'Might have been the best round of golf' he has seen' - Micky Wolfe
Trailing Chase Kyes by five shots with 18 holes to play looked to be an uphill climb for Jackson Mitchell going into the final round of the 77th Alabama Boys State Junior Championship Thursday at the Canebrake Club in Athens.
And even though Mitchell, who calls Canebrake his home course, blistered Canebrake with a 10-under 62, he needed one more birdie to win the championship. It proved to be no problem – Mitchell birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Chase Kyes for the title.
Both players finished the 54-hole tournament at 18-under-par 198 to edge Ward Harris by one shot.
“It feels very rewarding when it’s said and done,” Mitchell said. “It feels even more special to win it at my home course in front of my friends and family and people that I play around every single day.”
Canebrake Director of Golf Micky Wolfe said Mitchell’s 62 might have been the best round of golf he has seen. Considering players such as the PGA Tour’s Lee Hodges have played at Canebrake, that’s saying something.
“We couldn’t be more proud of Jack – his 10-under-par 62 62 to come from five shots back to claim the championship was amazing to watch,” Wolfe said.
Sixty-seven players survived the cut to play the final round.
Mitchell shot 67-69 in the first two rounds while Kyes went 66-65 before closing with a 67. Ward Harris of Vestavia Hills started the final round three shots behind Kyes after rounds of 67-67. He shot 65 in the final round to fall one shot short of the playoff.
Tyler Watts of Huntsville (64-203) finished fourth. Cole Komyati of Elberta defeated Trace Bracknell of Tuscaloosa in a scorecard playoff to finish fifth. Komyati and Bracknell each finished with a 12-under 204.
Trible-Gorden team for Women’s 4-ball title
Taylor Trible of Birmingham and Yvette Gorden of Pike Road claimed the 15th Alabama Women’s State Four-Ball Championship title by one shot on the strength of a closing 69 at the RTJ Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove.
Their two-day total was 2-under 142 to edge team of Hanna Pope (Florence) and Tori Roush (Fairhope), who shot 71 in the final round.
Three straight birdies by Trible-Gorden on Nos. 2-4 proved to be the difference.
Katelyn Foster of Mobile and Tori Waters of Mobile posted a 144 overall to secure third place. Defending champions Kathy Hartwiger of Birmingham and Lea Green of McCalla posted a runaway win in the 4th Alabama Women’s State Senior Four-Ball Championship.
The Hartwiger-Green team shot 67 in the final round and finished at 10-under 134 to win by 10 shots.
Leah Head of Birmingham and Theresa Stratton of Opelika were second at 144. Chris Spivey of Pell City and Harriet Cauthen of Orange Beach were third at 147.
Ann Lanier of Fairhope and Tami Green of Fairhope carded a 146 to earn medalist honors within Senior Flight 1.
Dawn Byrne of Mobile and Loraine Ficarino of Mobile defeated Laurie Strite of Foley and Lisa Graham of Orange Beach in a scorecard playoff to place first within Senior Flight 2.
Cynthia McDermond of Gulf Shores and Gigi Roberts of Gulf Shores placed first within Senior Flight 3.
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Featured photo courtesy of the PAlabama Golf News
