with a 70.

“Everything seemed to be going well that day,” he said.

Weinger was perfect on the par 3 16th hole.

“It took like three bounces and just disappeared,” he said of his ace with a 2-iron from 232 yards.

Junior teammate Shane Kesthley shot a 71 and took second individually.

“I started making a bunch of pars, and putts were dropping,” Kesthley said.

The Falcons’ rise to the top team in the county may have come as a surprise some considering the squad finished fourth and third, respectively, in the Oakland Athletic Association White Division tournaments in April.

But Zaleski said he knew the best was still to come and never worried about how good the Falcons could be.

“I just kept telling them, ‘Trust it, and it will come,’” Zaleski said. “Golf is such a confidence game. If you have any doubt, it affects you. We get better every time we play.”
Farmington’s latest round came in a Division 1 district May 21 at Pontiac Country Club, where the team finished fifth and earned a spot in the regionals, which get under way at the Farmington Hills Golf Club May 28.

To start the season, the Falcons’ goal was to qualify for the state finals June 5-6 in East Lansing. But since being crowned county champs, Weinger said the squad has greater aspirations.

“It makes us more confident, and definitely the expectations are much higher because we know we can compete with the best,” he said.

Zaleski added that he doesn’t believe the Falcons are satisfied just yet.

“They won the Oakland County, and the next day it was ‘back to work.’ They just keep chugging, because they’re not done yet,” he said. “I think they’ll be done when they’re in East Lansing on the last day on Saturday, when they say, ‘We tried our best.’”

You can reach Sports Writer Christian Davis at cdavis@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1062.