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BY JESSE SMITHEY
Though more rain came on the final day of the 5Star Preps Masters on Wednesday, the tournament still reached its completion.
Here’s more on the winning individuals and team titles…
LEO HUDDLESTON WINS BOYS INDIVIDUAL TITLE
Maryville junior Leo Huddleston poses with his 2024 5Star Preps Masters championship flag on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at Three Ridges Golf Course in Knoxville, Tenn. (Photo by Tanner Walker/5SP)
Maryville High School junior Leo Huddleston stood at 3-under par when inclement weather postponed play for the day Tuesday at host-site Three Ridges Golf Course, just one back of then-clubhouse leader Conner Hall of Bearden. Hall managed to finish his first round on Tuesday before play stopped and shot 68.
But when the first round resumed and ultimately was completed Wednesday, Huddleston found himself two shots back of the first-round leader: Berean Christian’s Sam Helms, who wound up shooting 5-under 67 upon completion of his first 18 holes.
Either way, Huddleston knew he’d have to make a surge, especially given the second-and-final round would only be nine holes due to all of Tuesday’s weather delays.
And he’d still have to do it in rainy conditions.
The key to putting up a great score in that?
“Just not letting it get to you. Stay as dry as you can,” Huddleston said. “You just got to pretend you’re playing regular golf out there.”
Huddleston pretended pretty well.
He promptly birdied his first four holes in the final round, added a birdie at the par-4 seventh and shot a 4-under 32 in the final round to push him to 7-under 101 for the event.
And while he bogeyed his final hole of the 5Star Preps Masters, that didn’t come back to bite him.
His play was good enough for a three-shot victory over CAK’s Bryson White (69-35) and defending 5Star Preps Masters championship Collin Keino (69-35) of Maryville Apostolic.
Hall (68-37) and Helms (67-38) tied for fourth at 3-under 105. FBA’s Max Green (69-36) and CAK’s Tyler Stafford (70-35) also tied for fourth at 105.
“It’s great for my school. For me, personally, it’s great to get this win under my belt,” Huddleston said. “It’s a big event, so it’s always nice.
“Our team played well. We didn’t quite get the win,” Huddleston added, referring to Maryville’s second-place finish. “But we played well. I’m looking forward to this season and what we can show off in the postseason.”
BROOK FARMER WINS GIRLS INDIVIDUAL TITLE
Gibbs senior Brook Farmer poses with her 2024 5Star Preps Masters championship flag on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at Three Ridges Golf Course in Knoxville, Tenn. (Photo by Tanner Walker/5SP)
Gibbs senior Brook Farmer had quite the round going Tuesday when inclement weather halted play. She was 5 under through 17 holes and was staring a birdie at the 18th in the face.
But she never got to putt that putt Tuesday; rather, she’d have to wait to make it on Wednesday when play resumed.
Didn’t matter.
She made it anyway.
Farmer birdied 18 to shoot a first-round,6-under 66 — thanks to a back-nine, 5-under 31 — and that led the girls’ field by six shots over Maryville’s Rylee Tucker and by seven over CAK’s Isabella Coughlin.
“I was just focused on every shot and playing the smart shot,” Farmer said of battling the elements, “and not trying to, like, drive every green.”
With the second-and-final round being shortened to nine holes Wednesday, Farmer didn’t have to keep her torrid pace. Just not falter.
And she never wobbled. She made seven pars, a birdie and a bogey Wednesday for an even-par 36.
And her 6-under 102 total got her the win by five over Tucker (72-35) and by seven over Coughlin (73-36) and Halls senior Madison Miller (74-35).
“This is my home course,” Farmer said of her excellent play. “And I had a lesson with Jason Gandy this week and he tuned me up. So I had a lot of confidence going into this.”
HALLS GIRLS, FBA BOYS CLAIM TEAM TITLES
The First Baptist Academy boys golf team poses with its 2024 5Star Preps Masters championship flag on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at Three Ridges Golf Course in Knoxville, Tenn. (Photo by Tanner Walker/5SP)
First Baptist Academy’s boys team made program history, winning its first-ever 5Star Preps Masters title while Halls’ girls made amends for its 2023 playoff loss in the event to claim another 5SP Masters title.
FBA finished at 6-under 426 for the 27-hole event, clearing CAK and Maryville by six shots each.
FBA had three players — Max Green (69), Brady Morris (71) and Alex Green (71) — shoot under par in Round One. On Day Two, Luke McGhee came through with a 2-under 34 to help set the winning pace for the Eagles while Lane Stones (36), Morris (36) and Max Green (36) rounded out the winning total Tuesday with par rounds.
The Halls girls golf team poses with its 2024 5Star Preps Masters championship flag on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at Three Ridges Golf Course in Knoxville, Tenn. (Photo by Tanner Walker/5SP)
As for the Halls Lady Red Devils, their win came by a narrow two-stroke margin over CAK. Halls carded a 5-over 221 mark, and senior standout Lauren Davis (1-under 35) and Madison Miller (1-under 35) each played well Wednesday to make the charge.
Davis made a key birdie on the par-3 eighth hole late in the game while Miller made three birdies in her final round. It’s the third win for Halls in the last four 5SP Masters.
CAK led Gibbs by one after completion of the first round. Gibbs wound up third at 10-over 226.
FINAL SCORES — click here.
FINAL ROUND PHOTOS — click here.
FIRST ROUND PICS — click here.