Local teams to compete in NCHSAA golf regionals

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 1, 2011 1:51 AM

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Wayne County will be well represented when the N.C. High School Athletic Association boys' golf regionals tee off Monday and Tuesday on eastern North Carolina courses.

Each one-day, 18-hole tournament will determine competitors in the season-ending NCHSAA Championships, which will be contested on challenging and picturesque courses the following week.

Two-time defending Eastern Carolina Conference champion Southern Wayne, and fellow team qualifiers Triton and Charles B. Aycock will battle for eastern 3-A supremacy Reedy Creek Country Club in Four Oaks on Monday.

The Saints are led by sophomore Kyle Best, who emerged the ECC player-of-the-year and won the Wayne County individual crown 12 days ago on his home course -- Southern Wayne CC.

"Kyle has been a true leader, has stepped up and played great as a sophomore and has carried this team on his back," said Southern Wayne head coach Jeremy Joyner. "He's led us from start to finish throughout the entire year."

Eastern Wayne's Caleb Jones and Hidematsu Sueki, and North Lenoir's Ryan Grady qualified as individuals for the regional.

Carolina 1-A Conference champion Rosewood heads to Jacksonville for the Mideast Regional, which will be hosted by Bear Trail Golf Course on Tuesday. The Eagles are joined by team qualifiers Spring Creek and Ayden-Grifton.

Princeton's Ryan Woodard, Goldsboro's Jeff Johnson and North Duplin's Phillip Holland advanced to the regional as individuals.

The two-day, 36-hole state finals are scheduled for May 8-9.

Keith Hills Country Club in Buies Creek will play host to 1-A competitors, while the 3-A championships are scheduled for the Fox Fire Resort and Golf East Course at Fox Fire Village.