The first regular season edition of the South Carolina High School Golf coaches rankings are out and after seemingly forever at the top of the AAAA Poll, a new team has bumped AC Flora from the top spot.

North Augusta, was the runner-up in the AAAA championship tournament last year, started the season off with a bang when they blitzed the field at the pre-season Red Raider Invitational at the Greenville Country Club.

The voters in the coaches poll seemed influenced by the Yellow Jackets win in Greenville, over a field that included 15 ranked teams from all classifications.

North Augusta followed up the pre-season victory with a win over the defending champions in a match held at the Yellow Jackets home course, The River Club in North Augusta.

The Yellow Jackets topped the Falcons, 267-289, on North Augusta’s home course, which Flora was playing for the first time.

At the Battle for the Dam, South Aiken was able to get past the Falcons for the tournament title. Flora’s Charles Cauthen was the medalist at 5-under par, but the Thoroughbreds carded a 2 shot win.

Flora reminded everyone that they are the defending champions when the Falcons got in the win column with a victory in arguably the biggest high school event played so far this year.

At the Parks Hutto Bengal Invitational at the Columbia Country Club, Flora topped North Augusta by six shots for their first win of the season.

Add in a win by Greenville at the season opening Rebel Invitational and there are three teams that , so far, appear to be serious contenders to attempt to stop Flora from winning its third straight state title in May.

AAAAA – AAA – AA/A Rankings

Boiling Springs won the AAAAA title for the last two years and the Bulldogs held their spot at the top of the classification poll.

Chapin has been chasing the Bulldogs and closed on Boiling Springs in the vote total, but the surprise in the poll was the inclusion of the Hanna Yellow Jackets.

Hanna was not ranked in the pre-season poll, but their strong second place finish at the pre-season Red Raider championship not only got the team ranked, but only the top two teams from last years AAAAA competition are ahead of the team from Anderson.

In the AAA Poll, Beaufort held on to its pre-season number one ranking.

The biggest move up in the classification was made by the Daniel Lions climbing from ninth to fifth.

Christ Church, which for years has dominated the AA or A Classification, still has the top spot in the first regular season poll, but Oceanside and Bishop England are a lot closer in the rankings than the second and third place teams have been to the Cavaliers in past years.

Polls are only projections and the championships will be won on the golf course.

The AAAAA State Championship will be played at The Carolina Country Club in Spartanburg, the AAAA title will be decided at the River Club in North Augusta and the AAA title will be contested at Three Pines Country Club in Woodruff in May.