FOX FIRE VILLAGE — Drew Page of Waynesville Tuscola holds a one-shot lead over the field after Monday’s opening day in the 21st annual North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A men’s golf championships.
Page’s three-under 69 at the Fox Fire Resort and Country Club West Course puts him one stroke ahead of Wilson Fike’s John T.Griffin and Gastonia Forestview’s Harold Varner, who are tied for second.
Last year’s 2-A individual champion, Michael Muscatell of Charlotte Catholic is tied for fourth with Brien Fritts of Hickory at 71. Catholic moved up from 2-A to 3-A in the current NCHSAA realignment this year.
Joe Kastelic of Newton Fred T. Foard and Tuscola’s Parker Reeves are at even par, three shots back.
Waynesville Tuscola, which placed seventh in last year’s 3-A state tournament, leads the team totals with an excellent 293, six shots ahead of Hickory. Wilson Fike is third at 302 and Gastonia Forestview fourth at 303. The best four of six golfers scores count toward the team total.
Prior to 1986, all NCHSAA golfers 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.
The two-day tournament will conclude on Tuesday, with the first golfers teeing off at 8 a.m. A total of 84 golfers are competing.
Wendy’s and the Carolinas Ford Dealers are the presenting sponsors of the NCHSAA sports program.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
21st ANNUAL CLASS AAA MEN’S STATE GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
FOX FIRE RESORT AND COUNTRY CLUB WEST COURSE– Par 72, 6500 yards
TEAM SCORES-18 HOLES
1. Waynesville Tuscola 293
2. Hickory 299
3. Wilson Fike 302
4. Gastonia Forestview 303
5. Lake Norman 312
6. Western Guilford 313
7. Trinity 319
8. Rockingham County 320
9. Mooresville 321
10. Havelock 324
11. Pikeville C.B. Aycock 330
12. Southern Lee 335
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS- 18 HOLES
1. Drew Page, Waynesville Tuscola 69
2. John T. Griffin, Wilson Fike 70
Harold Varner, Gastonia Forestview 70
Alex King, Newton Fred T. Foard 70
5. Michael Muscatell, Charlotte Catholic 71
Brien Fritts, Hickory 71
7. Joe Kastelic, Newton F.T. Foard 72
Parker Reeves, Tuscola 72
9. Tyler Todd, Concord 73
Thomas Chapman, Gastonia Forestview 73
11. Trey White, Hickory 74
Daniel Koontz, Havelock 74
Andrew Davis, Gastonia Forestview 74
14. Brett Emmers, Wilson Fike 75
David Sechrest, Rockingham County 75
Web Grubb, Trinity 75
Robert Hoadley, Cameron Union Pines 75
