The Kentucky Golf Coaches Association All-State tournament will take place this coming weekend in Lexington and northern Kentucky will be well represented in it.
Three boys teams, one girls team and several individuals from Boone, Campbell and Kenton County will compete in the tournament that features the top 15 boys and girls teams in the state in the points standings. They’ll play at University Club of Kentucky on Sept. 14-15. The next 21 individuals not on those teams in the standings are also invited for a team and individual championship tournament. Qualifying is based on All-State points accumulated during the regular season. A player must play in eligible tournaments and accumulate enough points during the season to qualify.
This tournament will be weighted towards the season conclusion and helps determine Mr. and Miss Kentucky in golf as well as first and second team All-State. The top 10 players are on the first team with the next 10 in the standings on the second team.
The KHSAA State Champion and KGCA All-State Champion are
both automatically members of the All-State First Team regardless of their points standing.
In the boys tournament, St. Henry, Ryle and Highlands qualified. The Crusaders racked up 690 points in qualifying tournaments and are tied for fifth in the standings. Ryle has 670 points and in seventh while Highlands tallied 620 points, good for a tie for 11th. The rest of the boys team field includes Madison Central, McCracken County, St. Xavier, Trinity, Owensboro, Marshall County, South Oldham, North Laurel, Lexington Christian, Fleming County, George Rogers Clark and Pulaski County.
The lone boys individual outside of those three teams from NKY to qualify is Campbell County’s Talen Beane. Beane accumulated 520 points in qualifying tournaments, good for 21st in the standings. Others from NKY in the top 20 include Ryle’s Paxton McKelvey in second with 680 points, St. Henry’s Will Carter (555 points) in a tie for 11th and Highlands’ duo Hank Shick and Nate Surrey with 540 points each and in a tie for 14th.
In the girls tournament, Ryle was the lone team to qualify with 525 points, good for 14th place in the standings.
Two girls individuals qualified, including Cooper’s Reagan Ramage holding the top spot with 680 points. Ramage should be a contender to win this weekend and will be in line to contend for a state championship and first team All-State. The other individual to qualify outside of Ryle’s team is Bishop Brossart’s Emma Laker.