JFK boys in eighth place at state

Staff report

Columbus

The Warren JFK boys golf team is currently in eighth place in the team standings after the opening round at the OHSAA Division III state tournament Friday at the Scarlet Course at the Ohio State University golf facility.

The Eagles, making their second straight appearance, collectively shot 350. They are 27 shots back of leader Columbus Academy.

The top four scores on each five-man team are counted and the fifth, only in case of a tie-breaker.

Ryan Fowler, the Eagles’ top seed, shot 78 to lead the team and also earn a tie for the sixth-best day one total. The top five scorers at the state tournament earn first-team All-State honors. Scorers six through 10 are named to the second-team.

Billy Phillips shot 86, Daniel LaPolla shot 92, Ryan Theis shot 94 and Zach Shoaf shot 98.

The Scarlet Course is annually lauded as one of the finest collegiate courses in America and plays host to Nationwide Tour events.

“It really is a professional course,” said Warren JFK coach Jim St. George. “The greens are hard and racing. I call it granite top, undulated greens.”

The Eagles are looking to become the first local boys’ team to win a state golf title since current PGA professional Jason Kokrak led JFK to back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001. The Eagles’ first state golf title came in 1974.

“Overall, not too bad,” St. George described his team’s play. “I’m really proud of our four and five men, Ryan and Zach. They shot well. There were at least 20 scores over 100. That’s how hard the course is.

As the eighth-place team, the Eagles will tee off this morning, the first tier of teams to go off. Before play began Friday, St. George was hoping his team could finish among the top six in the 12-team field and finish day two with the rest of the leaders.

Toledo Ottawa Hills is in second place with 329 strokes, followed by Columbus Wellington Academy (335), defending champion Ashland Crestview (336) and Lancaster Fisher Catholic (341).

The Eagles finished in eighth place last season.

Zach Berry, of Newton Falls, qualified for the state tournament as an individual, but did not play.