Columbus won the 41st Larry Gaither Hardaway Invitational at Bull Creek by three shots and has won the event for three of the last four years. Columbus led by two shots at the halfway points with a 295.
The Blue Devils were led by Nolan Miller, who shot 69-73 for a 2-under 142, which tied him for second place overall with Chandler Dixon of Carrollton, who shot 70-70.
Columbus also got a 77-67 from Ben Carr, who matched Woodstock’s Kevin Burns for the lowest round of the tournament. Daniel Davis shot 73-77 and Johnathan Parker shot 76-76 for the Blue Devils.
The medalist was sophomore Trent Phillips of Boiling Springs, N.C., who shot 70-70 and won for the seventh time this spring. Phillips has verbally committed to play at Georgia. Boiling Springs finished second.
Woodward Academy finished third, with George Stratham shooting 71-72 and Mitchell Kahler shooting a pair of 74s. Woodward’s Jake Lawson bounced back from a first-round 81 to shoot 70.
Brookstone finished fifth, with Evans Copeland shooting 75-72.
Defending tournament champion Etowah finished sixth, with Ryan Hines shooting 73-75.
The tournament has been around for 40 years, making it one of the oldest and most prestigious in the state. The event includes at least six winners who have gone on to play the PGA Tour, including two-time champion Chris Kirk, Brian Harman and Paul Claxton. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III played in the tournament when he attended Glynn Academy; his team won in 1982, but Love was not medalist.
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