A strong season continues for Panther men’s golf.
After the Spring Break holiday, the team returned to action on the week of March 16, hosting matches at Sky Valley and the Franklin Golf Course. With team wins over Smoky Mountain and Rabun Gap, they entered the heart of their year with a full head of steam.
On March 18, they hosted Smoky Mountain at the Franklin Golf Course for a Mountain Eight Conference match. There senior Tanner Jones far outpaced the rest of the field, traversing 18 holes in 70 strokes at two under par. Oakley Brooks (84, +12) and Braylen Dulicai (87, +15) placed second and third overall, while Reid Willis (91, +19) tied two Mustangs for fourth.
Just behind Willis, Bryce Bradley and Peyton Hurst tied for seventh (92, +20), with Zaeden Chavis rounding out the Panther card in 10th (96, +24). As a team Franklin’s top four scores added up to 332 strokes, far ahead of Smoky’s 376.
The next day they traveled to Sky Valley Country Club in Georgia for a three-team match with Pisgah and Rabun Gap. There Jones turned in the low round once again, finishing six strokes ahead of the second-place golfer at 71 (-1). Brooks (86, +14) and Bradley (87, +15) placed back-to-back in sixth and seventh, followed closely by Willis in ninth (90, +18). Dulicai rounded out the Panther card in 15th (104, +32).
As a team Franklin’s top four scores added up to 334 strokes, just behind conference rival Pisgah (325) for first. The Panthers returned to action after press time March 23, with an all-M8 match versus Pisgah and Tuscola at Springdale Country Club in Canton.