ASHLAND — The way Ashland boys golf coach Dan Priest sees it, the Arrows are playing with house money at this week’s Division I state tournament.
Ashland punched its ticket to state for a third straight year by finishing second at last week’s district tournament at Shawnee Country Club in Lima. The Arrows shot a team total of 314, three strokes behind district champ Anthony Wayne.
Ashland posted the highest qualifying score of any of the 12 teams scheduled to tee it up Friday morning at Ohio State’s Scarlet Course. The two-day, 36-hole event concludes Saturday.
“Twelve teams qualify for the state tournament and we are one of them,” Priest said after the district tournament. “If we were to finish in the top six at state, that would be a great accomplishment.”
Ashland finished 11th in the team standings at the 2019 state tournament, shooting a two-day total of 688. The Arrows shaved 46 strokes off their team score last fall, carding a two-day 642 and finishing eighth.
At last week’s district tournament, senior ace and Ohio State recruit Tyler Sabo shot a 1-over 72 to claim district medalist honors for a third straight year. A week earlier, Sabo broke a school record with a 7-under 65 at the sectional tournament at Sycamore Springs.
“Even when he doesn’t play his best, he’s better than everybody else,” Priest said. “He could have been 3- or 4-under pretty easily.”
Junior Kamden Mowry had his best ever showing at the district meet, carding a 74 to finish third individually. Mowry was a member of Ashland’s two previous state-qualifying teams as a freshman and sophomore.
“He played really good,” Priest said, “It was good for him because now he knows he can do it when the pressure is on.”
Like Sabo and Mowry, senior Aidan Chandler will be making his third consecutive trip to state. Ashland’s No. 3 man shot an 84 at Sycamore Springs and an 86 last week at Shawnee.
Juniors Wyatt Mohrman and Keslar Bates will be making their first trips to the state meet. Mohrman shot an 84 at the sectional meet and an 82 at the district meet while Bates carded a 98 at Sycamore Springs and a 102 at Shawnee.
“I’m really excited, especially for our two seniors,” Priest said. “The Scarlet Course is a tough course, but these kids are used to grinding it out. They always seem to find a way to get the job done.”
