Last year A.C. Flora benefited from having the state championship played at Forest Lake in Columbia. Most of the members of the Falcon’s team were members at the club.

The Falcons were an outstanding team as every member of their starting lineup made All-State. It would have been a good bet last year’s Flora team would have been state champs on just about any course, but maybe not by 30 shots.

This year North Augusta won the bid to host the state championship on their home course, The River Golf Club in North Augusta.

After the first round it looks like the home course advantage Flora enjoyed last year may be giving the Yellow Jackets the same kind of confidence.

North Augusta shot an 11-under par 273 in the first round of the South Carolina AAAA Championship and seem to have the rest of the field playing for second place.,

With one round to go the Yellow Jackets have a 14 shot lead over second place Greenville and a 19 shot lead over the defending champions.

Individually, Greenville’s Tip Price is tied for the first round lead with North Augusta’s Luke Johnson.

Both golfers carded rounds of 6-under par 66 to share the lead over another Greenville golfer, Hugh Faulkner who posted a 3-under par 69.

While Greenville is well behind the leader their team total of 3-over par 287 was the best round the Red Raiders have shot in some time.

Eastside and Riverside from the Upstate are in fourth and fifth place going into the final round on Tuesday.

Indian Land’s Mason Kucia, the defending individual champion will have to make up a lot of ground to win a third straight title. Kucia shot a 1-over par round of 73 to end the first day in a tie for 13th.

Scores from the SC AAAA Championship https://www.birdiefire.com/tournament/170320/

Top ranked Hanna holds first round lead at AAAAA

In the 5A state final at Carolina Country Club in Spartanburg, the state’s top-ranked team leads by a slim margin headed into Tuesday’s final round.

T.L. Hanna fired a first-round two-over-par 290, taking a one-shot lead over River Bluff.

Bennett Scaletta led the way for the Yellow Jackets. Scaletta ‘s card was bogey-free, and he made birdie on six of eight holes and five in a row in the middle of his round, birdieing No. 6 and Nos. 9-13 to finish at 6-under par.

Jackson Scaletta fired a 70, while Caden Olsommer shot 76 and Cal Harbin had a 78 for T.L. Hanna.

Grant Skelley shot a 71 to lead River Bluff, With Howie Vroon turning in an even-par 72, Ashton Eubanks shooting 73, and Nathanael Caughman firing a 75.

Host Spartanburg was third at seven-over. Hugh Lemonds’ 67 leads the Vikings and has him in a tie for second place with Cam Baker from Fort Mill just a shot off the pace. 

Nation Ford stands fourth at 11-over, and after that it’s a bit of a logjam.

Lexington is fifth at 14-over, Dorman and Mauldin are a shot back and tied for sixth, West Ashley is eight at 16-over, and Fort Mill is at 17-over in ninth place. Chapin rounds out the top ten at 26-over par.

Two-time defending champ Boiling Springs is 28-over, in 11th place.

Scores from the first round of the South Carolina AAAAA Championship https://ccc-southcarolinaboys5astatechampionship.golfgenius.com/pages/9517795962710408680

Three teams in the hunt for the AAA title

The 3A state title match at Three Pines in Woodruff isn’t quite a three-team race just yet, but it’s in danger of becoming one. 

Beaufort, Wren, and host Woodruff have set themselves apart from the field. Beaufort leads at 299, Wren is in second place at 303, and Woodruff is in third at 305. 

The Eagles got an even-par round of 73 from Jack Lubin, a pair 73s from Jerry Bruns and Simon McAlister, and an 81 from James Denton to grab the lead. 

Dylan Park led Wren with a 73, Garrett Gillespie shot 74, and Eli Clevenger and Hampton Yarborough fired 78s to help pace the Hurricanes. 

Gage Howard led Woodruff with a 72, while Ben McKinney added a 73, Blake Kelly shot 75, and Kyle Smoak added an 85. 

Powdersville is in fourth, 18 shots back of Woodruff with a 323. The Patriots have the overall individual leader in Brooks DeShields, who fired the only under-par round of the day with a 71. 

Blue Ridge is fifth at 326, with Clinton sixth at 327. Camden, Gilbert, Dreher, and Walsall’s round out the Top Ten. 

Scores from the AAA Championship at Three Pines Country Club