The Greenville Red Raiders have been here before.

Playing winning golf at the end of the season and gaining momentum for the Upper State and State championship.

Coach Andy Newton believes things are the same, but different this year for his Raiders.

“‘Last year we won the county and then won at Wren,” he said. “When we got to the state championship we didn’t play well and we don’t want that to happen again this year,” said Newton,.

The Raiders trailed Boiling Springs and Easley by 2 shots after the first round of the Hurricane Invitational at Southern Oaks,

The Raiders made up the two shots and finished the second round with a 298 total for a 611 tournament total and a 6-shot victory.

Mauldin also improved on their first round score picking up11 shots to finish in second place.

Hanna, Boiling Springs and Eastside rounded out the top-5.

Tip Price was the medalist at the Greenville County championship and the Greenville sophomore added a first place finish at the Hurricane Invitational to his accomplishments this year.

“The conditions were pretty tough,” said Price. “I had a bad start, but I got it turned around and finished pretty good,,” he said.

After shooting an opening round 73 Price carded a 2-under par 70 in the second round to finish a shot ahead of Gabe Schmitz from Hilton Head Christian.

Price like his coach wants to see the season end better than last year. He thinks Greenville will be better because just being a year older can help improve the team,

“We were a very young team last year and we are pretty young again this year. I think just being there and the experience we gained is going to help us to do better,,” he said.

The 30 team tournament gives teams a chance to play in a field similar to the one they will find if they advance to the Upper state and state finals.

“Wren Coach Stan Yarborough deserves a lot of credit for holding this kind of tournament, it helps all the teams as we get ready for state,” added Newton.

This year’s event was the last to be run by Yarborough, who after 20 years with the golf program, is becoming the Athletic Director at the school .

Many of the top teams in the Hurricane Invitational next will play this weekend in the Southern Cross at the Palmetto Club in Aiken.

Hurricane Invitational scores