BOYS STATE HIGH SCHOOL GOLF TOURNAMENTS
Tuesday’s highlights CLASS 6A
Led by tournament leader Blaine Calhoon and Connor Gaunt, the defending Overall champion, Cabot holds a 14-stroke lead over Little Rock Catholic after the first round of the Class 6A tournament at Rolling Hills Country Club in Cabot.
CLASS 5A
Greenwood senior Evan Griffith shot a 2-under 68 to win the Class 5A championship at the Paragould Country Club. Paragould won the team title.
CLASS 3A
Harding Academy senior Max Master fired a 2-over 73 at the Burns Park Championship Course in North Little Rock, winning the Class 3A title by one stroke. Baptist Prep claimed the team championship.
Max Master came within a shot of qualifying for the Overall golf tournament in 2017. The Harding Academy senior found some redemption Tuesday.
Master fired a 2-over 73 at the Burns Park Championship Course to claim medalist honors at the Class 3A state tournament on a hot, sunny afternoon in North Little Rock. Master earned a onestroke victory over Fountain Lake’s Christopher Desfassiaux and Baptist Prep’s Hagen Sanchez.
“I worked super hard all summer and during the fall season, so I’m pretty excited right now,” Master said.
Master, Desfassiaux and Sanchez all advance to next week’s Overall at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock.
Master was masterful on the final three holes of Tuesday’s play. He rolled in a 30-foot putt for a birdie on the 161-yard Par 3 No. 16. He nailed a clutch par putt from 10 feet on No. 17, and his approach shot on No. 18 landed within a few feet of the pin as he nailed down Tuesday’s victory.
“It just felt so good,” Master said of his long putt on No. 16. “When I was looking at the line up for the putt, I felt as if I had the confidence to make that shot. As soon as I hit it, I knew it was going in. After that hole, I knew the momentum was all on my side.”
Baptist Prep won the team competition with a 325. Fountain Lake earned the runner-up trophy with a 346.
Desfassiaux claimed second medalist honors by outlasting Sanchez in three playoff holes. Both runners-up parred the first two holes, but Sanchez took a bogey on the third extra hole while Desfassiaux chipped to within tap-in distance on his birdie try.
Desfassiaux was a day early in collecting the shot of the tournament. He hit his first career hole-in-one on the 125yard Par 3 No. 13 in Monday’s practice round. On Tuesday, Desfassiaux took a double bogey on No. 13, which ultimately cost him Tuesday’s medalist honors.
“That was disappointing,” Desfassiaux said. “But I still did OK overall. I had a couple of terrible shots. I had to just quit thinking and play. I could have definitely made up two or three strokes.”
Sanchez closed out the front nine with seven consecutive pars. He held a one-stroke lead over Master heading into the final nine holes, but a double bogey on 10 proved to be his undoing.
“I hit a good drive, but I hit my second shot left,” Sanchez said of the 400-yard par 4 No. 10. “I hit my chip way over the green, left my second chip shot short of the green and then missed a putt.”
Sanchez saved himself from disaster on the 360-yard par 4 No. 15. His second shot went over the green and, after taking a drop, his third shot was a line drive that was fortunate to hit the pin and drop to within inches of the hole.
“I didn’t have a good lie, and I hit it kind of thin,” Sanchez said. “If it hadn’t have hit the pin it would have been gone.”
Master did himself a favor by staying in the fairway.
“I just put myself in good places,” Master said. “I didn’t miss a lot of iron shots. I gave myself a chance.”