The Hanna Yellow Jackets have known all season that the rest of the state’s 5A Division II teams have set their sights on dethroning the defending champions.
And some teams might be getting a little closer to doing just that.
At the Upper State qualifying tournament held at The Club at Brookstone in Anderson, Greenville topped Hanna.
In South Carolina, the Upper and Lower State qualifying tournaments do not produce any official team winners or medalists.
The only goal is to be one of the eight teams advancing to the state finals.
Finishing first or eighth doesn’t matter—making the field for the championship at The Cliffs at Mountain Park is the ultimate prize.
Greenville shot a season-best 279, finishing four shots ahead of Hanna.
The Red Raiders were led by senior standouts—future Clemson golfer Tip Price and future Anderson University golfer Hugh Faulkner—who each posted a 3-under-par 69.
Sophomore Sawyer Driscol also fired a 69, while Claiborne Mardre contributed an even-par 72 to round out the team’s scoring.
Most teams would be thrilled to have their fifth player shoot a 1-over-par 73, as Charlie Warren did, even if that score wasn’t needed.
“From where we started, we’ve gotten better all year,” said Greenville coach David Cattrell. “Tip and Hugh are great players, and the rest of the team is coming together. Sawyer’s 69 was really important.”
Greenville has been knocking on the door of a state title for a few years, and Cattrell believes this year’s team has what it takes to challenge Hanna.
“We’ve been chasing Hanna for a couple of years. Shooting a record round today gives us some confidence heading into the championship,” he added.
While Greenville is gaining momentum, Hanna brings the kind of confidence that comes from winning two consecutive state titles.
This season, the Yellow Jackets haven’t racked up as many wins, as they’ve rotated lineups to accommodate academic commitments and gain experience.
Still, Hanna’s second-place finish at 283 was nine shots better than their final round score in last year’s state championship.
Back-to-back South Carolina Junior Players of the Year—Bennett Scaletta and Erik Erlenkeuser—posted the team’s best scores at Brookstone.
Scaletta shot a 3-under 69, highlighted by an eagle and a birdie on the final hole.
Erlenkeuser matched that with a 33 on the back nine and a birdie on the final hole to tie his teammate.
Caden Olsommer added a 1-under-par 71, giving the Yellow Jackets a solid final tune-up before the state championship.
Winning back-to-back titles adds pressure to every shot, but this experienced Hanna team knows what it takes to succeed.
“The first thing is to stick to our routine,” said Erlenkeuser. “We can’t do anything crazy or different. We’ll review today and work on improvements to get ready.”
Scaletta, who owns an individual state championship, emphasized focusing on the present.
“The past is behind us. What we did is behind us. We’re looking forward to Monday—to tee it up and see what we can do,” he said.
Upstate 5A Division II Qualifying Teams
- Greenville – 279
- Hanna – 283
- Indian Land – 294
- Riverside – 296
- Greenwood – 298
- Gaffney – 298
- Easley – 300
- Nation Ford – 308
Categories: High School Golf
