The Greeneville girls golf team dominated the field on Monday at Elizabethton Golf Course in the Region 1-A Tournament and earned a trip back to the state tournament.
The Lady Greene Devils captured their second consecutive region championship by shooting a 154, that was 36 strokes better than second place.
“The girls played better today than they did last week in the district, and that’s good to see that they are improving at this point in the year,” Greeneville coach Nathan Hale said. “These girls came in really focused and they are ready to get to the state tournament. They have high expectations, and knew they were good enough to get to state, but to actually come out and perform as well as they did is really impressive. Their goal of winning a state championship is very much in reach. We have a week to prepare and see what we can do.”
Brylee Catron earned the first-place medal as an individual, shooting a 75. Catron was five strokes better on Monday, than she was a week ago on the same course in the District 1-A Tournament. That has her feeling good heading into the final tournament of the season.
“It feels good to win the region. Our whole team worked hard for this,” Catron said. “I felt like everything was working today, I had one bad hole, but other than that everything went well. Out here if you aren’t hitting the fairway you are screwed, so keeping it in the fairway was really important today.”
Kamryn Renner shot a 79 for the Lady Devils and came in second place as an individual, and Kylee Renner was third with an 80.
“The fact that all three of them are so good and that they compete with each other is really big,” Hale said. “Today they put up the top three scores again. That’s really impressive at the regional tournament.”
The Lady Devils now have their eyes set on a state championship as they head to Sevierville next week. The Class A State Tournament will be held on October 9-10 at Sevierville Golf Club. It is a venue and tournament the Lady Devils are familiar with as they placed fifth last year in the Class AA State Tournament.
“We just need to practice over the next week, look at where we need to improve and sure up those things,” Catron said. “We have played Sevierville a lot, we were there yesterday and we know the course. Hopefully that helps us, go down there and get the job done.”
South Greene’s Brennan Gregg also earned a trip to the state tournament on Monday after winning a three-hole playoff.
“It feels pretty good to be going to state. I’ve worked at it long enough and now that’s paying off,” Gregg said. “It was nerve wracking going to the playoff, especially playing against one of my good friends. You want both of you to move on, but it feels good to advance.”
Gregg, Greeneville’s Nathan Howlett and Seymour’s Corbin Johnson all finished their first 18 holes with a 78 and had to go to a playoff for two of three individual spots in the state tournament.
Johnson took care of business quickly by sending his approach shot on the first hole to within a few feet of the pin and then sinking a birdie putt.
Gregg made things hard on himself on the first playoff hole by sending his approach shot into a steep upslope short of the Greene. He saved himself by chipping to five feet to preserve his par which matched Howlett.
On the second hole Howlett sent his tee shot to within 70 yards of the pin and put his approach 15 feet away. Gregg drove into a fairway bunker and left his approach shot short. His chip rolled to within a foot to once again save his chance. When Howlett’s first putt rolled around the rim the match continued to a third extra hole.
This time Gregg put his approach shot squarely on the green, and Howlett hit his fat, landing it in the high grass below the green. Gregg was able to two putt for par, and Howlett could not get up and down to equal him.
“The up and downs saved me today,” Gregg said. “It felt like I’d have a good hole, and then I’d have to battle in the next one. It felt really good to get those close in the playoff, I could not have asked for better wedge shots.”
As a team the Greeneville placed second on Monday with a 326. Howlett led the way with a 78, Carson Waters had an 80, Bryson Ricker 82, and Landon Aldridge 86.
Elizabethton won the region championship and advanced to the state tournament. Bryson Hardin led the way with a 72 to place first as an individual.
Sullivan East Will Carrier shot a 73 to earn the other individual spot in the state tournament.
South Greene shot a 361 as a team. Gregg had a 78, Kenan Hankins 81, Cameron Kinser 92 and Ben Gosnell 110.
On the girls side Volunteers’ Baylyn Rose (91), Cumberland Gap’s Mahala Walker (92) and Seymour’s Estella Gresham (93) advanced to the state tournament as individuals.
The Chuckey-Doak girls shot a 210 on Monday. Kyleigh Crawford had a 105, Addilyn Boesch 105 and Harley Thompson 108.
South Greene’s Khloe Laws shot a 127.
