Farragut golf teams pose with their 2018 region championships. (Photo: Farragut Golf on Twitter).
The Farragut High School golf teams are within striking distance of the leaders after Day 1 of the Division 1-Large Class TSSAA State Golf Championships.
Admirals sophomore Lance Simpson shot a 1-under-par 71 at WillowBrook in Manchester, Tenn., to tie Tennessee commitment Jackson Skeen of Science Hill for the individual boys’ first-round lead. Simpson birdied three of the four par-5s Tuesday to get his round under par.
The final round will be played Wednesday — weather permitting — and Knoxville Central senior Alyssa Montgomery will enter the final round in solo third in the girls’ individual title chase. Montgomery, a Virginia Tech commit, shot 69 and was two shots back of Dobyns-Bennett’s Isabella Van der Biest (67). Montgomery birdied four of her first seven holes to keep step with the leader.
The Farragut boys were in second place after Round 1 in the team competition, as their 16-over 304 total fell 13 shots off the pace of tournament-favorite Science Hill (291). Farragut’s Steven Haremski, an MTSU commit, and Chad Homan each fired 77s and were tied for 21st place. Carson-Newman commitment Antonio Farinella rounded out the Admirals’ scoring with a 79.
Individually, William Blount’s Nick Etherton (74, T10), McMinn County’s Nicholas Thompson (75, T12) and Carter’s Cooper Hayes (76, T16) were inside the top 20 after Tuesday.
On the girls’ side, Farragut was fourth at 11-over 155 but just nine strokes off the pace of Station Camp. Lexanne Halama paced the Lady Admirals with a 73, which featured 15 pars, two bogeys and one birdie — on the final hole. Her score was good enough for a tie for fifth Tuesday. Aynsleigh Martin pitched in the other contributing score with an 82.
Halls’ Shelby Liford, a Tennessee commitment, shot 74 to claim solo seventh. Catholic’s Kennedy Noe was tied for 13th at 79.