CHAPEL HILL – For the seventh year in a row, 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 71st annual 4-A championships will be held at The Reserve Club at St. James Plantation in Southport, with the 22nd annual 3-A championships at the Fox Fire Resort and Country Club’s East course at Fox Fire Village. The 2-A event, also the 22nd annual, is scheduled for Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines, and the 10th annual 1-A championships will be
contested at the Keith Hills Country Club in Buies Creek.
Each course will be set up at approximately 6,500 yards and par 72.
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.
Morrisville Green Hope is the defending 4-A state team champion, winning last year with an excellent score of 592 at Pinehurst number six, and has won two of the last four titles. Drew Younts of Northwest Guilford has captured the last two individual crowns at the 4-A level, and although he is graduated the Northwest Guilford team has once again qualified.
Tuscola won the state 3-A championship a year ago and is back to defend its title led by Drew Page, who was third a year ago and was the opening round leader after firing a 69.
Ledford has earned the last two state 2-A team titles and had a pair of sub-300 rounds en route to the 2006 championship, recording a 596 team total. Senior Will Collins of Salisbury returns to defend his individual crown, winning last year’s tournament with a 143 total after a blistering 68 on the final day.
In the 1-A classification, East Surry has won the last two team championships and Siler City Jordan-Matthews took the two before that, and both teams have qualified for this year’s event. East Surry’s Johnson York won the individual crown in 2006 as a sophomore and is back to defend his title.
The first threesomes will go off at eight o’clock in the morning on each of the two days of the tournament.
Wendy’s and the Carolinas Ford Dealers are the presenting sponsors of the NCHSAA sports program.
NCHSAA FastFacts
Event: NCHSAA Men’s Golf Championships
Date: May 14-15, 2007
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: Green Hope; 3-A: Tuscola; 2-A: Ledford; 1-A: East Surry
Of Interest: Chuck Merriam of South Mecklenburg is the only three-time individual men’s golf champion in NCHSAA history, winning the title in 1963, ’64 and ’65.
