State golf tournaments
FAYETTEVILLE — Fisher Vollendorf and three of his Fayetteville teammates were taking bites out of their sandwiches when they took the lead at the Class 7A state boys golf tournament at Fayetteville Country Club on a wet Tuesday.
The Bulldogs trailed Cabot by three strokes when they ducked inside the clubhouse to get out of the rain and grab lunch after their rounds. Fayetteville ended up winning the 7A-West Conference title with three players finishing in the top-five overall for a team score of 290. Cabot won the 7A-Central with a final tally of 298.
Today’s action will feature the top eight teams and top eight individuals not on the top eight teams vying for the 7A state championship. Totals from both days count toward the final standings.
Fayetteville is chasing a school-record fifth consecutive state championship.
Vollendorf, a University of Arkansas, Fayetteville commitment, finished even par to tie Cabot’s Connor Gaunt for top medalist honors. Vollendorf was 3-under through 12 holes before hitting a double bogey on No. 13. After a couple of pars, he birdied No. 16, but then bogeyed the final two holes.
The senior said a key to his low round was coming prepared with rain gear while also teeing off in the first group. His round was finished when Gaunt took a short-lived lead with birdies on Nos. 14 and 17 before closing with a bogey on No. 18 to complete his round of 70.
“As soon as I sat down to eat, I saw the rain really pick up,” Vollendorf said. “You never want your opponents to play poorly, but you’re never going to complain about the weather being a little worse for them.”
On the par-4 No. 8, Vollendorf took advantage of a strong breeze at his back to reach the green from the tee box, but he was unable to sink an eagle putt.
“I pounded driver over the trees, and it bounced up to about 8 feet, and my dad was going crazy in the woods,” Vollendorf said. “I really wanted to make that putt because I feel like that would have made some noise and really got me going, but anytime you can tap in for par, it’s always good.
“I felt like I could have finished a lot better if I had hit some putts, but overall, I’m really pleased.”
Fayetteville Coach Scott Williams said his team had co-MVPs in Vollendorf and Jacob Nolen, who was the last Fayetteville golfer to finish. Nolen birdied three of the final five holes to finish with a 73.
Denver Davis also hit a 73 while Jackson Cole turned in a 74. Palmer McSpadden finished with a 78.
“What a finish — and I saw Jacob lip out a putt that would have been a fourth birdie in those last five holes,” Williams said. “It shows a lot of character on his part because Jacob has played very well all year long. He had a few struggles out there … but he went out there with his head held high and he got it done.
“I know you don’t win tournaments on the first day, but the way he played put us in a very good spot.”