Knoxville Catholic’s Kennedy Anne Noe launches a drive during the 3rd Annual 5Star Preps Masters at Oak Ridge Country Club in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on Monday, July 27, 2020. (Photo by Danny Parker)
By JESSE SMITHEY
OAK RIDGE — Kennedy Anne Noe paused a moment Monday afternoon to reflect on her high school golf career, following her first round at the 5Star Preps Masters.
The reality of knowing her final preps season has commenced was all too real.
“It’s crazy. It went by so fast,” she said.
So with her senior season starting on Monday at Oak Ridge Country Club, the crafty left-hander from Catholic High School is trying make every moment count.
She’s atop the 5Star Preps Masters leaderboard heading into Tuesday’s final round after a 4-over-par 76.
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Harrison Thompson, a sophomore at Catholic, topped the boys leaderboard with a 2-under 70. His lead is slim, however; Ethan Whitaker (First Baptist Academy) and Jeremy Ellis (Lenoir City) carded 71s, and 10 players enter the final round within six shots of the lead.
Noe’s lead isn’t vast, either. Vivian Wang (Farragut), Madilyn Newman (Hardin Valley) and Gabrielle Starling (Farragut) shot 78s and trail by two. Altogether, eight players are within six strokes of Noe.
Noe is still uncommitted on her college choice but has been one of the area’s most consistent players for years. She was an All-5Star Preps First Team selection last year, as she finished runner-up in the Division II-AA state tournament.
And on Monday, she showed flashes of that reputation with three second-nine birdies to help get her score down to 2 over after 14 holes. But a weather delay struck, and she bogeyed her final hole (No. 9) coming out of the break.
“I was hitting the ball pretty solid today. I was pretty happy with how I was hitting the ball,” said Noe, who began her round on the par-4 10th.
“I know that I’m capable of more. I was 2 under through two on the front nine and just got into my head a little bit. I got ahead of myself. But, we still got tomorrow.”
Thompson’s round proved much more steady.
He birdied the downhill par-4 first and then reeled off 11 consecutive pars before draining a birdie at the par-4 13th to move to 2 under.
Knoxville Catholic’s Harrison Thompson sinks a putt during the 3rd Annual 5Star Preps Masters at Oak Ridge Country Club in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on Monday, July 27, 2020. (Photo by Danny Parker)
Thompson offset a bogey at 15 with a birdie on the par-5 18th.
“I played pretty solid all day. Didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes,” said Thompson. “I didn’t putt all that great.
“I birdied 18, the par-5, but I really didn’t play the par 5s that great. So that’s what I’m going to have to focus on tomorrow if I want to win.”
Thompson has lofty, yet achievable, goals for himself going into his sophomore season. He wants to make the All-5Star Preps First Team, he said, and finish in the top three in the state tournament.
His round Monday definitely set him on the right path.
“I’ve been playing pretty solid coming into this week,” he said. “I like this course a lot.”
TEAM COMPETITION
Farragut’s boys look to unseat CAK as the two-time defending champion in the event. The Admirals shot an opening-round, 21-over 309. Halls trails Farragut by two. CAK is three back, and Webb is five shots back.
The Lady Admirals have won the last two 5Star Preps Masters team titles and lead once again, despite not having 2019 5Star Preps Player of the Year and Illinois commit Lexanne Halama (schedule conflict). Halama, a senior, was the defending individual champion at the 5Star Preps Masters.
But Wang and Starling’s 78s have Farragut (12-over 156) out in front of CAK by four, Catholic by six and Bearden by 16.
The final round will be played at Oak Ridge County Club on Tuesday.
TEE TIMES and a FULL LEADERBOARD can be found HERE.
5STAR PHOTOS: Day One of 2020 5Star Preps Masters (July 27, 2020)