Monday, Oct. 9, marks the start of the golf championships and several local players and teams figure to have a strong say in the final outcomes. Here’s what to expect from the local contingent next week.What: TSSAA boys and girls state golf tournaments
Where: Sevierville Golf Club.
Schedule: Class AA and Division 2-AA tournaments for both boys and girls will be Monday and Tuesday, while Class A and D2-A will take place Thursday and Friday.
Format: Each tournament is a 36-hole event, with the boys playing on the River Course and the girls playing on the Highlands Course. The boys will play to a par 72 while the girls will play to a par 70.
Storylines: Senior Sophie Christopher of Houston High is back to defend her state championship in Class AA girls.
In 2022, she finished at 3-under 137 and was the only girl in either of the large-school tournaments to break par. That familiarity should give her plenty of confidence as she looks to become the first public-school player from a local school to go back-to-back since Brighton’s Aubree Jones, who won in 2013 and 2014.
In Division 2-AA girls, St. Agnes — as has been so often the case over the last several years — enters after winning the region championship. The Stars also had the individual winner in senior Grace Denegri, who fired a career-best 6-under 66 at Timber Truss to take the title. Region runner-up Hana Barber of St. Mary’s and St. Benedict’s Claire Hollingsworth are also state-tournament veterans who will be in the hunt.
The same can be said of ECS in D2-A; the Eagles have had a strong fall with Claire Todd and Mathile Walker leading the way.
On the boys side, Collierville High won the Class AA team championship in 2022 while placing three golfers — Chance Elston, Kaiser Godinez and Jackson Whaley — in the top six. A similar performance next week could make the Dragons the first repeat public-school team champions from Shelby County in almost 70 years. East won the titles in 1954 and 1955.
A dark horse to keep an eye on is Houston’s Zach Olsen who is playing as an individual.You don’t have to go back quite that far — although probably farther than they would like — to find the last time MUS won a team title in Division 2-AA. The Owls held off Briarcrest and CBHS to win a tight region tournament and have a strong team led by R.J. Neal, Cooper Solberg and Sujay Mukatira, who earned his place on the region roster by outperforming several teammates and then blitzed Windyke West in 6-under 66 back on Sept. 20.
A victory would give one of Tennessee’s strongest programs its first title since 2017.
The Saints advanced as the runner-up and have a talented team that’s always capable of going low. Hil Thompson of CBHS tied for fourth in 2022, the best individual finish of any local returnee in the division.
Caleb Clifft of Fayette Academy has had a strong senior season and could be a factor in D2-A boys. In Class A boys, Lakeland Prep’s Maverick Wynne will be making school history; the sophomore is the first competitor from his school to play at state.
Complete list of local competitors
Class AA boys: Collierville; Andersen House (Bartlett); Zach Olsen (Houston); Matthew Westmoreland (Millington).
Class A boys: Maverick Wynne (Lakeland Prep).
Division 2-AA boys: MUS; Briarcrest; Hil Thompson (CBHS); Joseph Winterrowd (CBHS).
Division 2-A boys: Caleb Clifft (Fayette Academy); Ethan Crews (St. George’s).
Class AA girls: Houston; Kathryn Francis (Bartlett); Alijah Griffith (Bartlett); Erin Porter (Bartlett).
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