Eagles, Golden Falcons complete play in NCHSAA golf championships

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on May 11, 2016 1:48 PM

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jhayes@newsargus.com

PINEHURST -- Damage control.

The phrase was discussed ad nauseum in the Rosewood and Charles B. Aycock team rooms Monday night, as both sought ways to improve their respective positions during final-round play of the N.C. High School Athletic Association's Classes 1-A and 3-A state golf championships at Pinehurst.

The concept -- a splintered rendering of aim small, miss small -- is often easier said than done. But in this case, the strategy was met with modest results.

Competing in the 1-A ranks at Longleaf Golf and Family Club, Rosewood logged a final-round team total of 353. The effort was enough to secure an eighth-place finish among 12 teams. The Eagles improved their first-round score by two shots.

Rosewood was led again by sophomore Andrew Ingram, whose two-day total of 166 (81-85) garnered a share of 33rd place among individual competitors. His final nine-hole score of 40 matched his lowest output of the tournament and solidified coach Rick Grantham's patience-before-anything approach to the event.

"We are very proud of our guys for grinding it out and posting the score they did," he said. "The youngsters (sophomore class) responded when it mattered the most."

Ingram's round on the difficult par-71 layout was complemented by Dylan Champion, who fired an 88. Cameron Klages and Jeremy Mercer each signed for a 90, seeing to it that every Rosewood player filed a counting score over the two days.

"Our goal throughout the season has been to have a good time," Grantham said. "And I think the boys enjoyed the experience."

Charles B. Aycock, seeking to move up the leaderboard at Whispering Pines, fired a final round 342 -- good enough for an 11th-place finish. And it certainly found the early portion of the final round more hospitable than Monday's opening-nine hole slugfest.

The par-5 fifth, which the Golden Falcons played in a combined 32 shots on day one, was handled in tidy form yesterday. When the last Aycock player left for the sixth tee, the team was four shots clear of the mess that derailed its start and sent Pikeville scoring into a frenzy.

Sophomore Bryce Jones, the 3-A regional runner-up last week, fired a final-round 84 to collect a 59th-place finish. He was joined by senior Blake Bartlett, whose closed his prep career with a round of 85. Rounding out Aycock's team scorecard were Mitchell Langston and Jake Flowers, who fired rounds of 86 and 87, respectively.

Junior Ty Daniels registered a second-day 90 for a 181 total.

For both teams, the trip to a place many consider a worldwide golf mecca was a monumental step forward. Vastly different course conditions, a different type of pressure and a newfound playing philosophy emerged.

"Hopefully, (they) have more chances to come back," Grantham said.