Four NCHSAA Men’s Golf Championships ScheduledFor Monday,Tuesday
CHAPEL HILL – All four North Carolina High School Athletic Association state men’s golf championships will be played simultaneously at four different sites across the state on Monday and Tuesday.
The 75th annual 4-A championships will be held this year at Pinehurst number six, with the 26th annual 3-A championships at the Foxfire Golf and Country Club in Foxfire Village. The 2-A event, also the 26th annual, is scheduled for the Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines, and the 14th annual 1-A championships will be contested at the Keith Hills Country Club in Buies Creek.
The 4-A championships at Pinehurst are set for par 71 and 6,537 yards. The 3-A event at Foxfire will be par 72 on a 6,851 yard layout. Longleaf’s set-up is par 71 and 6,600 yards for the 2-A tournament, and the 1-A championships at Keith Hills will be contested on a par 72, 6,625-yard layout.
The top three teams from each of the regionals along with the top three individuals not on one of the qualifying teams earned spots in the 36-hole classified championships. Prior to 1986, all NCHSAA golf teams competed for a single title in an open tournament. Play went to three classifications in 1986 and then to four classes beginning with the 1998 tournaments.
Cary Green Hope, a golf power, has won four of the last five 4-A team championships. Grayson Murray of Raleigh Leesville Road won last year’s state 4-A medalist honors with a 70-68—138 total and is back to defend his title.
Northern Guilford won last year’s 3-A title and Hickory senior J.T. Posten, who had an opening round 68 and a 142 total in winning the individual crown last year, is back to try to make it two straight. Hickory was the team champion in 2007 and ’09.
In the 2-A classification, North Lincoln has won the last two team titles and will be seeking its third straight. A Salisbury golfer has earned the individual championship three times in the last five years. Roy Dixon of Salisbury, now a senior, was the 2010 medalist and has qualified to defend his title.
East Surry had a string of four straight 1-A team championships from 2005 through ’09, with Hampstead Topsail winning in ’09 and West Montgomery last year. Greg Bunner of Highland Tech won the last two individual championships.
The first threesomes will go off at eight o’clock in the morning on each of the two days of the tournament in all four classifications.
Wendy’s is the presenting sponsors of the NCHSAA sports program.
NCHSAA FastFacts
Event: NCHSAA Men’s Golf Championships
Date: May 9-10, 2011
Site: four different sites
First Held: 1937
Qualifiers: top three teams from each regional, top three individuals not on one of the qualifying teams, in each classification
Defending team champions: 4-A: Cary Green Hope; 3-A: Northern Guilford; 2-A: North Lincoln; 1-A: West Montgomery
Of Interest: The best individual round ever shot in an NCHSAA state championship was a 64 in the 2009 2-A tournament at Longleaf by Justin Clement of West Davidson.
