Mules golf advances to state

Check out the photos from the tournament here.

Poplar Bluff rallied with four birdies over the final two holes Friday to qualify for the MSHSAA Class 4 state golf tournament.

The Mules tied Parkway South as each team shot 318 to qualify for state, but the Mules won the tiebreaker, and CBC finished three strokes back.

Westwood Hills played tough with fast greens after drying out following an 11-day period that saw more rain than the previous six months.

Carr Vernon led the Mules with a 76 while Jake Russell shot 80. Collin Davis and John Gilmore each carded 81s to tie the Patriots while Hunter Pyland's 85 edged Parkway South's fifth score by seven strokes.

Early on the Mules struggled and were a combined 20-over par at the turn, trailing both CBC and Parkway South. But Vernon, Gilmore and Russell each birdied the par-5 18th and Russell finished birdie-birdie as the four scoring Mules played the last two holes a combined 4-under.

Other area state qualifiers included Cape Central's Corey Connell and Jackson's Tanner Werner.

The state tournament will be held May 16-17 at Twin Oaks Country Club in Springfield.

Full story in Sunday's DAR.

Here's the leader board:

MSHSAA CLASS 4 SECTIONAL 1

At Westwood Hills Country Club, Poplar Bluff

TEAM -- Poplar Bluff 318. Parkway South 318. CBC 321. Lindbergh 330. Oakville 346. (Poplar Bluff won tiebreaker 85-92).

INDIVUDAL (par 71)

1. Kyle Weldon, Parkway South, 73

1. Matt Miklas, Eureka, 73

3. Theodore Jones, Eureka, 74

4. Tanner Blueski, CBC, 75

4. David Arth, Parkway South, 75

6. Carr Vernon, Poplar Bluff, 76

7. Justin Stacer, Lindbergh, 78

7. Corey Connell, Cape Central, 78

7. Scott Schaeffer, SLUH, 78

7. Robert Ray, Rockwood Summit, 78

7. Seth Smith, Ladue, 78

12. Zach Gollwitzer, Marquette, 79

13. Jake Russell, Poplar Bluff, 80

13. Dominic Kacich, CBC, 80

13. Michael Becker, Webster Groves, 80

16. Collin Davis, Poplar Bluff, 81

16. John Gilmore, Poplar Bluff, 81

18. Nicholas Winston, CBC, 82

18. Drew Ervin, Lindbergh, 82

18. Jacob Arends, Lindbergh, 82

18. Drew Saxner, Seckman, 82

18. Tanner Werner, Jackson 82