FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Cherokee Bluff’s Alisa Pressley and Gainesville’s Henry Kopydlowski earned Hall County Golf Championships low medalist honors with comebacks on Wednesday at Royal Lakes Golf and Country Club.
The Gainesville girls and Cherokee Bluff boys took team titles with solid second-day efforts.
Pressley earned her fourth straight Hall County championship after starting the day one shot off the lead. The senior shot 39 on Wednesday for a two-day total of 79. North Hall’s Lillie Mallis shot 81 to take second, followed by Gainesville’s Prentice McGarvey, the leader after Day 1, at 83 and Flowery Branch’s Sadie Bishop at 84.
“Four years ago, I was just hoping to come out and play good,” Pressley said. “Now winning four in a row, it’s kind of unbelievable.”
Pressley was not happy with her first-round 40 but picked up her game on Wednesday on the back-9 at Royal Lakes.
“I think it’s a calming factor for me to not play as good the first round and come back the second round,” Pressley said. “I think that it’s funny that three years in a row, the harder nine with the worst conditions, was on the second day and I played better.”
Kopydlowski, also a senior, rallied from five shots back of first-day leader Tanner Seabolt of North Hall. Kopydlowski fired a 32 on Wednesday to finish with a 70.
“I really did not make it too hard on myself,” Kopydlowski said. “I made some clutch putts and it was simple, easy golf out there.”
His Gainesville teammate, freshman Benny Hawkins, was one back at 71. Cherokee Bluff’s T.J. Harris finished third with at 73, and his Bears’ teammates Zach Crosby and Colton Keller shot 74s.
“I love that kid,” Kopydlowski said of Hawkins. “Benny’s awesome. It’s awesome to go out there every day to practice and have a lot of competition. He’s got a really good future ahead of himself.”
The Gainesville girls took the victory with a 264 total. The Red Elephants were led by McGarvey’s 83 and Ragan Allgood’s 90. Clare Gaddy shot 95. Defending champion North Hall finished at 273 and Cherokee Bluff was third at 293.
Led by Harris, Keller, and Crosby, Cherokee Bluff’s boys fired a 298 to win the championship. The Bears were the only team in the tournament with three golfers finishing in the 70s. Flowery Branch was second at 309. Gainesville and North Hall tied for third at 312.
