The high school golf season is underway. Here are some of the top boys players in the state:
Harris Barth, Westminster: The senior had quite a 2021 – winning the GHSA Class 3A individual title and helping the Wildcats run away with the team championship. Barth followed that up by winning the Georgia Amateur Championship at Cherokee, becoming one of the youngest to hold the Robert H. Martin Trophy. He was the first high school student to win the Georgia Am since 2016 and joined current PGA Tour star Harris English and Georgia Golf Hall of Famer Charlie Yates as winners at age 17. He is the first player to win the Georgia Amateur and the GSHA championship the same year.
Luke Koenig, North Oconee: The senior won the Class 4A championship at the University of Georgia Course last year and helped the Titans win the team title, too. Koenig has won a couple of AJGA titles and two Southeastern Junior Tour championships. He has signed with Coastal Carolina.
Carter Loflin, St. Pius: The senior was second in the Class 5A tournament last year and helped the Golden Lions win the state team championship. He won the Future Masters for the second straight year and reached the round of 16 at the U.S. Junior Amateur. He has committed to Georgia.
Ethan Gao, Westminster: He is the AJGA’s highest-ranked senior from Georgia. He’s nabbed a couple of seconds on the national tour. Gao qualified for the 2021 U.S. Junior and has committed to Stanford.
Reed Sweigart, Rivers Academy: Sweigart is part of the GISA Rivers Academy team that beat the best in the state and produced NCAA signees Maxwell Ford and David Ford. Sweigart was the 2019 Georgia PGA Player of the Year and has an SJGT title and three top-five finishes in AJGA tournaments. He qualified for the 2021 U.S. Junior. He has signed with Coastal Carolina.
Jack Roberts and Jackson Byrd, Frederica Academy: These freshmen have bright futures. Roberts’ long list of accomplishments includes victories at the Southeastern Junior and a second-place finish at the Dustin Johnson World Junior. He teamed up with Kate Barber to win the 2021 GSGA Mixed Team title. Roberts is the No. 9-ranked golfer in the nation by the AJGA. Byrd, the oldest child of PGA Tour golfer Jonathan Byrd, has already won an AJGA event, the Matt NeSmith Junior Championship.
Reed Lotter, Savannah Country Day: The senior finished second in the GSHA Class A Private championship and helped the Hornets finish second in the team competition. Lotter was named Savannah High School Golfer of the Year and won the 2021 Sam Burns AJGA Classic. He has signed with Auburn.
Rylan Black, Lake Oconee Academy: The senior was medalist in the Class A Public division last year and helped the Titans win the state championship. He was named Player of the Year for Class A Public by the Georgia High School Golf Coaches Association. Black has signed with Kennesaw State.
William Love, Westminster: The senior is another member of the powerhouse team that won the state title by 27 shots. Love finished fourth at the Class 3A championship and was the 36-hole leader at the Georgia Amateur before finishing in a tie for 10th.
Jack Darke, Forsyth Central: Ranked as one of the top juniors in Georgia, Darke was the 2021 Georgia PGA Junior Golfer of the Year. He had numerous wins and top finishes on the Georgia PGA Junior Tour and the Southeastern Junior Tour.
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