Adalyn Pike, Chloe Ruble win women's four ball
Mobile’s Michael Crocker shot 70 in the final round Thursday to claim a one-shot victory in the Alabama Boys State Junior Championship.
Crocker, who led or was tied for the lead through all three rounds of the 54-hole tournament played at Goose Pond Colony’s Lake Course, edged Huntsville’s Andrew Hinson for his first boys state junior title.
Michael Crocker finished at 204, while Andrew Hinson shot 205.
The two began the day tied for the lead at 10-under-par 134. Fairhope’s Trip Duke was third.
Crocker used five birdies to fashion his 2-under 70 in the final round. Hinson made four birdies in his closing 71 as the tournament went down to the final hole.
Crocker shot 66 in the first round to grab the lead, but Hinson pulled even in the second round with a tournament-low 65.
The two were tied through 13 holes in the final round before Crocker took a two-shot lead with a par on No. 14 and a birdie on No. 15. Hinson got a shot back when Crocker bogeyed No. 16. But the two went birdie-par on Nos. 17-18, allowing Crocker to emerge with the win.
Duke trailed by four shots after two rounds, but a closing 69 moved him into solo third. Blake Gayles of Phenix City shot the day’s best round, a 6-under 66, to move into fourth place.
“I’m just happy I got the job done and played well all this week,” Crocker said.
Watts, Kyes fall in U.S. Junior Amateur
Birmingham’s Chase Kyes was the last player from Alabama to bow out of the U.S. Junior Amateur, falling to Bryan Kim of Maryland in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
The match was tied through nine holes before Kim won Nos. 10-11. Kyes was 1-down after 14, but Kim birdied Nos. 15-16 to take the match 3&2.
Kyes reached the quarterfinals with a 5&4 win over Henry Guan. After qualifying for the 64-player match play portion of the tournament by shooting 70-73 at the Daniel Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina, Kyes easily beat Californian Zachary Pollo 7&5.
Huntsville’s Tyler Watts lost to Kim 1-down in the Round of 32 earlier Thursday. Watts, who earlier this year won the Alabama Men’s State Amateur and the Southern Junior Championship, qualified for the Round of 64 with scores of 69-72. He opened match play with a 4&3 win over Basthyan Facudo Morasa of Chile.
Two other players from Alabama competed – Enterprise’s Jon Ed Steed made match play with rounds of 71-71 but was ousted by Charleston’s Rowan Sullivan in 19 holes in the Round of 64. Vestavia Hills’ Ward Harris shot 75-73 but failed to advance to match play.
Drew Mathers wins Alabama Open
Mobile’s Drew Mathers built a sizeable lead after 36 holes and then held on to win the Alabama Open by one shot over Zach Sucher of Birmingham.
The tournament was played on the Legislator course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Capitol Hill in Prattville.
Mathers, who shot 13-under 203 in the 54-hole tournament, was the only player in the field to break 70 in all three rounds. He opened with back-to-back 67s and closed with a 69 to edge Sucher by a shot.
Sucher began the final round five shots behind but charged home with a tournament-best 65 in Thursday’s final round to close the gap.
Guntersville amateur John Bruce shot 73 in the first round, but finished with back-to-back rounds of 66 to finish third at 205. Josiah Gilbert and Williams Walker III tied for fourth place at 208.
Mathers pocketed $10,000 for the win, while Sucher cashes a $5,500 check.
Athens duo of Pike-Ruble win Women’s State Four-Ball
The Athens twosome of Adalyn Pike and Chloe Ruble shot 10-under 62 in the second round to win Alabama Women’s State Four Ball Thursday.
Their 36-hole winning score was 14-under 130 after shooting 68 in the opening round. Their 62 in the second round consisted of nine birdies and an eagle.
The Pike-Ruble team won by four shots over first-round leaders Addison Spears and Ashlynd Madden.
The Fairhope duo of Hannah Dees and Tori Roush posted a score of 10-under par, 134 for the week.
Lea Green of McCalla and Linda Jeffery of Prattville won the Alabama Women’s State Senior Four-Ball Championship at 10-under 134.
Ann Lanier of Fairhope, the Lakewood Women’s club champion, and Chris Spivey of Pell City were second at 9-under 135.
Donna Lowen of Huntsville and Sha Carter of Gulf Shores were third at 138, winning a scorecard playoff.
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Featured image of Michael Crocker courtesy of the Alabama Golf Association
