Ringgold’s Gavin Noble finishes fourth in state tournament
After an indomitable effort in the Class AAA individual boys’ 2017 Golf State Championships, Ringgold High School’s Gavin Noble tied for fourth overall.
Last Monday, Noble was leading the pack with a 69, but after harsh weather conditions spurned the good weather—heavy winds and rain overtook Lakeview Golf Club in Blackshear—things just weren’t going Noble’s way.
Tyler Lipscomb of Bremen was able to win the tournament after shooting a 67, earning a 137 for both rounds, while Liam Shinn of Greater Atlanta Christian and Robert Ghirardini of Lovett tied for second with a 144. Alex Ross of Pace Academy, Noble, Sam Lape of Westminister and Taylor Sweat placed fourth with a 145, while Eli Scott of Hart County and Marc Mitchell of Pace Academy finished in eighth with a 146. Ty Metts of Pierce Academy placed tenth with a 147.
Noble said the course itself was solid— taking into account the smaller and the bumpy greens—but it was the weather conditions that had a direct correlation with his performance.
“In comparison to yesterday’s performance, I didn’t play that good,” Noble said. “Yesterday I played really well, but not today. It was raining a lot today—very windy. Yesterday was pretty sunny and not much wind.”
Swinging a Titleist with all his skill and might, Noble, who verbally committed to Kennesaw State, said he was able to drive the ball pretty well off the
tee.
Ringgold coach Brad Gray said his driving, as usual, wasn’t a problem, rather it was the elements.
“He hit the ball so well yesterday,” he said. “He came out and just wasn’t as on as he was yesterday. But he continued to battle and kept giving himself opportunities, but he couldn’t put everything together to get back in contention. With the
weather and the course, and the way that other kid was playing was amazing. I mean to shoot a 67 on a day like today was extremely impressive.”
Gray was able to hearken back to shot no. 16 when Noble hit the ball off the tee into the air 205 yards or so, but the ball ricocheted off the greens too high, causing the ball to bounce and sail over. However, Gray said Noble was still able to bogey on 16.
While inclement weather abominably
affected many golfers on the first day, a dreary day wasn’t the case, though, on the first day.
On a picture-perfect day, Noble lead the pack with a 69 after the first round.
Ringgold coach Brad Gray said Noble entered the tournament very motivated after last year’s performance.
“That was not really a reflection on how good he can play,” Gray said. “I think he came down here with an attitude of correcting his mistakes from last year. He went out and put up a score
more reflective of his ability.”
The layout of the course overall, he said, was not something Noble hasn’t seen before, but the greens were a lot smaller than usual.
Even with the greens being smaller than before, and players from other schools getting off to exceptional starts, Gray said Noble was able to match those shooting well stride for stride and then some by sinking pars on his first two shots, birdieing on his third shot and
bogeying on his 18th shot.
On the bogey shot, though, Noble hit the ball into the hazard, punched the ball out of the hazard towards a tree on the opposite side and the hit a punch fade from under the tree, spinning the ball on the green before the ball found its way to the bottom of the hole.
“It was his worst hole of the day, but it was the most impressive because he recovered from hitting two really bad shots, only getting
a bogey out of it,” Gray said. “As soon as he hit his first two puts he was right there. He adjusted a little bit with the speed, and he was going to be in good shape, and he did that.”
“He performed better this year than he did last year,” Gray said. “He made some mistakes today, but he will learn from those. He’s got two more opportunities to get that ring, and I feel pretty confident that that is going to happen before he leaves me.”