Gavin Noble ties for third in Class 3A
Ringgold junior Gavin Noble may not have won the state championship last Tuesday, but he certainly proved that he belonged in the conversation of the best golfers in Class 3A.
Playing at the Cateechee Golf Club in Hartwell, Noble opened the 36-hole tournament with a 76 last Monday, which put him in a tie for 11th place. The Kennesaw State commit played the back nine first and made the turn in 40, but rallied with four birdies on the front nine.
But one day later, Noble got hot early and stayed hot. A frontside 33 helped him turn in a 3-under par 69 - the lowest round of the day for any golfer in the field - and he moved up eight spots to finish the tournament in a tie for third place at 1-over par (145) with Hart County’s Eli Scott.
Noble and Scott were just two shots off the lead when the dust settled. Sam Lape of Westminster backed up his 71 on Monday with an even-par 72 on Tuesday to finish the tournament at 1-under par, while Bremen’s Tyler Lipscomb - an Alabama commit - followed his first round score of 70 with a round of 74 on Tuesday. That score left him with an even-par 144 for the tournament, but one shot behind the winner.
Noble finished tied for fourth in last year’s state tournament in Blackshear.
On the same course, the girls’ Class 3A tournament was also being contested and Ringgold senior Miranda Rich would cap her high school career with a top 20 finish. Rich, on her way to play at Chattanooga next season, shot an 86 on Monday and added a 94 on Tuesday to finish in 18th place.
Three more golfers from Region 6 finished in the top six individually in the girls’ tournament, including Murray County’s Tori Owens. Owens, who had a 78 on Day 1, fired a 1-under par 71 on Tuesday to finish 5-over par for the tournament and claim a two-shot victory.
North Murray’s Savannah Satterfield (78-74) finished in third place at 8-over par and Bremen’s Christian Williams (76-80) was sixth at 12-over par.
Both Ringgold golfers were playing as individuals as neither the Tigers nor the Lady Tigers qualified for the state tournament.