The first three weeks of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association golf season goes by in a blur.
Once those three weeks pass, the season is more than halfway over for a lot of teams around the state. Tournaments are played daily, often four to five times a week for participating schools before school starts.
Wednesday marked the halfway point of those three weeks and the action in Northern Kentucky was at AJ Jolly Golf Course for the Ortho Cincy Invitational. Players had to endure over an hour weather delay as most were only a hole or two in while others had yet to tee off.
When play resumed, a shotgun start ensued and players took advantage of a softer course.
“It played easier after the rain, the approach shots you could really stick ’em,” Fleming County’s Seth Hickerson said.
Hickerson ended up taking individual medalist honors, defeating Highlands’ Nate Surrey in a three-hole, sudden death playoff. Both fired on all cylinders in their rounds, finishing with five-under 66’s, both career lows. It was Surrey’s second straight day where he flirted with medalist honors, finishing third on Tuesday at the Cooper Classic at Lassing Pointe.
“I’ve just been really working a lot on my putting and I think that’s really helped me a lot because when I chip and putt well I end up scoring well,” Surrey said. “Confidence is a really big part of my game. A round like this will give me a confidence boost and then next time I go play I’ll feel more confident over the ball.”
While Surrey may not have grabbed first as an individual, the Bluebirds won as a team with a score of 293 at nine-over-par and defeating Scott County by a stroke. Surrey’s 66 paced the team, Hank Shick also under par with a one-under 70 and finishing in a tie for seventh. Oliver Golden was the third Bluebird to break 80, finishing with a five-over 76 and placing 20th. Alex Race (81) and James Kuhn (91) rounded out the Bluebirds scoring.
The 293 is the Bluebirds lowest score posted this season to date in seven tournaments.
“Four scores to get that low, that’s the best we’ve shot in a few years,” Bluebirds coach Bert Richey said. “It was a pretty chaotic start to the day to be delayed for two hours. The guys came in, relaxed and when they went back out, kept their focus and got back to playing and did a good job.”
It also got them their first win of the season. They had three second-place finishes prior.
“Today was a good day to get over the hump,” Richey said. “We need it for the All-State points, that’s one of our goals this year is to make it to All-State. Any time you have two kids under par it’s always a good day.”
Surrey had to sit and wait for a while with his round complete as 118 golfers hit the course on Wednesday. He was waiting and watching scores trickle in, the five-under looking like it was holding firm. He was five-under par through his first six holes on the day and went even par from there, starting his day on the back nine.
“Front nine I played alright, back nine I started putting everything within a few feet,” Surrey said.
St. Henry’s Will Carter, who had been on a tear to start the season, was five-under at one point, but finished two-over in his closing holes to finish three-under and in a tie for third with Bourbon County’s Parker Arnold.
Campbell County’s Talen Beane and Allen County-Scottsville’s Barton Rutledge rounded out the top five with two-under 69’s.
Hickerson was one of the last ones off the course and finished his round with six birdies and a bogey mixed in with 11 pars. The two then hit No. 1 for the first hole of the sudden death playoff. Surrey scrambled to make par after going in the left rough with his drive while Hickerson missed a 15-foot birdie putt for the win.
The two traded scenarios on the second hole, Surrey sitting pretty in the fairway while Hickerson went in the right rough. Both ended short of the green on their approaches, Surrey’s par putt lipping out while Hickerson’s was just right.
Both nailed their drives on the third playoff hole and faced birdie putts after their approach shots, Hickerson about five-feet from the cup, Surrey about 12-feet away. Surrey’s putt went past the hole and right, Hickerson sinking his putt for the victory.
“Back pin, wasn’t really an attackable hole, but in a playoff you have to,” Hickerson said. “A win is a win, we both had good rounds, both probably deserved to win, somebody just had to come out on top.”
While Surrey is still in search of his first tournament victory, the senor is really coming into his own in the early part of the season.
“Nate’s been really consistent,” Richey said. “Most of the time he’s been around par. Today he putted really well. He’s been hitting the ball great, but he just couldn’t get any putts to go in. The last couple of days he’s been going to the country club, putting in the extra work with his putting and I’m happy that it’s paying off for him.”
Highlands will hit the course again on Thursday at Hickory Sticks for the Beechwood Invitational.
After Highlands and Scott County in the team scoring, St. Henry and Fleming County finished in a tie for third with 300’s. Bishop Brossart (311) finished seventh, Villa Madonna (328) in 10th to round out the top 10 for NKY schools.
Hot Starts
Ryle wasn’t present on Wednesday as they’re competing in the Kentucky Cup with some of the top teams in the state in Lexington. The Raiders have won two tournaments, placed second in another and third in three others. Paxton McKelvey has been on fire with four individual medalist performances.
St. Henry has also strung together a solid start with two first place finishes, a tie for second and a tie for third on Wednesday.
Those two teams figure to be the strongest in the 7th Region and a leg up on the rest of the competition early on. The top three teams in the region tournament advance to the substate round.
“It’s fun. Ryle has a nice team, St. Henry has a nice team. We try to play against as good as competition as we can find,” Richey said. “We’ll travel down to Louisville a couple times a year and face the top teams there as well. We want to see as many different teams and courses as possible as we head into postseason to prepare us for anything.”
Highlands has separated from the rest of their respective region — the 8th Region. Harrison County and Bishop Brossart look to be their resistance from trying to stop them from winning a fifth straight regional title.
TEAM SCORING (Top 10)
- Highlands — 293
- Scott County — 294
- Fleming County — 300
- St. Henry — 300 (tie)
- South Warren — 303
- Allen County-Scottsville — 304
- Bishop Brossart — 311
- Bullitt East — 315
- Rowan County — 315 (tie)
- Villa Madonna — 328
INDIVIDUALS (TOP 20)
- Seth Hickerson, Fleming Co. — 66 (won in playoff)
- Nate Surrey, Highlands — 66
- Parker Arnold, Bourbon Co. — 68 (tie)
- Will Carter, St. Henry — 68 (tie)
- Barton Rutledge, Allen Co.-Scottsville — 69 (tie)
- Talen Beane, Campbell Co. — 69 (tie)
- Hank Shick, Highlands — 70 (tie)
- Miles Deaton, South Warren — 70 (tie)
- Wyatt Merkins, Scott Co. — 71 (tie)
- Parks Gullett, Scott Co. — 71 (tie)
- TJ Sorrell, Bellevue — 72
- David Korona, Harrison Co. — 73
- Ben Bosse, Grant Co. — 74 (tie)
- Malachi Mefford, Owen Co. — 74 (tie)
- Bryant Brown, Pendleton Co. — 74 (tie)
- Will Jones, Rowan Co. — 74 (tie)
- Cole Bricking, Bishop Brossart — 74 (tie)
- Luke Bertsch, Bishop Brossart — 75 (tie)
- Eli Stamper, Allen Co.-Scottsville — 75 (tie)
- Oliver Golden, Highlands — 76 (tie)
- Ben Carter, St. Henry — 76 (tie)
- Ben Glenn, Scott Co. — 76 (tie)
- Clay Wachter, Scott Co. — 76 (tie)
- Parker Sills, Fleming Co. — 76 (tie)