CALVERT CITY – McCracken County’s Avery Edwards came out blazing with four straight birdies Monday to start his day in the boy’s 1st Region Tournament at Calvert City Country Club. Edwards followed the birdies up with four straight pars then closed his front nine out with a birdie for 5-under.
Marshall County’s Quinn Eaton, paired with Edwards and Mayfield’s Paul Wynstra, also started out strong with two birdies, followed by four pars and birdies on #7 and #9 to trail Edwards by just one shot at 4-under.
A solid back nine with one birdie and the rest pars gave the focused and steady Eaton a final round of 67 (5-under), his best round of 18 holes of his young career, and it couldn’t have come at a better time, earning the junior a 1st Region title.
Edwards had two bogies on the back nine and one birdie, putting him one stroke back of Eaton at 68 when the threesome putted out on the 18th hole.
“I just want thank God for allowing me to play this well”, Eaton said of his championship title. “It still seems unreal to me and hasn’t really sunk in.”
Eaton won’t be alone at the state tournament, helping to lead the Marshall County team to 1st Region runner-up and a trip to Bowling Green. The Marshals as a team scored 305, beating out Mayfield by one stroke and Graves County by two. Adding to Eaton’s 5-under was D.J. Pigg with 78, Garrett Howell shot 79 and Jay Nimmo carded an 81. Also playing for the Marshals, Grant Hackney shot 82.
Edwards led McCracken County to the 1st Region team title with score of 295 which included scores by Chase Korte with 74, Tyler Thomasson shot 77 and Dalton Bagwell a 76.
Along with Eaton and Edwards qualifying as individuals for the state tournament was Lyon County’s Cullan Brown in 3rd with 70, McCracken’s Chase Korte in 4th with 74, and Mayfield’s Carter Dodson 5th and Wynstra 6th, both with 74’s. The final two qualifiers were Graves County’s Dawson Fowler in 7th with 75 and Tilghman’s Owen Workman in 8th with 75.
“I was happy with the way the players grinded it out”, Marshall Head Coach Keith Bell said. “Quinn has been scoring low and has been so close many times and I’m thrilled for him.”
Coach Bell said he knew how close it was going to be with Mayfield during the match and told senior D.J. Pigg, who was recently diagnosed with Mono and holding on to 6-over par after the front nine, that if he could just maintain that, the team would be ok. And maintain it he did, gutting out the back nine and carding a 6-over.
“Every stroke counts”, Bell said. “They’ve worked so hard for this and I’m proud of what they’ve accomplished.”
The state tournament will take place October 5-7 in Bowling Green.
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