All-State tourney serves as top-flight tuneup for this week’s high school golf regionals
Kentucky high school golf begins its postseason this week, and some of the best players in Central Kentucky’s Region 9 and the rest of the commonwealth got a top-flight tune-up this past weekend at the All-State Championship.
Held over two days at both the University Club’s Big Blue Course and Cherry Blossom Golf Club in Georgetown with the boys’ and girls’ fields playing each on opposing days, the Kentucky Golf Coaches’ Association All-State Championship brings together the top teams and individual players in the state based on accumulated points awarded from KGCA-sanctioned tournaments during the regular season.
The girls’ teams from Madison Central and Lexington Christian finished 1-2 at All-State and both are expected to contend at Tuesday’s Region 9 Championship at The Woodford Club in Versailles. Madison Central is the defending champion. Strong teams from Lexington Catholic and Henry Clay will be there as well, boosted by their respective fourth- and seventh-place All-State finishes.
“It’s definitely helping the girls know that they can compete with the best in the state,” LCA Coach Matthew Soale said. “They’ve always known that, but I think that they also need to see it too.”
Marshall County’s Trinity Beth defended her individual All-State title with a 6-under 138, four strokes clear of Lyon County’s Cathryn Brown, a University of Kentucky commit and the younger sister of the late Cullen Brown, the Lyon and UK golfer who died of cancer in 2020.
On the boys’ side, Taylor County practically lapped the field on the way to its first All-State crown. The Cardinals shot an incredible 15-under as a team at Cherry Blossom and held onto that number over the next 18 holes at the University Club’s Big Blue Course. Taylor County finished 1-2-3 in the individual competition with foreign exchange student Bruno Galling’s 11-under two-day total earning top honors.
Like the girls’ competition, the boys’ teams from Madison Central and Lexington Christian stuck close together, finishing second and third, respectively. Frederick Douglass proved itself as well, finishing sixth in the program’s first All-State appearance as a team.
LCA boys’ Coach Eric Geldhof likes how his team is shaping up for Wednesday’s Region 9 Championship at Kearney Hill Golf Links. Madison Central is the defending boys’ champion, too.
“We’re OK. I’m looking forward to it,” Geldhof said. “Douglass is great, Catholic is great, Madison Central, of course, is good. I like where we are, and I’m going to enjoy it.”
Taylor County gets boost
Galling, the Cardinals’ medalist on Sunday, came to Taylor County as part of a foreign exchange program from Germany when school started and has turned heads over the last few weeks after he began appearing in the lineup.
“About a month ago, he honestly just fell into our lap, being a foreign exchange student. Nobody knew how good he was and, obviously, he’s really good,” Taylor County Coach Todd Polston said. “It’s really helped us out. He’s a great kid. He fits right in. So it’s been awesome for us.”
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s bylaws allow athletics eligibility waivers for foreign students “if the student is placed in a KHSAA member school under the auspices of approved student exchange programs.”
That appears to be the case for Galling.
“He was approved,” Polston said. “We sent everything in the first week and within four days, they sent it back and said the KHSAA approved him. Their paper said he’s good to go, so that’s good by me.”
Galling actually trailed going into the last few holes, but teammate Luke Coyle faltered down the stretch, going bogey, double-bogey, bogey on 16, 17 and 18 to finish 9-under par, two strokes back. Coyle, a senior, was the defending All-State champion
“Yeah, it sucks for him. You know, he won this thing last year and he shot 28 on one side and then struggled coming in, which is not typically him, but he’s going to be happy for his teammates,” Polston said. “Second place never feels bad in this tournament.”
Quick turnaround and a new format
A number of All-State teams, including Taylor County’s boys and Marshall County’s girls will barely be back home in time for their region tournaments as some were set to tee off Monday morning. Taylor County will be hosting their regional at Campbellsville Country Club. It’s a tight schedule, but the All-State tournament is a can’t miss event.
“It’s always a boost playing this good here going into tomorrow,” Polston said. “I hope the boys get a little sleep tonight and we’re ready to go tomorrow.”
This marks the first year for the KHSAA’s new postseason format, which will advance two teams and the top 10 individuals outside of those teams to a first-ever “State First Round Tournament,” which will be held at three different sites as a prelude and eliminator for the State Final Round Tournament at Bowling Green Country Club.
Boys’ and girls’ qualifiers from Central Kentucky’s Region 9 will compete with Regions 10-12 next week at Winchester Country Club. The top three teams and 15 individuals will advance from the First Round to Bowling Green in two weeks.
The schedule this season comes after three years of discontent over the previous format change by the KHSAA, which allowed only one team to advance to the state tournament out of each regional since 2019. Before then, the region champions and runners-up made state.
“Taking one team from regional to state was not right, especially when you come from the region our team plays in,” said Madison Central’s Claira Beth Ramsey, who will look to defend her individual and the Indians’ team region titles on Tuesday.
The tight schedule and additional postseason tournament are a concern for Ramsey, but it’s better than the alternative, she said.
“It’s kind of a hassle, but I’ll take it any day over just taking one team to regionals. That’s for sure,” Ramsey said.
The new format was welcomed by many coaches.
“From what I’ve heard from coaches is that everyone’s pleased that a lot more individuals can get out and also the team aspect,” LCA’s Geldhof said. “In some of the regions, some teams that were really good could have a mediocre round and not get through. I think it’s better for everybody, especially going to semi-state and getting three (teams) out. And more individuals get a chance.”
KGCA honorees
As part of the All-State events each year, the KGCA honors a number of people who’ve contributed to the game.
This year’s hall of fame inductees are Rick Davis, longtime Green County coach, now head coach at Campbellsville University; Wes Martin, retired Clark County coach; and Kevin Mims, retired Henry Clay girls’ coach and executive director of the KGCA for a number of years.
The boys’ tournament was held in honor of the late Stewart Gregory, former Wayne County coach. The girls tournament was held in honor of the late Anna Simpson, former Shelby County coach.
Tuesday
Region 9 Girls’ Golf Championship
Where: The Woodford Club, Versailles
Wednesday
Region 9 Boys’ Golf Championship
Where: Kearney Hill Golf Links, Lexington
All-State Championship Top 10s
Girls’ teams: 1. Madison Central +42; 2. Lexington Christian, +44; 3. Marshall County +48; T4. Cooper +58; T4. Lexington Catholic +58; 6. Sacred Heart +77; 7. Henry Clay +80; 8. Owen County +103; 9. Daviess County +110; 10. Bowling Green +121.
Girls’ individuals: 1. Trinity Beth, Marshall County -6; 2. Cathryn Brown, Lyon County -2; 3. Reagan Ramage, Cooper E*; 4. Karra Tucker, Madisonville E*; 5. Athena Singh, Rowan County E*; 6. Izzy Christy, Paintsville E*; 7. Keira Yun, Bethlehem E*; 8. Elizabeth Eberle, Madison Central +1; 9. Katie Roberts, Marshall County +2; 10. Maddi Jo Benton, Estill County +4*.
*Position determined by playoff
Boys’ teams: 1. Taylor County -15; 2. Madison Central +15; 3. Lexington Christian +19; 4. Trinity +28; 5. St. Xavier +29; 6. Frederick Douglass +30; 7. Bowling Green +34; Oldham County +35; 9. Marshall County +40; 10. Mason County +46.
Boys’ individuals: 1. Bruno Galling, Taylor County -11; 2. Luke Coyle, Taylor County -9; 3. Micah Bertram, Ballard -5*; 4. Seth Smith, Taylor County -5*; 5. Warren Thomis; Madison Central -2*; 6. Grey Goff, Lexington Christian -2*; 7. Trey Wall, Marshall County -2*; 8. Cam Roberts, Pikeville E*; 9. Sam Guest, Collins E*; Isaac Moody, Oldham County +1*.
*Position determined by playoff
Complete results online: https://bit.ly/3QUD9DA
This story was originally published September 19, 2022 at 7:56 AM.
