On Monday, the Georgia High School Association golf championships got underway around the state, with 13 Northeast Georgia area teams looking to bring home titles.
All eight GHSA classification finals will be two-day events. The second and final round will be held on Tuesday.
The Gainesville boys in Class 6A and White County girls in Class 3A posted the best opening day starts.
The Red Elephants, playing the Pine Lakes Course on Jekyll Island, fired a 302 to sit in second place behind host Glynn Academy, who shot a first-round 293 for the lead.
Shay Mangalat paced Gainesville with a 2-over 74, which is good for a tie for sixth. Brigham Ralston is tied for 9th after a 3-over 75, and Henry Kopydlowski tied for 15th at 4-over 76.
White County, playing at Maple Ridge Golf Course in Columbus, also sits in second place after a Day 1 total of 264. However, they sit 17 shots behind leader Savannah Christian, firing 247.
Meanwhile, Dawson County's Samantha Dawson's DeWendt fired a career-low 70 (2-under par) in the Class 3A girls tournament. DeWendt had five birdies and an eagle but also had three bogeys and a double-bogey in a wild round. She is tied for second six shots off the pace of Kate Barber from Savannah Country Day, who shot an 8-under 64.
"She only had one bad shot all day," Dawson County girls coach Tyler Baker said.
In 6A girls on the Indian Mounds Course at Jekyll Island., Habersham Central is ninth after shooting a 295. Jackson County's Anna Kate Patton, playing as an individual, fired an 83 to be in a tie for seventh, just five shots off the lead.
In Class 5A, the Jefferson girls are sixth after the first day at Fields Ferry Country Club in Calhoun. The Lady Dragons fired 280, which is 29 shots behind leader Greenbrier. Anna Kate Patton shot a 77, good for third and just four strokes behind Calhoun's Manley Ella, who sits at 73. The 5A boys are at Cartersville Country Club and sit in 11th after the first day.
In Class 4A, the boys played at Whitewater Creek and the girls at Braelinn Golf Course in Fayette County. The North Hall girls had a solid opening day, shooting a 261, which is good for fourth, just eight strokes behind leader Westminster (253). The Lady Trojans' Lillie Mallis is seventh after shooting 81, 10 shots off the lead. Makayla Jones is tied for eighth after firing an 87.
After the opening day, the Cherokee Bluff boys fired a 331 for a ninth-place showing.
In Class 3A, the boys played at Bull Creek Course in Columbus. Dawson County shot a 324 to sit in a tie for fifth with host Columbus. Both are 19 shots behind leader Wesleyan (305). Walker Millholland paced the Tigers with a 76, which is good for a tie for eighth place and just six shots off the lead.
In Class 2A, the boys and girls played at the Okefenokee Golf Course in Blackshear. The Union County and Banks County girls sit in the top 10 after the opening round. The Lady Panthers fired a 207 for ninth place, and the Leopards sit 10th after shooting a 230.
In Class 7A, the Buford boys are 11th, 20 shots behind first-place Milton at Kenderlou in Lowndes County. The Buford girls sit in 10th after the opening round at Sunset County Club in Colquitt County, 65 shots off the pace of first-place Lambert.
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