The Milton boys are serious about defending their Class 7A state championship. The Eagles have warmed up for the 36-hole finale by winning eight tournaments this season, including the recent area championship.
Coach Tom Dell’s team will be one of the favorites when the largest classification determines the title May 16-17 at Chattahoochee Country Club in Gainesville.
“This is a great group of kids,” Dell said. “They’ve worked hard all year. It’s been a little different because early in the season it was go-go-go, and at the end of the year we haven’t played much. Our guys are still playing a lot, practicing a lot to get ready.”
The Eagles are dangerous because of their depth. Any of the six players in the starting lineup are capable of going low. That’s been the case many times during the regular season.
“We really have six solid golfers on our team,” Dell said. “Most of the teams have a couple of go-to guys and hope they get a couple other guys who will go low. On our team, really anybody could go low.”
And when those guys are shooting around par – five of the six shot 74 or better at the area tournament – it makes for a winning combination.
Milton’s top player most of the season has been Mason Fundingsland, a slender junior who is starting for the third season. He shot an even-par 72 at the area tournament.
Will Jones and Jack Burr, a couple of seniors, have also played at a consistently high level all season. Jones was the area medalist, shooting a 70, and Burr shot 73.
The other starters are Rahul Rajendran, Craig Long and Aman Vantipalli.
“It all started a few years ago when we started to have success,” Dell said. “Now golf has become a cool sport.”
Dell couldn’t say enough about the staff at Atlanta National Golf Club and how the team was always welcomed at the course, a challenging layout designed by Pete Dye and his son, P.B. Dye.
“They’ve been wonderful about letting us come there and practice and play,” he said.
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