The Westminster boys golf team just completed a dream season and the senior class is leaving quite the legacy.
The Wildcats won their fourth straight state championship on Tuesday when they captured the Class 3A title. Westminster shot an incredible 19-under over two days at Bartram Trail and won by 16 shots over a Richmond Academy team whose 3-under score would have been good enough to win most years. Westminster finished 61 shots ahead of third-place Cherokee Bluff.
It was the 12 state championship in school history and their 11th title over the last 15 competitions.
The victory was the ninth for the Wildcats in 10 starts this season. The win gave the senior class a total of 23 championships. That total would likely have swelled much more had the 2020 season not been wiped out because of COVID.
“We sat down with our team the night before the last round and said we wanted to go as low as possible and play as smart as possible as well,” coach Andy Dunn said. “And they really responded and here we are. They’ve won three state championships.”
The starting lineup includes seniors William Love, Harris Barth and Price Miller and junior Matthew Young. Daniel Wood and Jacob Wood are the other starters.
Love, who will play for Duke, had a 69.2 scoring average this season and won three tournaments. He shot 69-73 at the state tournament and tied for fourth. He had eight wins in his career.
Barth, who will play at Furman, had a 70.7 scoring average and won one event. Barth, the reigning Georgia Amateur champion, shot 69-67 at state and finished second. Barth won four tournaments during his career.
Miller, who will play at Davidson, had a 72.1 average and won one tournament. He shot 69-68 at state and finished third. Young averaged 74.6 and tied for fourth at state with rounds of 72-70.
The Wildcats played a difficult schedule, too. They won the Larry Nelson Invitational against a championship field at the Atlanta Athletic Club and took the High School Invitational at the Atlanta Athletic Club a few days later. They won at the University of Georgia and prevailed in the Georgia-South Carolina Challenge, which may have set the tone for the rest of the season.
That’s where the Wildcats had a one-shot lead going into the final day over South Carolina power A.C. Flora of Columbia, and were able to win by two shots when Love and Miller eagled the closing par-5.
“That was a great victory and I really do think that was the turning point of the season,” Dunn said. “We just turned it on from that point moving forward. It was impressive to watch and impressive to be a part of.”
The team also worked through a difficult personal situation when Dunn’s mother died in the middle of the season. The boy wore yellow ribbons in their caps to honor her and show their respect.
“That was really special for me,” Dunn said. “Just goes to show what a great group of young men all the golfers are.”
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