Ware County’s Gator golfers posted two Top 5 finishes in tournaments and a victory in a dual match during a busy week of action.
The Gators finished second to tournament host Richmond Hill Monday, March 25 in the 10-team Wildcat Invitational played at the Par 71 (35-36), 5,930-yard Richmond Hill Golf Club.
Ware County notched a five-shot win over Camden County with a 150-155 decision in a dual match Thursday, March 27 at The Club at Osprey Cove in St. Marys.
The Gators finished fifth in the field of 24 schools Saturday, March 29 at the Packer Invitational held at Sunset Country Club in Moultrie.
Wildcat Invitational
RICHMOND HILL — Trace Carter’s two-under-par low medalist round of 69 helped Ware County to a runner-up finish behind Richmond Hill.
Carter recorded six birdies, three on each side, during his round of 34-35. Richmond Hill’s Ledger Conley was the only other player in the field of 60 players under par posting a round of 70.
The Class 6A Wildcats posted a 299 team total. Ware County finished eight shots off the pace with a 307 clipping Class 5A Coffee’s 308. Class 4A Benedictine (310) and Class 5A Glynn Academy (319) rounded out the top five spots.
Finishing behind the Red Terrors were Class 5A South Effingham (324), Class 5A Statesboro (333), Class 5A Brunswick (333), Class 3A-A Private School Savannah Christian (347) and Class A DII Metter (369).
Asher Dean followed Carter’s lead shooting 39-39-78 with three birdies finishing in a three-way tie for 13th. He was joined by Glynn Academy’s Edward Harris and Will Orendorg.
Eli Taft and Brody Martin (birdie) each carded rounds of 39-41-80 to finish in a six-way tie for 20th. They were joined by Coffee’s Reese Evans, Glynn Academy’s Sam Drury and the Benedictine tandem of Sean Halligan and Finn Nixon.
Jackson Ray posted 45-43-88 for a solo 45th spot. Lucas Tuten shot 42-49-91 to finish in a two-way for 47th with South Effingham’s Rhett Buchanon.
Gators.........................................................150 Camden County...........................................155 KINGSLAND — Carter and Taft each posted twounder nine-hole scores of 34 to lead Ware County past the Wildcats.
Both Carter and Taft recorded three birdies to go along with a bogey.
Dean had a birdie in his round of 39. Ray’s 43 with a birdie rounded out the team score.
Tuten recorded a birdie in his round of 45. Martin shot 47 and Waylon Smith finished with a 63.
Camden County also had three sub-40 nine-hole scores. Dillon Brown shot 37 with Archie Disanto and Dylan Mullen posting scores of 38 and 39 respectively. Levi Gaskins finished with a 41.
Packer Invitational
MOULTRIE — Thomasville’s private school Brookwood, a GIAA member, shot a four-under-par team score of 284 to win the event hosted by Colquitt County.
The Warriors were followed in the Top 10 by Class 6A Lowndes (290), Class 6A host Colquitt County (301), Class 7A Smiths Station of Alabama (317), Ware County (320), Class 2A Pierce County (322), Class 6A Camden County (326), Class 6A Tift County (331), Class 6A Hillgrove (335) and Class A DI Banks County (337).
Finishing 11 thru 20 were Class A DI Berrien (341), Class A DI Toombs County (344), Class 6A Parkview (345), Class A Private School Whitefield Academy (347), Class 5A Lee County (349), Colquitt County II (352), Class 4A Allatoona (353), Class 3A Bainbridge (355), Class 3A Oconee County (356) and Class A DI Worth County (361).
The last four spots went to Class A DI Dodge County (364), Class A Private School Weber School (375) and Class A DII Charlton County (399).
Ware County was led by Carter, who shot 34-35-69 to tie for second with Camden Yager of Lowndes in the field of 117 players. Carter recorded six birdies (three on each side).
Brookwood’s J.D. Culbreath posted a four-under-par round of 68 to win medalist honors. Four other players finished under par. Austin Baker of Brookwood and Michael Hall of Colquitt tied for fourth with rounds of 70. Ben Holland of Smiths Station and Mason Pate of Lowndes each shot 71.
Taft (41-42-83, two birdies) and Dean (42-41-83, birdie) tied for 36th with Mitchell Kunes of Tift County.
Martin (44-41-85, birdie) finished in a 12-way tie for 44th with PCHS’s Bennett Puryear, Mack McCarty of Lee County, Jack Lowery of Oconee County, Connor Derman of Allatoona, Thomas Nguyen of Banks County, John Bell of Bainbridge, Josh Barber of Berrien, Bennett Leister and Jayden Williams of Whitefield Academy and Toombs County’s Clay Connor and Gavin Ward.
Ray (44-45-89, birdie) and Lee County’s Wilson Bradley tied for 73rd.
