West’s Carson Kammann at Sevierville Golf Club on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, in Sevierville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Parker)
By JESSE SMITHEY
A sinewy high school senior with a ferocious lash off the tee, Carson Kammann is looking to finish his masterful prep golf career off by adding one final accolade.
And it’s a big one.
The West High School standout will have more than a fighting chance to check that final item off the list on Tuesday at Sevierville Golf Club.
Kammann shot a 5-under-par 67 at the River Course in the first round Monday the TSSAA Division I-AA State Championship.
And he won’t have to go to bed Monday night sleeping on the lead; rather, he’s in perfect position to usurp first-round leader Maddox Crowder of Macon County, who shot 66.
The final round will be Tuesday.
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A 2021 U.S. Amateur participant, Kammann birdied his final two holes Monday to make one last first-round surge.
He made six birdies and one bogey, not letting the one-hour weather delay that affected the tournament start dampen his chances.
But Kammann, an ETSU commit and the 2021 5Star Preps Masters champion, won’t be the only area representative chasing after gold trophies on Tuesday.
William Blount’s Nick Etherton is tied for fourth in Division I-AA after an opening-round 70. Etherton is a Chattanooga commit.
Halls sophomore Ethan Whitaker is tied for eighth at 72, as is Elizabethton’s Caleb Tipton. Bearden’s Jaden Morrell is tied for 19th at 74.
Whitaker has Halls firmly in the chase for a team state championship. The Red Devils repeated as large-class state champs in 2016 and 2017.
Could they add another? Perhaps.
Halls shot a team mark of 9-over 297, which trails first-round leader Brentwood by five. That may seem like a lot, but in team play that lead can evaporate in a hurry.
Ethan Vincent (73), Ashton Condra (74) and Bowen Brantley (78) comprised Halls’ total from Day One.
On the girls side, in Division I-AA, Sevier County is hanging onto hopes of making a final-day rally. The Smoky Bears are in third at 20-over 160 on the Highlands Course at Sevierville Golf Club. Their mark is just eight shots back of first-place Clarksville.
JoJo Atchley and Joslin Nave each carded rounds of 10-over 80 Monday and are, individually, tied for 12th.
Franklin’s Sophia Dipaolo leads the girls’ individual leaderboard with a 68.
Halls junior Bailey McGaha was the low area representative with a 79.
DIVISION II-AA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Catholic junior Harrison Thompson, who finished third in the state in 2020, shot an opening-round, 1-under 71 to land in a tie eighth in the Division II-AA boys championship.
He trails first-round leader, Blades Brown of Brentwood Academy, by seven shots.
Webb’s Tate Woodruff was 16th after Day One with a 74.
The Webb School girls are in sixth place heading into Tuesday’s final round. Caitlin Carroll led the Lady Spartans with a 90.