Top upstate teams use the two-day Invitational as a tune up for the start of the post-season

By Stan Olenik Editor-Publisher The Golf Club

With the high school golf postseason just days away, the Hurricane Invitational once again proved to be one of the final and most important tests before championship play begins.

Played over two days at Southern Oaks in Easley, the event is designed to mirror the format and pressure of the state championships, giving teams a chance to compete in a larger field and over 36 holes — a format many will face for the first time.

This year’s field didn’t just bring numbers — it brought quality.

All season long, the question around the TL Hanna Yellow Jackets has come from the outside.

Are they still as good?
Are they still hungry?

Those questions aren’t being asked inside the Hanna program.

They already know the answers.

And their performance at the Hurricane Invitational only reinforced them.

Hanna Answers the Challenge

If there were questions about whether TL Hanna would maintain its dominance, the Yellow Jackets offered a clear response.

Led by all-tournament performances from Erik Erlenkeuser and Bennett Scaletta, Hanna posted a two-day total of 10-under par 572 to claim the team title. Their final round of 278 set a new school record and helped them hold off a surging Riverside squad.

Riverside, continuing its steady improvement throughout the season, placed two players, Brennan Kelly and Nate League, on the all-tournament team and finished just four shots back.

Behind the top two, the depth of the field was evident:
Gaffney 577, Greenville 583, Blue Ridge 591, Dorman 594.

How strong was the competition at the Hurricane Invitational?

The team scores were tight, but the battle for medalist honors was even tighter.

Two of the state’s best players finished one-two, with Will Ruth edging Erik Erlenkeuser in a showdown between reigning state champions. Ruth captured the 5A Division I title for the second time last season, while Erlenkeuser claimed the 5A Division II medalist honors.

For Hanna coach Eric Bona, the performance reflects a team that understands what it takes to compete at the highest level.

“We lost a lot of really good leaders, but we’ve had guys step up and embrace those roles,” Bona said.

That mindset shows itself most when the stakes are highest.

“When they get into tournament mode, it’s like a different gear. Different people show up.”

And for Hanna, that approach isn’t occasional — it’s expected.

“There’s not enough hours in the day,” Bona said, “to match the work these guys are putting in.”

Ruth Adds Another Title to Resume

Individually, Dorman’s Will Ruth added another significant win to an already decorated career, capturing the Hurricane Invitational title in dramatic fashion.

“I knew it was probably going to take double digits to win,” Ruth said. “I just kept telling myself to keep playing really well and give myself a chance.”

Ruth did exactly that, finishing birdie-eagle to close out the tournament and secure the victory.

“This was one I hadn’t won yet,” he said. “I’ve been able to win a lot of the big ones, but this being a two-day event, I really wanted to check it off.”

The win also adds to his pursuit of history. Ruth will have a chance this postseason to become just the second South Carolina boys golfer to win three consecutive state championships, joining Jacob Bridgeman.

Postseason Ahead

The postseason begins with region championships across the state on April 27, marking the first step toward state championships played right after Mother’s Day.

For many of the top teams, the next major stop will be the prestigious Southern Cross High School Championship, played at the historic Palmetto Golf Club. Widely considered the closest thing South Carolina has to an all-classification championship, the event brings together top public and private school programs, along with occasional out-of-state competition.

Following the Southern Cross, teams will move into Upper and Lower State qualifying tournaments before advancing to the state championships.

This year, four of the six state championship events will be contested on courses in and around Myrtle Beach — a longtime goal of South Carolina high school coaches, who have pushed to bring the season’s final stage to one of the state’s premier golf destinations.

Rather than a simple tune-up, the Hurricane Invitational once again showed what awaits in the postseason — pressure, depth, and very little margin for error.

And for teams trying to catch Hanna, the message remains clear.

“Our whole focus is on the end of the year. We kind of expect to be playing then. Don’t make plans for Mother’s Day,” concluded the Hanna golf coach.

The Golf Club and SCgolfclub.com covers High School Golf in SC

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