Class 3A state golf

Robbie Vaught vindicated himself Monday after a subpar performance in district qualifying last week by shooting a 3-over 75 to lead Baptist Prep (235) to a sixshot victory over Harding Academy in the Class 3A boys state tournament at Glenwood Country Club.

GLENWOOD — Baptist Prep sophomore Robbie Vaught was not a happy golfer last week after shooting a 27- over- par

99 in district qualifying on a windy day at

Little Rock’s

Eagle Hill Golf Course.

Va u g h t said he didn’t have time to sulk about it with Mon - day’s Class 3A boys state tournament on the horizon at Glenwood Country Club.

“Today I didn’t worry about what happened a week ago,” Vaught said. “I just tried to focus on my next shot. I kinda wanted redemption today, and I feel like I did a pretty good job of that.”

Vaught vindicated himself with a 3-over 75, a round that included birdies on his final two holes, leading Baptist Prep (235) to a six-shot victory over Harding Academy.

Vaught teamed with fellow sophomore Preston Nesterenko (79) and junior Evan Garcia (81) to give Baptist Prep its third consecutive state championship.

He not only bounced back from his worst round of the year, but he scored well enough to qualify as one of Class 3A’s three individual representatives to the Oct. 15 Overall state tournament.

Vaught will join Class 3A medalist Jackson McLaughlin (70) of Episcopal Collegiate and John Henry Wise (77) of Harding Academy at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock.

McLaughlin, a freshman who said he also struggled in the wind last week at Eagle Hill while shooting 82, posted a 2-under 70 round on the Glenwood course that played to par 72 at 5,952 yards.

He started with a double bogey on his first hole of the day, No. 18, and also posted a double bogey on his 17th hole, No. 16, but made up for it with seven birdies.

McLaughlin, also unhappy with his play at Eagle Hill, said he took part in a practice round at Glenwood with his teammates on Thursday and added another practice round with his parents Sunday.

“I played well both of those times,” he said. “I liked the course. And I felt like I had a pretty good chance to win. So I came out and played well today.”

McLaughlin said he learned a lot in his practice rounds.

“Huge thing: Don’t force driver if you didn’t need to,” he said. “Make sure you’re laying up and everything.”

Vaught was more concerned about the state of his game than the Glenwood Course.

“He went and got help and got on the range and figured out what was going on,” Baptist Prep Coach Eddie Stephenson said. “That’s just competing. To shoot 99 in district and come back and get it together for state, I’m so proud of Robbie.”

Stephenson believed the Eagles could win if his top three players — Vaught, Nesterenko and Garcia — played their best.

“I thought we could get three scores in the 70s if everybody was good off the tee box,” said Stephenson, who had reason to believe Vaught would return to his best form.

“He goes to the range every day,” Stephenson said of Vaught. “Works at it. Figured out what was going on, and got himself back. He’s not a long hitter. So he knows his game, and he hits a lot of hybrids. Keeps it in play, good short game. That’s what he did today.”

McLaughlin, the medalist, didn’t have the added pressure of trying to win the team title for Episcopal, which finished sixth, 40 shots behind Baptist Prep.

“I know no teams make it overall, so I wanted to do the best I could do to play there,” McLaughlin said.

Any anxiety melted away when he double-bogeyed his first hole of the day.

“It made me frustrated, but I birdied the next hole, No. 1,” McLaughlin said. “Started off double, birdie, bogey. After that, I had no more bogeys.

“It took all the pressure off at the start. I hit a bunch of good wedges. It was a fun round.”

Vaught also had fun compared to what he experienced seven days earlier.

“It feels great because everybody works hard for these moments,” Vaught said. “When it happens, it feels amazing.”

McLaughlin

Vaught