The May River girls golf team is well on its way to a second consecutive state title after the first round of the SCHSL Class 4A State Championships on Monday at Crescent Pointe Golf Club in Bluffton.
The defending champion Sharks fired a team score of 324 on a soggy Lowcountry day, giving them a 31-shot cushion going into Tuesday’s final 18 holes. In other words, it’s the Sharks’ crown to lose, and they don’t seem to have much interest in giving it up.
The bigger question going into Tuesday is who will win a fierce battle for second place. Pickens holds the upper hand after an opening 345, but Hilton Head High is just two shots back at 347, and Catawba Ridge (348), AC Flora (351), and West Florence (354) are all within striking distance. Bluffton (385) is ninth in the 15-team field.
The Sharks successfully navigated a soft course after heavy rains drenched the area during the early part of the day, leaving standing water in many areas and rendered the bunkers unplayable. Players were given relief from bunkers and standing water and allowed to lift, clean, and place their balls throughout the course.
Myrtle Beach’s Madison Messimer made the best of the conditions, firing a 1-under-par 70 to take a two-shot lead over May River’s Kylie Bowes. Hilton Head’s Alexia Milbrandt is among a trio tied for third at 74.
May River’s depth was the difference, as Robbin Zetrouer (80), Claire Green (81), and Hailey Aipperspach (91) all provided solid scores to complement Bowes. The Seahawks were strong throughout the lineup, as well, with Brooke Niclaus carding an 85, Eliza Jane Coulter with an 89, and Kendal Wagner with a 99, giving them a shot to join May River in a 1-2 finish for the Lowco on Tuesday.
Ana LaPour shot 87, and Jennifer Richardson and Lucia Serratelli carded 93s to lead Bluffton.
The Bobcats will tee off in the first groups beginning at 8:04 a.m. Tuesday with the Seahawks and Sharks following in the next wave beginning at 9:24 a.m.
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| May River | 324 |
| Pickens | 345 |
| Hilton Head | 347 |
| Catawba Ridge | 348 |
| AC Flora | 351 |
| West Florence | 354 |
| North Myrtle | 362 |
| Greenville | 380 |
| Bluffton | 385 |
| South Florence | 388 |
| Myrtle | 392 |
| Aiken | 393 |
| South Aiken | 394 |
| Greenwood | 401 |
| Walhalla | 404 |
| Player | School | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Madison Messimer | Myrtle Beach | 70 |
| Kylie Bowes | May River | 72 |
| Alexia Milbrandt | Hilton Head | 74 |
| Cara Hilburn | N Myrtle Beach | 74 |
| Alla McGillivray | W Florence | 74 |
| Clair Lewis | Greenwood | 76 |
| Katherine Mann | Catawba Ridge | 77 |
| Nikki Strandell | Traveler’s Rest | 78 |
| Natalie Turner | Pickens | 79 |
| Robbin Zetrouer | May River | 80 |
| Sarah Campbell Brown | AC Flora | 81 |
| Claire Green | May River | 81 |
| Hannah Palmer | S Florence | 81 |
| Anna Grace Smith | S Florence | 81 |
| Merritt Barbrey | AC Flora | 82 |
| Yana Jeram | Myrtle Beach | 82 |
| Eileen Zeoli | Catawba Ridge | 84 |
| Raegan Hungerford | Greenville | 84 |
| Lindsey Greene | S Aiken | 84 |
| Brooke Niclaus | Hilton Head | 85 |
| Evie Harkins | Pickens | 85 |
| Emily Hall | Pickens | 85 |
| Kaylee McElwain | Aiken | 86 |
| Kate Gilmer | Catawba Ridge | 86 |
| Ana La Pour | Bluffton | 87 |
| Barrett Owens | Easley | 87 |
| Lakyn Wilkerson | Hartsville | 87 |
| Cassady Fortson | N Augusta | 88 |
| Meadows Dargan | AC Flora | 89 |
| Eliza Jane Coulter | Hilton Head | 89 |
| Madeline Ateyeh | W Florence | 89 |
| Julia Kleine | W Florence | 90 |
| Sheridan McCoy | Walhalla | 90 |
| Gracie Patterson | Aiken | 91 |
| Hailey Aipperspach | May River | 91 |
| Sydney Hilburn | N Myrtle Beach | 91 |
| Jennifer Richardson | Bluffton | 93 |
| Lucia Serratelli | Bluffton | 93 |
| Carley Halloran | N Myrtle Beach | 94 |
| Claire Crooks | Walhalla | 95 |
| Ashton Mosely | Pickens | 96 |
| Janie McDonald | Greenville | 97 |
| Anna Clare Platte | S Aiken | 98 |
| Louise Vipperman | AC Flora | 99 |
| Conner Russell | Greenville | 99 |
| Kendal Wagner | Hilton Head | 99 |
| Piper Cheney | Greenville | 100 |
| Reagan Lynch | Catawba Ridge | 101 |
| Catherine Gavin | Hilton Head | 101 |
| Taylor Pleasant | W Florence | 101 |
| Phoebe Hiner | Aiken | 102 |
| Lexi Stout | Lugoff-Elgin | 103 |
| Kalynn Basehoar | N Myrtle Beach | 103 |
| Daniella Penaoza | S Aiken | 103 |
| Brianna Davis | W Florence | 103 |
| Ella Hill | Catawba Ridge | 105 |
| Kathryn Taylor | Greenwood | 105 |
| Cora Pitts | Walhalla | 106 |
| Carley Fanning | Greenville | 107 |
| Allie Thomas | S Aiken | 109 |
| Ella Brown | Greenwood | 110 |
| Maddie Jones | Greenwood | 110 |
| Ava Cunningham | May River | 110 |
| Sara Lazier | Bluffton | 112 |
| Marie Platte | S Aiken | 112 |
| Addison Goethe | AC Flora | 113 |
| MJ Blackwell | Myrtle Beach | 113 |
| AC Stone | S Florence | 113 |
| Maggie Miller | S Florence | 113 |
| Paeton Wessendorf | Walhalla | 113 |
| Ashley Young | Aiken | 114 |
| Caitlan Ferry | N Myrtle Beach | 115 |
| Kenna Trotter | Pickens | 115 |
| Molly Hooper | Beaufort | 117 |
| Maddie Hamor | Walhalla | 120 |
| Madison Rich | Aiken | 125 |
| Margaret Martin | Myrtle Beach | 127 |
| Caydence Story | S Florence | 132 |
| Katie Grace Long | Myrtle Beach | 138 |
| Evie Craigo | Greenwood | WD |
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