Only the Shadow knows.
That was the theme Tuesday evening at Botetourt Golf & Swim Club as the 3-A West tournament was played out over the Botetourt County links.
With afternoon starting times for the 60 competitors, and the testy pin placements on the undulating Botetourt greens, it became apparent there would little chance of rounds in the red, but a certainty that rounds would be completed in the dark. When the last group made the turn at 5:00 p.m., it was all but certain that flashlights or moonbeam would be necessary to finish.
Hidden Valley proved it was up to the challenge, slipping by Abingdon by two strokes to claim the title and advance to next week’s 3-A state championship Monday and Tuesday art Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg.
Hidden Valley used a balanced scorecard to take the championship. Co-medalist Sam Comer (72) teamed with Jack Henry (77), Kristin Hearp (77), Sean O’Connell (79), John Craighead (81) and Brad Williams (82) to capture the team title. Hearp’s round included six there-putt greens.
Joining Comer as co-medalists were Cave Spring’s Drew Lagan and Abingdon’s Andrew Spiegler. The round of 72 was bittersweet for Lagan, looking to win the individual title outright on the par-4 18th. After pushing his tee shot right into the trees, Lagan chipped short and hit a wedge to within a foot. The par putt that would have clinched the individual title outright, lipped out for a final hole bogey that was the difference. Darkness prevented a playoff among the three co-medalists.
Lagan still locked up an individual bid to the state, joining Cave Spring’s T.K. Garrett (75) and William Byrd’s Dylan Carr (74)
-Bill Turner
