High school golfers from across Mobile and Baldwin counties are heading into sub-state tournament play this week after advancing through sectional competition held in recent days, with several area teams and individual players still alive in the chase for a state championship.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s postseason golf bracket moves to its second round Monday and Tuesday, May 3-4, when sub-state tournaments across the state’s southern half determine which teams and individuals punch their tickets to the state finals. Those state championships are scheduled for May 10-11 at Magnolia Grove Golf Course, Mobile’s stop along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
The format tightens with each round. At the sectional level, the top four teams in most classifications advanced to sub-state play, along with the top four individual players whose teams did not qualify. From sub-state, only the top two teams and top two individual non-qualifiers move on to the state tournament. Some players earned a spot in the next round purely as individuals, even though their school’s team advanced, because they were not among the five golfers (for boys) or four golfers (for girls) their head coach designated as the official team roster. Team scores are calculated using each squad’s top four rounds on the boys side and top three rounds on the girls side.
Round length also increases as the postseason progresses. Both the sectional and sub-state tournaments are 18-hole events, while the state championship stretches to 36 holes over its two days at Magnolia Grove.
On the girls’ side, sub-state sites include Arrowhead Country Club in Montgomery for classes 1A-3A on May 3, Sylacauga Country Club for classes 4A-5A on May 3, Cider Ridge Golf Club in Oxford for Class 6A on May 4, and Rock Creek Golf Club in Fairhope for Class 7A on May 3. The boys’ bracket sends Class 1A-2A golfers to Troy Country Club on May 4, Class 3A to Arrowhead Country Club on May 3, Class 4A to Highland Oaks Golf Course in Dothan on May 3, Class 5A to Mobile Country Club on May 4, Class 6A to Cider Ridge Golf Club on May 4, and Class 7A to Rock Creek Golf Club on May 3.
Several area programs turned in strong showings at the sectional level to earn their spot in this week’s field. In Class 1A-3A girls action at Lagoon Park Golf Course in Montgomery, Trinity Presbyterian took the team title, followed by Bayside Academy, Mobile Christian and Providence Christian, all of which advance as teams. Cottage Hill Christian’s Isabella Cameron carded a 98 and Orange Beach’s Victoria Whitehead shot a 102 to move on individually.
At Heron Lakes Country Club in Mobile, the Class 4A-5A girls field was topped by St. Paul’s, with Elberta and Straughn also advancing as teams; Faith Academy’s Kathy Hacker shot a 99 to qualify as an individual. In Class 6A girls play at TimberCreek Golf Club in Spanish Fort, McGill-Toolen won the team title ahead of UMS-Wright, Spanish Fort and Gulf Shores, with McGill-Toolen golfers Laurel Gottlieb (83) and Laurel Steiner (89) turning in two of the day’s lowest individual scores and teammate Addison Weiskopf posting a 109. In Class 7A girls competition at Lake Forest Golf Course in Daphne, Fairhope and Mary G. Montgomery advanced as teams, while Baker’s Katelyn Foster (87) and Daphne’s Ella Kate Hewes (90) qualified individually.
On the boys’ side, Class 1A-2A play at Andalusia Country Club sent Elba, Brantley, Orange Beach and Pleasant Home through as teams, with St. Luke’s Will Wallace advancing individually after a 91. In Class 3A at Dothan Country Club, Houston Academy and Bayside Academy led a field that also advanced Opp and Wicksburg as teams, while Mobile Christian’s Lane McLaughlin (83) and Taylor Hollon (85) both qualified as individuals. Class 4A boys, also contested at Dothan Country Club, saw Providence Christian, St. Michael and Alabama Christian advance as teams, with St. Michael’s Max Wilson shooting a 95 to move on individually.
Back at Heron Lakes Country Club, the Class 5A boys tournament was won by UMS-Wright, which also saw Rehobeth, Demopolis and Andalusia advance as teams; UMS-Wright’s John Daniels (73) and Braxton Bonner (77) posted two of the tournament’s best individual rounds. In Class 6A boys play at Azalea City Golf Course in Mobile, Gulf Shores claimed the team title over St. Paul’s, Spanish Fort and McGill-Toolen, while St. Paul’s Bo Carrington and Spanish Fort’s Miles Jackson each shot 82 and Saraland’s Dawson Carter carded an 84 to advance individually. Finally, in Class 7A boys action at Lake Forest Golf Course, Fairhope and Daphne both advanced as teams, with Fairhope golfers Abe Solomon (77) and Eli Kensey (85) turning in low individual scores.
With sub-state tournaments now set for Monday and Tuesday, the area’s remaining teams and individuals will have one more 18-hole round to survive before the field narrows again ahead of the 36-hole state championship at Magnolia Grove.