AUSTIN—Despite all five golfers lowering their scores and slicing 22 strokes off its first round scorecard, it wasn’t enough for the Rockdale Tigers to move into medal contention.
The Tigers finished sixth at the 74th Class 3A UIL state golf tournament Tuesday at Grey Rock Golf Club. It was Rockdale’s seventh appearance at the state tournament in the past decade.
Despite a late surge from defending state champions Troup, Pottsboro was able to hold into its double-digit first round lead for the championship.
Rockdale overtook Brock on the second day to move from seventh to sixth place to finish with a 682 total ahead of Brock’s 685 as all five Tiger golfers improved their scores from the first day of play.
It ties for the second highest finish for a Rock-dale team behind a silver medal in 2015. The Tigers were also sixth at last year’s state tournament.
Cameron placed 10th.
Austyn Reilly of Pottsboro scorched the 6,855-yard course with a 69-68—137, seven strokes under par, for medalist honors.
The Tigers carded a 352 in the first round and found themselves 43 strokes behind Pottsboro.
Tiger seniors Walker Crane and Brady Nelson did their part in trying to rally their teammates, both firing in 78s in the second round, for Nelson it was a season-best and for Crane it equaled his second-round regional tournament score.
Crane—who carded a 169 in 2017--chipped in from just off the green on No. 9 from about 20 yards out, which hit the flagstick and found the hole. This was Crane’s third state tournament trip, he played in the tourney when he was a freshman.
Both lowered their scores from the first day, with Crane shooting an 80 with seven pars and back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth holes on the back nine and Nelson an 86. Nelson also bettered his score from last season when he penciled in a team-low 167.
Sophomore Ross Loth also chopped strokes off his first-day score, going from a 90 to an 84.
Freshman Brayden Burns went from 96 to 90 which included a nice par save on No. 18 after a 25-yard chip shot from between two sand traps that left him a short putt for par. Senior Gunner Miller knocked off six strokes from the first round, from a 97 to a 91.
“These guys never gave up, coming back the second day to shoot the fourth lowest round of the day shows a lot about them,” said second-year Rockdale Coach Chris Joslin. “Really happy to see all their hard work pay off and playing some of their best golf at the end of the season in the three biggest tournaments. Finishing sixth in state is a big accomplishment.”
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