The Dublin Jerome boys golf team is in position for its first OHSAA Division I state title since 2019 and 10th overall.
The Dublin Jerome boys golf team is in position for its first Division I state title since 2019 and 10th overall entering the final round of the state tournament Oct. 13 at Firestone Country Club in Akron.
The Celtics (290) lead St. Charles (295) and Cincinnati St. Xavier (297) after the first round Oct. 12. New Albany is ninth (325).
“It’s a good start,” Jerome coach Brad Sparling said. “We played great on the front nine. We were 8-under par, and then we didn’t play (Nos.) 11 through 16 very well. We were 14-over on those holes, and that’s just not acceptable. We need to make some better decisions and be a little tougher mentally, but we finished well, so that’s great. Having the lead going into the last day is awesome. Even though we didn’t play very well on the back nine, 290 is still a good score.”
In the individual state title chase, Jerome junior Brady Barnum is tied for first (69) with St. Xavier freshman Zac McGrath.
St. Charles’ Hudson Burkey is fifth (71), Jerome’s Blake Hartman and Evan Menges are tied for sixth (72) and Upper Arlington’s Will Mangas and St. Charles’ Pierce Stealey are tied for eighth (73).
New Albany’s Elijah Hall-Bromberg and St. Charles’ Harry Hadden are tied for 12th (74).
“The course is playing tough with the cold and wind and very fast, tricky greens,” St. Charles coach Brian Unk said. “Our guys didn’t start the way they wanted, but they hung tough and shot 3-under on our back nine to close the gap and have a good chance tomorrow.”
Jerome’s Trent Thompson and St. Charles’ Mikey Pagnotto are part of a group tied for 24th (77) that also includes Watterson’s Alex McMahon and Teays Valley’s Deacon Kroeger.
Blaise Barnum (82, tied for 52nd) also competed for Jerome, and Beckham Martin (79, tied for 37th) also competed for St. Charles.
Also for New Albany, Ethan Hall is tied for 52nd (82), Nolan Kniese is tied for 54th (84), Nicholas Thompson is tied for 56th (85) and Shay Routhier is tied for 60th (80).
High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at [email protected] and at@DispatchFrank on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jerome, St. Charles boys golf battling for OHSAA Division I title
Category: General Sports
