PINEHURST — Sophomore Jonathan Rich was the lone Richmond Senior High School golfer to qualify for the 2019 4A Midwest Regionals this season.
Rich was joined by Raider head coach Keith Parsons at the regional round Monday at Pinehurst Country Club No. 6, and teed off in the first threesome of the morning at 7:30 a.m.
Through his 18 holes, Rich posted an 83 (+11). He notched a 42 (+6) on the front, followed by a 41 (+5) on the the back nine. He missed the cut for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state tournament by five strokes, which was set at 78.
“Jonathan played very well today,” Parsons commented. “He just didn’t get a lot out of it. He went off in the first threesome off No. 10, and being a ‘dewsweeper’ definitely didn’t help.”
Hickory Ridge High School’s Alex Heffner shot a Regionals best 70 (-2). The top two Sandhills Athletic Conference players were Pinecrest High School’s Colin Dutton (77, +5) and Jackson Bode (78, +6). They were tied for ninth and 12th, respectively, and made the cut.
A total of 13 golfers advanced from the Midwest Regionals to the state tournament, with a school-high three players coming out of Page High School.
In the team competition, Page would take the top spot with a score of 306 (+18), while the Patriots and R.J. Reynolds High School tied for second with a team score of 317 (+29).
During the regular season, Rich was the No. 1 Raider golfer in each of the six regular-season SAC matches. He posted a high school career-low round of 77 (+5) twice, doing it in the season opener at Bayonet at Puppy Creek Golf Course, before shooting it again at Foxfire.
On the front nine in the home match at Foxfire, Rich shot a 38 (+2) and finished the back half with a 39 (+3). He notched three birdies on the day, while also draining eight pars.
“He had a great season, and I can’t wait to see what he does for his final two years in our program,” Parsons added. “We are very fortunate to have him with us.”
Rich will join several of his teammates as juniors next season, as the Raider golf program looks to climb in the conference standings.
