Eagles and Seahawks secure top 10 finish in state golf tournament

Beaufort and Hilton Head High School held onto their top 10 finishes on Day Two of the 4A state golf tournament. The Eagles finished seventh, while the Seahawks moved up three spots to secure a fourth-place finish.

AC Flora pulled out a late comeback to knock off Wren, who came in as the team to beat after round one.

The tournament was held on the Baroney Course at the Port Royal Golf Club on Hilton Head. Beaufort head coach Brook Dixon said he couldn’t have asked for a better showing of hospitality.

“I thought it was great,” said Dixon. “I thought the weather was great, and I thought the course was amazing. The competition was excellent, and they did a great job hosting.”

The tournament saw several ranked players, including Wren’s Holden Grigg, who clinched the course record with a score of 130 overall. AC Flora’s Jack Parrott and Ryan Marter along with Levi Moody (Travelers Rest) and Ross Craft (Belton-Honea Craft) were among the tournament’s finest.

“We played against some of the best players in the state, so that’s always challenging,” said Dixon.

But the underdogs fought tirelessly against the stacked field and the sweltering heat.

“Thomas Mull shot 79 today, and that was quite a surprise,” said Dixon. “It’s a great improvement from just last week.”

Beaufort’s Matthew Campbell and Hilton Head’s Travis Mancill were selected to the All-State Tournament Team.

For Mancill, putting his best foot forward for the team was his No. 1 priority, but he still considers it an honor. The Erskine commit finished with a score of 143 overall.

“It’s always about the team, because overall it’s the team score that counts,” said Mancill. “How you finish the event as an individual comes last.”

Like Mancill, Campbell anticipated nothing short of a solid performance individually and from his team.

“I had big expectations,” said Campbell. “I was hitting the ball really well for two straight days and I didn’t make any putts at all, which was frustrating, but it was still a good tournament.”

The senior, who shot a 74 in the final round, is committed to North Greenville, and although he’ll be busy on the green as a Crusader, Dixon is looking forward to a friendly match in the future.

“(To my seniors) I have enjoyed you,” said Dixon. “Best of luck to you in the future, and hit me up to play when you’re in town.”

FINAL TEAM SCORES

AC Flora: 592

Myrtle Beach: 602

Wren: 604

Hilton Head: 611

Lancaster: 614

Hartsville: 615

Beaufort: 627

Eastside/North Myrtle Beach: 629

South Aiken: 638

Chapin: 640

Belton-Honea Path: 648

Saint James: 664

Blue Ridge: 671

Travelers Rest: 681

Pickens: 685

BEAUFORT

Matthew Campbell: 74

Tommy Holloway: 79

Riley Kase: 81

Thomas Mull: 79

Austin Van Horn: 90

HILTON HEAD

Travis Mancill: 71

Brooks Dyess: 78

Chris Lifvergren: 78

Caden Edwards: 79

Charlie Farrell: 83

This story was originally published May 16, 2017 at 6:25 PM with the headline "Eagles and Seahawks secure top 10 finish in state golf tournament."