Consistent round leaves Waccamaw atop leaderboard after 18 holes at 3A golf tourney

Sure, Patrick Golden may be one of the best high school golfers the Palmetto State has to offer.

On Monday, however, it was his teammates that reminded all that competition at the prep level remains a team sport.

Golden shot a solid round, finishing with an even-par 72. But it was Drew Mullen’s 1-under 71 that won the day for the Warriors, who will enter the final day of competition at True Blue Golf Club in Pawleys Island with a 19-shot lead over second place Gilbert.

Bishop England (314), May River (325) and Emerald (327) round out the top five.

Following Mullen and Golden were teammates Trey Salley and Jackson Cole, who earned a 1-over 73 and a 2-over 74 for the day.

The best individual round of the day belonged to May River’s Brandon McBride, who had a 3-under 69. His teammate Drew Weary also finished in the red with a 1-under 71.

Chapman’s Jacob Bridgeman (2-under 70) and Colt Martin of Pendleton (1-under 71) also shot under par in the round.

Aynor finished the day with a round of 355, good for 12th overall.

Braeden Barnett led the way with an 82, while Dalton Gasque followed with an 85. Cole Johnson and Railey Smith wound up with a 93 and a 95, respectively.

Georgetown’s individual qualifier James Gore finished with a 94 on the day.

Class 5A

The opening day of competition at the Wescott Golf Club in North Charleston didn’t do local teams any favors, with Carolina Forest finishing 10th and Socastee in last.

While the Panthers managed to shoot a 75-over 651 through two rounds, with Socastee winding up at 110-over 686 for the day. Boiling Springs is the leader in the clubhouse at 10-over 586, with Gaffney 12 shots behind.

The Bulldogs also find themselves at the top of the individual leaderboard, with Trent Phillips sitting at 8-under 136 with one day down at the tournament.

Carolina Forest’s Chris Fortenberry was the best local performer, shooting 7-over 151 for the day. Teammate Kevin Burris finished at 11-over 155, while Alex Hawley was at 28-over 172, Parker Stancil at 29-over 173 and Dylan Griffin with a result of 46-over 190.

Shane Peters led the way for Socastee at 19-over 163. Lance Vu followed at 25-over 169, Grant Hutchins at 30-over 174, Chap Hutchinson at 36-over 180 and Jake Del Busse at 43-over 187.

On an individual basis, Conway’s Connor Thomas finished tied for 46th on the day, shooting 17-over 161.

Class 4A

A solid round by Holden Grigg has Myrtle Beach well positioned for a run at a state championship.

The Seahawks’ standout’s 7-under 65 was best among all competitors at Hilton Head’s Barony Course at Port Royal Golf Club, helping his team to a fourth-place finish during Monday’s first round of the 4A state boys golf tournament.

Grigg’s 18-hole total was three shots clear of A.C. Flora’s Jack Parrott.

Myrtle Beach earned a round of 302, four shots behind the 298 shot by Wren. Along with the Seahawks, four other teams are also within seven shots, a crowded lot including Hartsville (300), A.C. Flora (301), Lancaster (303) and Hilton Head Island (305).

This story was originally published May 15, 2017 at 11:01 PM with the headline "Consistent round leaves Waccamaw atop leaderboard after 18 holes at 3A golf tourney."