2015 Wayne County Golf Championships: Jones is medalist, Aycock wins team title

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on April 29, 2015 1:48 PM

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By RUDY COGGINS

rcoggins@newsargus.com

"That's a lot of hardware, son," Charles B. Aycock head coach David Elmore said to Bryce Jones on Tuesday afternoon.

Elmore had some hardware of his own, too.

Jones earned medalist honors with a 3-over-par 75 and the Golden Falcons emerged as the team champion during the 2015 installment of the Wayne County Golf Championships contested at Goldsboro Municipal Golf Course.

Aycock edged Goldsboro 318-321 on the team scoreboard. Eastern Wayne (343) placed third, followed by 2014 WCGC champ Rosewood (347), first-time participant Wayne Country Day (364) and Southern Wayne (381).

"I wanted them to play (the course) as well as they could. They know the course better than I do," Elmore said. "I just wanted them to play smart. I knew if we played to the best of our capability, we could be the best team out here."

Goldsboro senior Matt Hall, the Eastern Carolina 2-A Conference golfer-of-the-year, finished runner-up at 4-over 76. It was the lowest score posted by a GHS player in WCGC play since Carlin Thomas shot an 84 a year ago at Lane Tree.

"It wasn't like I was missing shots or putts today, I just wasn't hitting the greens," said Hall as he turned his scorecard into first-year GHS head coach Tony Hall. "I just didn't play all that well."

Jones wasn't sure of his position on the individual leaderboard and contended Hall was undoubtedly the favorite on his home course. The Aycock freshman started his day with a bogey and carded a 39 on the back nine -- two strokes behind hall.

"I had two birdies and that really helped me (after the bogey) and then I had a lot pars ... just getting up-and-down in certain spots that helped me a lot," Jones said. "What messed me up (later) was a double-bogey, but I parred 17 and then birdied 18. It was kind of close because I had to get up and down on the last hole."

At 3-over, Jones knew he might have become just the third different individual champ in WGCG history.

And he did.

"I am kind of surprised because there are a lot of good golfers out here," Jones said. "I play with them a lot during the summer. Matt Hall, he's really good. I just didn't figure I'd beat him.

"I just went out there and played like I wasn't (going to beat him), so I guess it helped me."

Blake Bartlett helped the Golden Falcons' tournament run with a 6-over 78. Mitchell Langston fired an 82. Teammates Alex Weaver and Noah West each shot an 83, followed by Cody Freels with an 87.

Goldsboro's Luke McAlduff and Ty West posted 18-hole rounds of 79 and 81, respectively. Ruben Quiroz completed the team scoring with an 85.

"I was impressed with the way some of them bounced back," coach Hall said of his team. "They didn't mentally lose their round, did a good job of keeping in the game and posting good scores. It was a good stepping stone for next week's (2-A east) regionals."

Eastern regional qualifiers Victor Kokiko and Drew Grady paced Eastern Wayne with 18-hole rounds of 81 and 83, respectively.

Jon Langston, who qualified for the eastern 3-A regional, led Southern Wayne with an 88. Teammate Lucas McKay shot an 89 and won the closest-to-the-pin competition on the 16th hole.

Rosewood's Jeremy Mercer won the longest drive award and ended the day with a team-low 82. The Eagles' Andrew Ingram won the putting competition.

"If I could have putted today, I would have been OK," said Mercer as he submitted his scorecard.

Joey Democko and Mitch Demoski each had an 86 for Wayne Country Day.