Eli Long defends district golf title, earns state berth

Eli Long kept Baker’s boys golf season on the state stage by defending his district individual title and separating himself from a tight field at La Grande Country Club. The Baker senior shot rounds of 70 and 76 to finish nine strokes ahead of Pendleton’s Garret Reinhart, earning a berth in the Class 4A state tournament as an individual.

Long’s opening 2-under 70 on May 11 gave him a five-stroke lead after the first round and set the tone for the rest of the district meet. Baker was second after that opening day, but the Bulldogs slipped to third in the final standings and missed the team qualifying spot. Pendleton won the district title, La Grande finished second, and Baker ended up seven shots behind La Grande.

That makes Long’s performance especially important for Baker. He was the only Bulldog boys golfer to punch a ticket to state, and he will go to Creswell on May 18-19 carrying the team’s best chance to extend a run of success that has defined Baker golf in recent years. The Bulldogs won the program’s first state championship in 2023, finished second in 2024 and fourth in 2025. Baker also placed second at state in 2022, giving the program four straight top-four finishes.

Long is no stranger to that stage. He was part of Baker’s first state title team in 2023 and shot rounds of 74 and 74 that season to finish sixth overall. His repeat district championship shows a player who has remained steady across the spring, not just hot for one week.

The senior’s form showed up again at the Baker Invitational on April 27, when he won medalist honors with a 2-under 68. He birdied the final four holes and posted a 4-under 31 on the back nine, finishing nine strokes ahead of the field as Baker won the team title by 12 strokes over Pendleton and Burns. Long was honored alongside fellow senior Kale Dalke before that home tournament.

He also had already shown consistent scoring away from Baker. At the Trinity Lutheran Invitational near Bend on April 16, Long tied for fifth with a round of 40, and Baker finished second as a team behind Pendleton.

The district result left Baker short of a team trip, but Long’s repeat title gives the Bulldogs a familiar name to watch when the Class 4A boys field tees off at Emerald Valley Golf & Resort. His next round will decide whether Baker’s best golfer can turn another district win into a deeper state run.