COLLEGE PARK — Northern senior Chase Taylor and Southern freshman Hank Lewis both battled valiantly through substandard weather conditions on Tuesday, but the two fell just short of making it to the Day 2 of the Maryland state golf championships.
The state golf tournament began on Tuesday and was held at the University of Maryland in College Park. Though both Taylor and Lewis were both eliminated, they each had strong starts as they were both above the cutoff line at one point during the back nine.
Taylor finished 15-over (86) to tie for 31st. For him, it was the stretch from holes No. 12-18 that were his undoing.
“The conditions were pretty tough out there, and I’m just not used to hitting off Bermuda grass,” said Taylor. “I finished off so bad. I think I finished double, double, bogie, triple, double on the last five holes. It was a mess. I just blew up.
“It was just the small stuff that I was messing up. I just couldn’t hit an iron, really that’s just all there is to it. If I hit a fairway, I wouldn’t hit a green. I was chunking everything. The ground’s wet and it’s Bermuda grass, so I was just deep swinging and catching everything fat.”
The senior had made it to states when he posted a 79 at the west regionals a month ago.
“I’m really glad I got to come here in the first place; it’s awesome,” Taylor said. “The course is really nice.It’s in good shape too besides it being wet today. I’m really glad I got to come here and play, it was fun.”
Lewis finished just behind Taylor by going 16-over (87) and also had a rough time down the stretch as he double bogeyed two of his last five holes.
“I played OK. I could’ve done a lot better,” Lewis said. “Wind, just specifically the swirling of the wind, I didn’t know what club to hit at times. I couldn’t really make a decision.
“It’s a learning experience. I want to improve everything about my game. … It’s an honor to be with seniors (Taylor and Darian Bauer). Darian’s the best in the region, so it’s an honor to be here with them as a freshman.”
Bauer, the senior from Allegany, won the 1A/2A regional title and advanced to Day 2 on Wednesday.
The top 40% of individual male and female competitors advanced to the Day 2 Finals, as well as those who tied with the cutoff score.
