Led by Garrett Gillespie’s 2-under par 70, the Wren Hurricanes won the Anderson County title by a convincing margin.

Dylan Park, Eli Clevenger, Hampton Yarborough and Davis Merritt helped Gillespie earn Wren its first outright tournament title since back in 2018.

“I think our team enjoyed the way it felt to win a tournament and it is something I know they want to do again,” said Tyler Barnes, Wren’s new head coach.

Last year Wren was in the mix for the AAA championship late in the finals. A couple of wayward shots dropped Wren out of a playoff with Beaufort and eventual champion Woodruff.

While the missed opportunity was disappointing at the time, it has served as motivation for the new season.

“It was hard to take last year, but it is something we have used to build on this season,” said Barnes. “Our guys have some unfinished business to take care of this year,” he added.

The five golfers who played in the state championship are back and have begun the season as the top ranked AAA team in the South Carolina High School Coaches poll.

The Hurricanes have quietly become one of the most consistent high performing teams in the state.

Under the guidance of former coach Stan Yarborough, the Hurricanes have been a top-five finisher in their classification in each of the last half dozen years.

Barnes has taken over the successful golf program from Yarborough, who has moved up to athletic director at the school in Easley. Barnes had assisted Yarborough with the Varsity and coached the schools JayVees before being elevated to head coach.

Teams can be built in many ways, but when a team grows up together as the Wren team did under Yarborough’s direction it builds a special bond that makes the team more like a family according to their coach.

“The win showed we can finish a tournament. In a good way our team showed some swagger and it is going to give us confidence going forward this season,” said Barnes.

While the Hurricane will compete for the AAA title against same sized schools, until the playoffs the Hurricanes enjoy competing against other highly rated teams in all classifications.

“Our guys love playing in the big events against the AAAA and AAAAA teams. They challenge themselves to play their best and to play for each other,” added Barnes.

The other top teams in the first poll have all won championships. The top ranked AAAAA team from Hanna and the top ranked AA-A team from Christ Church are defending the titles they won last year.

AC Flora is the top ranked AAAA team in the poll. The Falcons were the runner up in the classification last year, but the school owns 16 state championships and is always a contended.

Wren is the only top ranked team not to own a state title, but the feeling around the Wren program is the quiet confidence that comes from knocking on the door every year and winning the county title is a good start,

“Our guys know what they need to do. They push each other to keep getting better together,” said Barnes.

Wren will host the AAA State championship this year, but will not do it on their home course, instead they will take the championship to a neutral site.

Like the Seneca girls team did this past year the boys AAA championship will be played at the Hackler Course on the campus of Coastal Carolina in Conway.

“It is a very fair course and it isn’t anyone’s home course so we think it is going to be a great final,” noted Barnes.

With a mature team playing this season with a purpose the Hurricanes hope to end the year as they began, on top of AAA in South Carolina.

Greenwood wins Tee Off Classic

Greenwood won the Tee-Off Classic at The Fort Club in Ninety-Six.

The Eagles posted a 291 total to finish 10 hots in front of Mauldin with Eastside taking third place.

Greenwood’s Cameron Addis shpt a 3-under par 69 for medalist honors.

Joining Addis on the All-Tournament team were Eastside’s Beau Lewis (71), Alex Franklin (71) from Mauldin, Josh Brown (73) from Greenwood, Adam Knox (74) from Greenwood Evan Eassy (74) from Maulfin, Andrew While (74) from Cambridge and Carter Hendrix (74) from Mid-Carolina.

Flora wins Parks Hutto Bengal Invitational

AC Flora from Columbia won their fourth tournament in five events this year capturing a second straight title in the Parks Hutton Bengal Invitational played at the Columbia Country Club.

Flora shot a 572 total for the two-day 36 hole championship to finish three-shots in front of Hilton Head Prep.

Hanna from Anderson finished third at 586 with Chapin in fourth at 593 and Spartanburg rounding out the top five with a 595 total.