FOXFIRE VILLAGE — Will Long of Gastonia Forestview had a blistering 66 on Tuesday and raced to victory by a single shot on Tuesday in the 28th annual North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A men’s golf championships at the Foxfire Golf and Country Club.
Long, the individual runner-up a year ago, had a 36-hole total of 140, good for a one-shot win over Nick Stafford of Belmont South Point after entering the day tied for eighth, six shots off the pace. Stafford had a 69 in the final round to move up to second from fourth after the first day.
Long has signed to continue his career at Auburn University.
First-day leader Bryce Hendrix of Greenville D.H. Conley had a 74 in the final round to go with an opening 68 to finish at 142, in a tie for third with South Rowan’s Davis Richards. Richards had one of the five sub-par rounds on Tuesday with a 69.
The championship was held on a par 72 layout set at 6,591 yards for the NCHSAA event.
Defending team champion Forestview made it two titles in a row, led by Long and Will Blalock, as the Jaguars blew it open with a 285 score in the final round. Forestview tallied a 582 score for the tournament, 22 shots ahead of runner-up Burlington Williams have holding just a four-shot lead over the field after Monday’s play.
Waxhaw Marvin Ridge placed third at 614 and Charlotte Catholic, Monday’s second-place team, and Belmont South Point tied for fourth at 616.
The best four of six individual scores counted toward the team total.
Prior to 1986, all NCHSAA schools 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.
A total of 84 golfers began play in the two-day event.
COMPLETE RESULTS MAY BE FOUND AT CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS MEN’S GOLF
