Dragons battle through rough start on links
Clinton’s Grant Hannah studies the line of a putt during a tri-match against Anderson County and Campbell County at Deerfield Country Club on Thursday, Aug. 14. Hannah led the Dragons as the team’s top scorer in the match. (photo:Dwane Wilder )
Both squads stumbled out of the gate and couldn’t quite recover, though head coach Matt Cain said he was encouraged by their resilience.
The Dragons finished fourth in a five-team field. Anderson County claimed the top spot with a 162, followed by host Campbell County (171), Lee County, Va. (172), Clinton (178) and Gibbs (181).
“Right now, I think it’s just experience,” Cain said. “We’re going to work on course management, but I’m proud of the way our kids didn’t give up.
“They kept battling. I think that’s the worst start for us since I’ve been here on the first two holes, but they battled back. I saw a lot of character. Our talent is better than our scores, but we have a lot of character, and we’re going to do a better job. Next year, I think we’ll be better, but we’re also not giving up on this season either.”
Grant Hannah paced Clinton with a 38. JP Robbins carded a 42. Finn Pridemore and Aden Golden each shot 49, while Zander Ford finished with a 52.
On the girls’ side, the Lady Dragons placed fourth in the four-team competition. Gibbs won with an 86, followed by Anderson County (88), Campbell County (105) and Clinton (108).
“Our girls really struggled,” Cain said. “We finished in last place.”
Kinley Crowley led the Lady Dragons with a 52. Sahara Love added a 56, and Heidi Webb shot a 62, though her round did not factor into the team score.
