PICKERINGTON – Ben Bridges is the lone local high school golfer standing in this season’s OHSAA tournaments.
The Mount Vernon junior scored a 77 in Wednesday’s Division I sectional to enter a four-way tie for the final two qualifying spots for the district meet. Bridges won the tiebreaker to move on.
Other area golfers hit the links in Division II and Division III district tournaments earlier this week but failed to move on to next week’s state tournaments.
Bridges and the Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets visited Turnberry Golf Club in Pickerington for Wednesday’s D-I sectional, where the top four teams and top four individuals not on qualifying teams would move on. The Jackets finished seventh as a team, recording a 325 total. They were 17 strokes behind fourth-place Pickerington Central.
Bridges’ score of 77 led his team. His 37 on the front nine tied Bridges for fifth overall. He then shot 40 on the back nine to come in tied for 12th with three other golfers. Bridges and Lancaster’s Isaac Rief advanced.
Teammate Beau Bridges carded an 80 in his last high school performance on the links. Spencer Hughes came in with an 83, Cooper Carpenter scored 85 and Maddox Snyder scored 92.
The D-I district meet will be Tuesday, Oct. 12, at Apple Valley Golf Course. Bridges is scheduled for a 10:20 a.m. tee time on the back nine.
Highland was at Denison Golf Club in Granville on Tuesday, participating in the D-II district meet. The Scots placed sixth overall with a 374. Only the top team and top individual advance to state. Junior Emerson Grassbaugh placed 12th overall with an 81. Ranger Steck carded a 93, while Quentin Miller finished with 137. Seniors Lucas Cain and Garrett Fitzpatrick ended their high school careers with 100 each.
The D-III district meet was also at Denison on Tuesday. Centerburg freshman Bennett Hill scored the best round among local golfers with an eighth-place 77. He was followed by Dalton Hall (78), Levi Houck (80), Dallas Cornett (83) and Reed Compton (84). The Trojans were third overall, 16 strokes behind champion Newark Catholic.
Fredericktown’s Will Streby and Ian Muka each carded 81. Teammate Alex Spaulding had a 95, Kodie Spearman scored 98 and Brady Lester scored 101. East Knox freshman Ashton Priest led his team with 80, followed by Ryan Morton (87), Aidric Bocock (93), Dylan Reed (98) and Landon Spearman (100).
Centerburg freshman Avery Glenn participated in the girls D-II district tournament at Darby Creek on Monday. She posted a 93 to finish 16th overall.
Mount Vernon’s Jillian Williams was at the girls sectional tournament at Royal American Golf Course in Galena on Tuesday. She carded a 126.
