C.B. Aycock takes command - Golfers shoot season low score

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 1, 2007 2:30 PM

• Print
• Email

Charles B. Aycock seniors Will Vinson, Jordan Elmore and Lee Carter wanted their final golf match in Wayne County to be memorable.

It was.

Vinson carded a team-low 73 on the par-71 Goldsboro Municipal Golf Course layout and helped the Golden Falcons achieve a season-low 305 on Monday afternoon. While neither Elmore nor Carter factored into the overall outcome, they've been an integral part of Aycock's late-season surge and its climb to the top of the Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference team leaderboard.

The Golden Falcons picked up another 13 strokes over Wilson Hunt and grabbed a commanding 1,620-1,638 advantage heading into Wednesday's final ECC meet at Willow Springs Country Club. The Warriors posted a four-player total of 318, which matched their second-lowest output of the season.

Wilson Beddingfield, led by the freshman duo of Matthew Ellis and Mark Whitley, ended up second at GMGC with a 310. Ellis seized medalist honors with a sparkling 1-under par 70 and is the lone golfer to shoot an under-par round in ECC play this season.

Eastern Wayne carded a season-low 315 on its home course and remained fourth in the team standings -- 18 strokes behind the Bruins. Andy Moore's season-best 77 paced Southern Wayne to a 342, its lowest four-player total in league action this spring.

Kinston ended up sixth at 347.

"I thought we played well today," said C.B. Aycock head coach Jay Westbrook. "I challenged them to beat their low score from last week at Lane Tree. We achieved that goal and ended up shooting the lowest team score of the year in the conference."

Vinson notched three birdies and shot par on 10 holes en route to his lowest 18-hole round in ECC play. He shot 1-over on the front and back nine.

Charles Cranford complemented Vinson with a steady 76 and Austin Forrest carded a 77, which equaled his season-low output before Easter at Wedgewood. Heyward Jeffreys rounded out Aycock's four-player total with a 79.

The Golden Falcons had four golfers to shoot below 80 for the first time in an ECC match this season.

"We came out here (at GMGC) Saturday as a team and practiced, and we got to know the course better," said Forrest. "Coach told us to keep the ball in the fairway and don't use your driver, and we should shoot good. That's what we did.

"We really wanted to get a 15-stroke lead and we accomplished that so we won't have to worry (too much) at Willow Springs, which isn't our favorite course to play."

Beddingfield's Ellis got as low as 3-under on the tightly-designed course. Whitley was 4-under at one point, but shot 8-over on his final six holes. Teammates Michael Gardner and Ryan Pittman turned in scorecards of 81 and 82 to complete the Bruins' scoring.

"They played really well," said Beddingfield head coach Jody O'Neal. "Matt kept his round together and we're tickled with that. We're playing better and did good Friday at the Eddie Summerlin tournament, and that continued over to today.

"Three or four of them have never played this course, so that was big for us to come out and shoot a 310."

Ellis remained the overall individual leader with Whitley, Eastern Wayne's Kyle Ham and Vinson within striking distance. However, he'll have to experience a major collapse to avoid becoming Beddingfield's first-ever individual champion in ECC play.

"I had a par run going early and made a double (bogey) on one hole," said Ham, who carded a 75. "I tried to fight back the rest of the round, but really couldn't make any putts today.

"Matt was making everything he stood over (on the green), while me and Will were trying to make pars to stay with him. It was fun to play with them."