NCHSAA golf

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 12, 2008 1:49 PM

• Print
• Email

Trevor Worrell gets a second chance.

After missing two years of competition for personal reasons, the Rosewood senior will spend today and Tuesday battling for a state title. Worrell teed off this morning in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A men's golf championships at Keith Hills Country Club in Buies Creek.

"We're real excited for Trevor," said first-year Rosewood coach Daniel Baynes. "He's worked real hard this year and is the type of kid that good things are bound to happen to. He's really stepped up his game at the right time.

"He had a great performance at regional."

Worrell tied for second in the regional with an 81, but lost a two-hole playoff. He parred the first hole, but an errant tee shot led to a double-bogey on No. 18 at Reedy Creek Golf Course in Four Oaks.

Baynes is looking forward to see how Worrell handles Keith Hills.

"He's got a great golf swing and can do whatever he wants with the ball," said Baynes. "He does very well with course management and is steady when he gets on the green."

Worrell isn't the only county player seeking a state crown.

Wayne Christian begins defense of its 2007 championship on the challenging Hyland Hills Golf Course. The Eagles, directed by head coach Hal Davis, are making their sixth straight trip to the state tournament.

Taylor Gardner, Eric Williams, Matt Davis and Hayden Gardner each earned all-Carolina Christian Conference honors in the season-ending meet in Buies Creek. Andrew Radford also participated.

Wayne Christian, the NCISAA champion in 2005, has ended up among the top three teams during its previous five state tournament appearances.

Sixth-year Eastern Wayne head coach Jerry Pelt is taking his first-ever team to the NCHSAA 3-A Championships. The Warriors will play the par-72, East Course at Fox Fire Resort and Country Club.

Senior Kyle Ham is making his third appearance in the championships. The Mount Olive College signee qualified as a freshman and junior. He's joined by teammates Nick Barrow, Eric Huetter, Ryan Lake, Matt Baker and Keith Gregorcyk.

Lake's 86 helped the Warriors advance as a team.

All three tournaments are two-day, 36-hole events.