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Golf: Gainesville boys and girls take early lead in Hall County Championships

Posted 2:41PM on Tuesday 21st March 2017 ( 7 years ago )

GAINESVILLE — Davis Weaver liked the start he and his Gainesville High teammates got off to on Monday in the first day of the Hall County Golf Championships.

He likes the thought of Tuesday's set-up even better.

"We're playing good," said the Red Elephants junior after carding the low round of the day, a nine-hole 35, as Gainesville fired a team score of 155 -- four shots ahead of second place North Hall at Gainesville's Chattahoochee Golf Club. "We'll have a better day (Tuesday). We're playing the back side (of Chattahoochee), and we always seem to play better on the back nine. It could be a big advantage."

Assuming weather cooperates -- there is a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms Tuesday -- the Red Elephants know they'll have to play well to fend off North Hall and defending Hall County individual champ Bartley Forrester, who tied with teammate Brennan Manson for the second best round on Monday. Each recorded a 37, and Forrester too believes Tuesday could be a better day on the scorecard.

"I'm not far off, a couple of putts drop here and there and I'll be good; I just have to tighten things up a little bit," said Forrester, who birdied No. 9, narrowly missing out on an eagle.

The Red Elephants and Trojans currently sit in seven of the top 10 individual spots, setting up a possible sprint to the finish.

Meanwhile, Gainesville also took the early lead on the girls' side of the tournament, charging ahead of West Hall by eight strokes after tallying a 143. Morgan Nichol paced the Lady Red Elephants with a 44, while Vivian Robinson added a 47 to stay ahead of the Lady Spartans' 151.

Flowery Branch's Macie Hurst paced the girls field, carding a low round of 40. Olivia Young was not far behind, shooting a 45 for West Hall, while Johnson's Madison Stewart recorded a 44.

If Gainesville's girls can hold on they will maintain a reign of dominance in the tournament, as they look to claim their 15th Hall County crown and third in a row after Johnson won in 2014 (the Lady Knights also won in 2007 -- the only team besides Gainesville to win the girls portion of the tournament).

Similarly, the Red Elephants counterparts are also looking to do despite graduating Spencer Ralston off last year's team. And while Ralston is already impressing as a freshman at the University of Georgia, Gainesville's boys want to show they still have plenty of firepower.

"We want to show everyone we're still Gainesville, still capable of going low -- even without Spencer," said Weaver, who also birdied No. 9.

2017 HALL COUNTY GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
Day One Results
Monday, March 20
Chattahoochee Golf Club, Gainesville

BOYS
Team

1. Gainesville, 155
2. North Hall, 159
3. Flowery Branch, 180
4. Riverside Military, 184
5. Chestatee, 191
tie, West Hall, 191 
7. Johnson, 211
8. East Hall, 216
9. Lakeview, 233

Individual Top 10
1. Davis Weaver, Gainesville, 35
2. Bartley Forrester, North Hall, 37
tie, Brennan Manson, North Hall, 37
4. Brody Simmons, Gainesville, 39
5. Ryan Hogan, Gainesville, 40
tie, Michael Kallab, North Hall, 40
7. AD Winston, Gainesville, 41
tie, Kelvin Lee, Riverside, 41
9. Tyler Stauffer, West Hall, 42
10. Hunter Worley, Gainesville, 43

GIRLS
Team

1. Gainesville, 143
2. West Hall, 151
3. Flowery Branch, 160
4. Johnson, 158
5. North Hall, 171
6. Chestatee, 189

Individual Top 10
1. Macie Hurst, Flowery Branch, 40
2. Morgan Nichol, Gainesville, 44
tie, Madison Stewart, Johnson, 44
4. Olivia Young, West Hall, 45
5. Delanie Smith, West Hall, 50
6. Catie Cook, Gainesville, 52
7. Hannah Brock, North Hall, 55
8. Rachel Devall, West Hall, 56
tie, Emory Buckhead, Johnson, 56 
tie, Annika Cain, Johnson 56

http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/3/515125/golf-gainesville-boys-and-girls-take-early-lead-in-hall-county-championships

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