Five things to watch at Missouri high school boys golf state tournaments
The Missouri boys golf state tournaments will take place on Monday and Tuesday at the following sites: Class 4 in Bolivar, Class 3 in Springfield, Class 2 in Sedalia and Class 1 in Nixa. Here are five things to watch during the two-day events.
1. Pembroke Hill eyes another title
As the scores trickled in at the Missouri Class 3, Sectional 4 meet this week, an underlying theme materialized — a handful of Pembroke Hill golfers scattered atop the leaderboard.
The same as the week before.
The same as the past two seasons, actually.
In search of a third consecutive state title, the Raiders will ride a wave of momentum into the Class 3 tournament at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield after winning the the sectional and district tournaments.
They placed five golfers among the top-13 at the 51-player sectional tournament. Senior William Esrey won the meet by 3 strokes. A week earlier, Nicholas Klock claimed the district title. Charlie Hamilton, Jack Mitchell and Bryan Jeong round out the Raiders’ lineup.
2. The Class 4 contenders
A Kansas City golfer hasn’t won the Missouri Class 4 state championship since Rockhurst’s Patrick Byrne shared medalist honors in 2013.
A few could be in the mix this year, though.
Park Hill South senior Tanner Owen placed sixth last season, and he won the Class 4, Sectional 4 meet Tuesday by 6 strokes. Liberty junior Sam Parrott and Lee’s Summit North’s Michael Worth captured district titles two weeks ago. And Lee’s Summit West senior Kerry Maguire placed second at the state tournament last spring.
3. The Class 4 team race
The Rockhurst Hawklets have been a fixture in the state-championship team race, placing either first or second in seven of the past eight years. They own 13 state titles, and they have qualified their full team again this season.
But Liberty North upended the Hawklets to win the Missouri Class 4, Sectional 4 team race on Tuesday, marking the Eagles’ first sectional championship in school history. Tanner Collins and Caleb Davis tied for second place at the sectional meet.
Rockhurst’s Rob Enright placed fourth in both his district and sectional events.
4. The Barstow contingent
Barstow’s quest for a third straight Class 2 title ended with its fourth-place finish at the sectional meet this week. But while the Knights have been eliminated from the team race, they will send three golfers to compete for the individual crown — Tripp Walsworth, Jonathan Butch and Richard Bray.
Walsworth, who placed fourth in his sectional after winning districts, was a key component of the Knights’ state championship success last season, when he took 13th at the state meet.
5. Best of the rest
In Class 4, Lee’s Summit North’s Gavin McDonald, Lee’s Summit West’s James O’Connor and Logan Dahmer, North Kansas City’s Pedro Ramirez and Blue Springs South’s Ethan Wegner cruised in their path to qualifying for the state meet.
In Class 3, Pleasant Hill has qualified a pair of golfers with top-10 finishes at the sectional meet this week — Jeffrey McKee and Jordan Hamlin. Smithville’s Brock Cook is also taking the momentum of a top-10 sectional finish into the Class 3 meet.
Lawson’s Tanner Smith qualified in the top-10 in Class 2.
In Class 1, Orrick’s Brandon Edney was the top local qualifier.
This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 8:44 PM with the headline "Five things to watch at Missouri high school boys golf state tournaments."