If everything fell into place and senior Ryan Slutsky played his best, he hoped to compete for Monday’s Colonial League individual golf championship or at least put in a top-five finish.

Placing in the top five league competitors would have automatically qualified him for the district tournament in October, exempting him from the stressful district qualifying round.

However, Slutsky’s round didn’t go exactly as he planned Monday at Bethlehem Municipal Golf Course.

The Falcon senior shot 89, a score 10 strokes higher than his season average, to tie for 20th place. And while he’ll get his opportunity to still make districts when he tees of in the qualifying round this Monday at Olde Homestead, he knows he could have produced much better at the league championship.

“I wasn’t very pleased with my round,” Slutsky said. “I’ve played there many times and leagues just has a different feel to it than other matches. I started on a rough hole which didn’t help, and I feel like I could of done at least 10 strokes better on a good day.”

Slutsky teed off his final league championships on hole No. 14, a long par 3 that plays 186 yards from the tips.

After a slow start he failed to produce a birdie for the first time in a match this season.

“The round got away from me in the beginning, and then it was hard to turn it back around because I knew I wasn’t playing my best,” Slutsky said. “It was a hard thing to realize as a senior that I wasn’t going to place in the top five.”

Playing with some of the area’s top golfers in his group certainly didn’t do Slutsky any favors. As Slutsky got off to a subpar start by his own standards, his counterparts started off on the right foot. Pen Argyl’s Sam Martini shot a 78 to place third. Palisades’ Andrew Benner came in fifth with a score of 79. Bangor’s JD Shiner squeezed in the top 10 with a round of 82. All three participants were in Slutsky’s group.

“The kids in my group are all very good golfers that all ended up in the top [10], so it was kind of hard for me to watch them play so good while I was playing very poorly,” Slutski said.

A number of other Falcons also participated in the league championship round. Eric Pennella came in 29th with a round score of 93, and Alex Sutter shot a 100 and tied for 43rd place.

While Slutsky didn’t meet his ultimate goal last Monday, he’ll have a chance at some redemption this Monday.

“My goal for the tournament was to win, but I knew that one was kind of a stretch,” Slutsky said. “So I was really hoping for a top-five finish so I wouldn’t have to compete in the district qualifying round.

“I don’t really mind Bethlehem Municipal because I’ve played there many times, and I know if I’m shooting well I can come in at a decently low score. It’s a long course which plays into my strengths, but I didn’t have my best stuff today.”