Live scoring at Pendleton Hills Golf Course on Wednesday was checked as often as TikTok feeds, with nervous faces scattered throughout the clubhouse during the opening round of the KHSAA State Golf Tournament.
The stakes were high for Regions 5–8: only the top three of eight teams and the next 15 individuals out of an 80-player field would earn tickets to Bowling Green for next week’s final rounds (Oct. 10–11).
The course itself played the biggest role. Pendleton Hills showed its teeth, allowing just one player to finish under par — Christian Academy of Louisville’s Will Judd with a two-under 70, regarded by many as the top golfer in Kentucky. Judd’s Centurion squad, along with perennial power St. Xavier, were expected to grab two of the three team berths, but nothing came easily.
The wrench in that was Ryle, who claimed not only the other spot, but did so by bettering CAL. The Raiders shot a 304, five strokes behind St. Xavier and seven clear of CAL.
“We came out with a specific game plan on the course and our guys did a great job of executing that,” Raiders coach Mark McKelvey said. “We knew we’d face some adversity, how would we handle that adversity? They did a great job of looking forward and finished strong.”
Covington Catholic nearly pushed through as well, but came up three shots shy, tying Central Hardin for fourth at 314. The Colonels did advance two individuals: Brady Pagnotto (74, T-5) and Joseph Mangine (76, T-12). Pagnotto was even through seven, then doubled eight and bogeyed nine. He responded on the back nine with two birdies and a bogey and six pars mixed in to go one-under.
“Putting was a big focus and just playing smart,” Pagnotto said. “The greens were super fast and speeds were changing a little bit. Playing smart off the tee was big. No drivers off the tee if it wasn’t going well.”
Mangine is making a return trip to Bowling Green after qualifying last year. He was five-over through eight and then settled in to go one-under in his final 10 holes.
“Persevered the last of the round and very happy with how I finished,” Mangine said. “Hopefully I can play better down there this year than I did last year. Just can’t wait to see what I can do next week.”
Ryle’s breakthrough was fueled by an eighth grader, Hayden Li, whose steady play produced a 74 and a tie for fifth. Li strung together 13 pars with two birdies, balancing out two bogeys and a double.
“Hayden has a relentless work ethic,” McKelvey said. “He’s a wonderful asset to our team and charges forward and keeps his head moving forward and focuses on the next shot. He’s got a really, really bright future.”
Quite the impressive score for the 13-year-old in a big moment. The moment was nowhere near too big for him.
“At the end of the day it’s just golf,” Li said. “I just tried to focus on my next shot and keep my head where my feet were. Just try to not let anything bad that happened effect the future.”
Li was supported by Paxton McKelvey and Thomas Leone with 75s, Jake Roscoe with 80, and Chandler James with 81 — a complete team effort that secured the Raiders’ return to the state stage after missing out last year.
Other Northern Kentucky players also punched individual tickets. Walton-Verona’s Adam Gutman battled back from a rough front nine (+5) to post a 78, settling in with just one-over on the closing nine.
The most dramatic finish belonged to Beechwood’s Jace Hammons and St. Henry’s Parker Isaacs, who emerged from a tense five-man playoff for the final two qualifying spots. Both finishing with 79s, Hammons berth was a little less dramatic as he birdied the very first playoff hole to clinch his place.
“I was just thinking par minimum, birdie if it comes,” Hammons said. “Did what I needed to do and got it done.”
His round had started shakily with a double-bogey, but he immediately bounced back with a birdie and then rattled off seven straight pars to steady himself.
Isaacs’ path was even more miraculous. He birdied two of his last three holes in regulation just to force the playoff, then battled for six extra holes before finally outlasting Central Hardin’s Rylan Jones. With the win, Isaacs will make a return trip to Bowling Green — this time as an individual rather than part of St. Henry’s team.
“One of the most prestigious things in golf (in high school) is to get down to Bowling Green Country Club,” Isaacs said. “I’m overjoyed to go, overall really excited and it means a lot to me.”
Newport Central Catholic was making their first trip to the state tournament since 2011 and finished eighth with a 364. They were led by Evan Himmelsbach with an 82. Himmelsbach was followed by his Thoroughbred teammates with Alex Bacon (89), Ben Fassler (96), Alex Tracy (97) and Gabe Waggoner (112).
Rounding out CovCath’s scoring was Marcus Diiulio (82), Carson White (82) and Matt Noe (85). Others from NKY included Villa Madonna’s Tyler Brandstetter and Dixie Heights’ Jack Woolwine missing out on the playoff by a stroke with 80s, Highlands’ Alex Race with an 81, Dixie Heights Will Steczynski and Campbell County’s Talen Beane with 87s, Highlands’ Abram Kees and Conner’s Max Brunkel with a 91, Bishop Brossart’s Derek Bezold and St. Henry’s Jake Montgomery with a 92, Beechwood’s Kayden Sautter a 93, and Dixie Heights’ Kyle Flynn with a 98.
When the final putts dropped, Pendleton Hills had delivered a day of high drama, punishing conditions, and historic breakthroughs. Ryle’s milestone victory over a Region 6 power, Hammons’ clutch birdie, and Isaacs’ marathon playoff win ensured Northern Kentucky will be well-represented among the final nine teams and 45 individuals set to take on Bowling Green Country Club next week.
The nine qualifying teams are: McCracken County, Greenwood, Marshall County, St. Xavier, Ryle, CAL, Madison Central, Rockcastle County, and Pulaski County.
Tee sheets and tee times will be produced at a later date by the KHSAA. They’ll be posted on their website when they become available.
TEAM SCORES (Top 3 teams advance)
*St. Xavier — 299 (Luc Kelty 73, Will Stuart 74, Brody Alexander 74, Thomas Evans 78, Finn Johnson 79)
*Ryle — 304 (Hayden Li 74, Paxton McKelvey 75, Thomas Leone 75, Jake Roscoe 80, Chandler James 81)
*Christian Academy-Louisville — 311 (Will Judd 70, Cambell Parsons 77, Zach Gladieux 79, Jake Elliott 85, Parker Brandon 87)
Central Hardin — 314 (**Ethan Lewis 73, Rylan Jones 79, Avery Miller 79, Levi Larue 83, Mark Mercer 91)
Covington Catholic — 314 (**Brady Pagnotto 74, **Joseph Mangine 76, Marcus Diiulio 82, Carson White 82, Matt Noe 85)
Henry County — 330 (Nicholas Bryan 80, Brody Cross 80, Isaac Abney 84, Baylor Nolin 86, Dean Miskell 86)
Holy Cross (Louisville) — 335 (**Jaxson Taylor 76, Tyler Manning 84, Mason Manning 84, Luke Harris 91, Quinn Person 95)
Newport Central Catholic — 364 (Evan Himmelsbach 82, Alex Bacon 89, Ben Fassler 96, Alex Tracy 97, Gabe Waggoner 112)
INDIVIDUAL SCORES (Top 15 advance not on St. Xavier, Ryle or )
**Jack Burrice, Trinity — 72
**Colton Woosley, South Oldham — 75
**Sam Bates, Bullitt East — 76
**Jacob Rafferty, Eastern — 76
**Carson Long, Trinity — 77
**Miles Green, Oldham County — 77
**Adam Gutman, Walton-Verona — 78
**Tyler Duncan, North Oldham — 78
**Isaac Lewis, Bullitt East — 78
**Jace Hammons, Beechwood — 79 (qualified via playoff)
**Parker Isaacs, St. Henry — 79 (qualified via playoff)
Harrison Bayne, Ballard — 79
Tyler Brandstetter, Villa Madonna — 80
Jack Woolwine, Dixie Heights — 80
Bo Brough, Eastern — 81
Alex Race, Highlands — 81
Luke Bryant, Eastern — 81
Blake Pollock, DeSales — 81
Tony Northcut, Harrison County — 82
Charlie Proctor, Elizabethtown — 82
Dustin Battaglia, Carroll County — 82
Ben Hanson, Elizabethtown — 84
Rock Latkovski, Bullitt Central — 84
Cole Miller, LaRue County — 84
Ezekiel Mefford, Owen County — 85
Lucas Totten, Male — 85
Clayton Scherer, North Hardin — 86
Anthony Pickering, Meade County — 87
Will Steczynski, Dixie Heights — 87
Talen Beane, Campbell County — 87
Judah Mefford, Owen County — 90
Abram Kees, Highlands — 91
Max Brunkel, Conner — 91
Derek Bezold, Bishop Brossart — 91
Kasen Bertam, Bracken County — 92
Jake Montgomery, St. Henry — 92
Matt Yorgy, DeSales — 93
Kayden Sautter, Beechwood — 93
Kyle Flynn, Dixie Heights — 98