Familiar surroundings fuel AC Flora boys golf to another state championship
The AC Flora boys golf team added another state championship Tuesday to its already crowded trophy case and didn’t have to go far to do it.
The Falcons shot a 7-under-par 277 on the final day of the Class 4A championship to win by 45 shots at Forest Lake Club. AC Flora finished with a two-day total of 3-under 565.
North Augusta was second at 605.
It is the second straight championship for AC Flora, and 16th in school history, but the first with the event being held in Columbia since 2013 (Wildewood). Recently, the tournament has been held in the Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head areas.
Forest Lake is a familiar place for the Falcon players with the majority of them being members.
“To win at home with all my friends out here was pretty cool,” AC Flora senior Luke Sullivan said. “We thought we had this in us all year but we just never performed like that. It was nice to do it in our final round of state.”
Sullivan, a South Carolina signee, shot an even-par 142 to tie teammate Charles Cauthen for second place. Illinois commit Adam Hunt was fourth, High Point signee Butch Harrison (144) and Coleman Ferguson tied for 10th, giving Flora five all-state golfers for the first time in school history. The top-10 golfers earn all-state honors.
“We talked about what we were capable of as a team. When we were driving back from the upper state tournament, I told them the only one who can beat us is us,” AC Flora coach Robert Dargan said “We knew all their friends and family would be here supporting us, 15 of our 16 players are Forest Lake members.
“Big thing is just keep our head down and play golf. We had a good back nine yesterday and had a 12-shot lead. Then, we got off to a great shape today and I knew we were in great shape.”
Indian Land freshman Mason Kucia repeated as individual champion with a two-day total of 1-under 140. He is the first repeat individual champion in Class 4A since Boiling Springs’ Trent Phillips went back-to-back in 2014-15.
Kucia will try to become the first boys golfer to win three in a row since Chapman’s Jacob Bridgeman won three Class 3A titles from 2016-18.
“Last year was kind of a shocker, I am not going to lie, but I came in this year with a chip on my shoulder,” Kucia said. “... I am going to try and keep this going. I have three more years ahead of me and it is going to be exciting.”
Chapin finishes second in Class 5A
The Chapin golf team nearly made it two Midlands teams winning state championships Tuesday.
The Eagles finished second, one shot behind Boiling Springs, in the Class 5A championship at Charleston Municipal Course. Boiling Springs, which led by four strokes heading into the final nine holes, finished with a 616 to win for the second straight year.
It was Chapin’s best finish in a state tournament since finishing second in 2012 when the Eagles were in Class 3A.
Wando’s Tucker Simon won the individual championship by defeating West Ashley’s Ryan Bozard in a playoff. Both tied at 142.
Chapin’s Chase Cline (148) tied for fourth and Lexington’s Roman Mullinax (151) tied for seventh to earn all-state honors.
Scoreboard
Class 5A Championship
Team Scores: Boiling Springs 616; Chapin 617; Wando 623; Mauldin 632; Spartanburg 641; Conway 644; Fort Mill 648; Dorman 648; River Bluff 649; West Ashley 651; Riverside 651; Lexington 655; Nation Ford 657; JL Mann 664; Ashley Ridge 697; Socastee 717
All-State (Top 10 and ties): Tucker Simon, Wando 142; Ryan Bozard, West Ashley, 142; Clayton Taylor, Boiling Springs 146; Cam Baker, Fort Mill 148; Major Lenning, Mauldin 150; Roman Mullinax, Lexington 151; Jay Wilkins 151; Harry DeGrood, Wando 153; Andrew Gregory, Boiling Springs, 154; Benjamin Mills, Nation Ford 154
Class 4A Championship
Team Scores: AC Flora 565; North Augusta 605; Indian Land 620; Beaufort 627; Greenville 631; Easley 640; Eastside 645; South Aiken 651; Hartsville 653; Aiken 661; Myrtle Beach 663; May River 667; Greenwood 670; Pickens 670; Hilton Head 672; South Pointe 684
All-State (Top 10 and ties): Mason Kucia, Indian Land 141; Luke Sullivan, AC Flora, 142; Charles Cauthem, AC Flora, 142; Adam Hunt, AC Flora, 143; Butch Harrison, AC Flora, 144; Matthew Baxley, North Augusta 145; Tip Price, Greenville, 148; Jerry Bruns, Beaufort, 149; Hugh Faulkner, Greenville 149; Coleman Ferguson, AC Flora 150; Mitchell McNeil, North Augusta, 150
