Southern Pines – Connor Golden of Murphy shot a four over par 76 to finish tied for fifth place at the state championship.
Boys golfers from 1A schools across the state headed to Southern Pines to take on Longleaf Golf & Family Club. After rain delayed the first round, they played 18 holes to decide a state champion on May 13.
Golden started his state championship round on the 10th hole and opened with three consecutive pars.
He then bogeyed hole 13 and double bogeyed 14 to get to three over par. He holed his fourth par of the round on the 15th hole.
Then he bogeyed 16, but followed it up with a birdie on 17. He parred 18 – his ninth hole of the day – to finish his first nine at three over par.
He opened his second nine with a bogey to sit at four over par. After a par on the hole two, he chipped it in from off the green for his second birdie of the round to get to three over. He followed it up with back-to-back pars.
Heading down the stretch, he bogeyed the sixth and seventh holes to sit at five over par with two holes to play.
On his 17th hole of the day – hole eight – he holed his third birdie of the day to get to four over par. He ended his state championship round with a par to shoot a four over 76.