The Bengal is a high school tournament that brought many of the top teams in South Carolina to the Columbia Country Club for the 2-day 36 hole championship.
The field included 29 teams and a couple of handfuls of future college golfers.
A.C. Flora from Columbia took the first round lead shooting a 293 total. Porter Gaud from Charleston was second at 294 with Trinity Byrnes from Darlington in third at 296.
Flora held off a challenge in the second round from Boiling Springs. The Bulldogs were winners of their first two tournaments of the year. The team shot a second round 293, but could not catch the Falcons for the team title.
Team Standings 1 Flora – 591, 2 Boiling Springs -593, 3 Bishop England & Trinity-Byrnes -601, 6 Spartanburg & Porter Gaud – 602.
The first round produced a 4-way tie for the individual lead. With future Gamecock golfer Nathan Franks from Dorman, Adam Hunt from Flora, Drew Jeffords from Trinity-Byrnes and Matthew Baxley from North Augusta.
Weather made scoring conditions more difficult in the second round for most of the field.
However, another future Gamecock golfer mastered the course and conditions. to shoot the low round of the tournament.
Gene Zeigler opened with a 2-over 74, but put a 7-under par 65 on the board in the second round.
While three of the first round leaders struggled, Franks shot a 1-under par 71.
It left the two future USC golfers in a tie for the lead after 36 holes.
Zeigler topped Franks in a one hole playoff for medalist honors.
SCGA Junior Player of the Year Max Green from Hilton Head Christian was third after shooting identical 2-under par 70s for 140 total.
Five golfers tied for 4th place. First round co-leader Hunt along with Matthew Hutto from Blythewood, Zach Phillips from Boiling Springs and Waymon Thomas from Oceanside all finished at 143.
Categories: High School Golf, Junior Golf
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