Monday, Oct. 26, 2009

Bluffton leads state Class AAA golf tourney

CONWAY -- McKenzie Talbert of Strom Thurmond shot a 4-under-par 68 Monday and is the leading individual at the Class AAA S.C. High School Girls Golf Championship, while Bluffton has the team lead after a balanced first-round effort.

North Myrtle Beach senior Tara Lyons is 14th after shooting an 80 at Quail Creek Golf Club at Coastal Carolina, Mallory Thompkins of Georgetown is tied for 30th at 86, and the host NMB Chiefs are last among the 13 schools fielding at least four-person teams.

Talbert leads Seneca's Austin Ernst by a shot and third-place Chelsey Couch of Ware Shoals by four. Bluffton received four scores between 77 and 82, led by Kendra Collins' 77, and leads both Strom Thurmond and Riverside by six strokes each at 30-over 318.

Teams scores: 1, Bluffton 318; T2, Riverside 324, Strom Thurmond 324; 4, A.C. Flora 329; 5, Hilton Head 333; 6, Wade Hampton 340; 7, Brookland-Cayce 354; 8, South Aiken 356; 9, Seneca 363; 10, Chapin 369; 11, Daniel 372; 12, Blue Ridge 370; 13, North Myrtle Beach 395.

Top 10 individuals: 1, McKenzie Talbert, Strom Thurmond, 68; 2, Austin Ernst, Seneca, 69; 3, Chelsey Couch, Ware Shoals, 72; 4, Collins Bradshaw, A.C. Flora, 73; 5, Leah Stephens, Riverside, 74; 6, Louise Oxner, Greenville, 76; T7, Kendra Collins, Bluffton, 77; Lauren Dunbar, A.C. Flora, 77; Kelli Cheri Murphy, Lugoff-Elgin, 77; T10, Anne Marie Cover, Strom Thurmond, 78; Sammie Buchanan, Bluffton, 78; Grace Glaze, Daniel, 78.

Others: T30, Mallory Thompkins, Georgetown, 86. North Myrtle Beach (395): 14, Tara Lyons, 80; T40, Brittany Boyd, 88; T65, Lauren Smith, 102; 74, Shannon Barber 125; 76, Kyle Chandler 139.