GREYHOUND GOLF
There are no guarantees in the postseason. High school golf is no different. Despite a top-10 finish in last year’s GHSA Class AAAAA state tournament, a return trip was no guarantee for Jones County as the postseason approached, even more so when it was unable to directly qualify in the area tournament, putting that fate in the hands of the sectional round.
Doubt was removed there when JCHS won the sectional to qualifying for last week’s state tournament at Fields Ferry Country Club in Calhoun, where the Lady Hounds finished eighth as a team, 14 strokes out of the top five. Keegan Goins finished her Lady Greyhound career with a finish of seventh, being in position for the top five prior to the final hole. Kimber Kent was 27th with Karlie Hoffman carding a finish of 49th. Ben Ridley, who qualified for the boys’ state tournament in Cartersville as an individual was also 49th.
“You don’t know from yearto- year if you can get back. You have to go through so many levels,” JCHS golf coach Lance Pittman said. “We didn’t qualify in the area tournament when we were fourth, so we had a chance in the sections, and we probably played some of our best golf there.”
That sent Jones County to the state tournament with 11 of the top girls’ teams in Georgia.
“As coaches, we understand that there certain schools in golf where they are just on another level,” Pittman said. “We got beat by some of those, but we finished higher than a few of them, too.”
After wrapping up last Monday’s opening round in ninth place, Goins led being 12-over par 86. With Kent having a 97 and Hoffman at 113, the goal going to the final day was simple – finish the final round in a better position. That goal was met and accomplished. JCHS not only finished a spot higher, but Goins and Kent improved their totals with respective scores of 81 and 93.
“We went in after the first round and focused on just beating the first day’s score,” Pittman said.
Goins was actually on position to finish in the top five before a four-putt on the final hole.
“She played almost flawless,” Pittman said of Goins final round.
Hoffman matched her score from day one and was four strokes better than her first-round total before the final hole of the second round.
“Karlie has a lot of natural ability. She definitely has a lot to build on,” Pittman said.
While the Lady Hounds were making a statement in Calhoun, Ben Ridley was going likewise at the boys’ state tournament in Calhoun, shooting an 84 on the second day to finish 49th overall.
The showing was the latter part of Ridley’s season in a nutshell, as he emerged as the Greyhounds top performer as the schedule progressed. His berth in the state tourney came a year after he didn’t qualify for the area tournament. A year later, he more than surpassed that.
“We hadn’t expected him to be our No. 1, but he put in so much work and made it clear he was our top guy,” Pittman said. “His scores were consistently our lowest, he put in work, it paid off and we’re very proud of him,” And if the way he headed into the summer indicates anything, Ridley has his eyes on improving even more. Pittman said that when Ridley finished the tournament, his family headed toward North Carolina for vacation, where Ridley saw a golf course and asked to go play a round of 18 holes.
“He wants to get back at, we’re really proud of him,” Pittman said. “We’re looking forward to having him back next year.”
