COLUMBUS — Mount Vernon senior Ben Bridges is tied for 18th place after one round of play in the Division I state golf tournament.
Bridges carded an eight-over-par 79 on Friday at Ohio State University’s Scarlet course. He sits seven strokes back from the lead heading into Saturday, the second and final day of the tournament.
Bridges is Knox County’s lone state qualifier this year. He is Mount Vernon’s first state qualifier since Maggie Williams made it in 2019. Her brother, Robert Williams, was the school’s last boy to qualify in 2014.
Bridges made it to state by placing third at both sectionals and districts. He fired a two-over-par 73 at Apple Valley Golf Course last week to claim the central district’s final state spot.
The Mount Vernon senior started his round Friday on the back nine, where he immediately ran into trouble. He double-bogeyed the 11th hole, then bogeyed the 14th hole after going for par on 12 and 13.
After another par on 15, Bridges converted his first birdie of the tournament, using three shots to beat the par-four on 16. But a bogey on 17 and a double-bogey on 18 put the lefty at five-over heading into the turn.
Bridges battled back on the front nine, however. After bogeying 1, he went for par on holes 2, 3 and 4. He followed three straight bogeys (on holes 5, 6 and 7) with a two-shot birdie on 8, and he finished off the round with a par on 9.
Mount Vernon head coach Anthony Savage called Bridges’ performance Friday “solid,” considering the conditions.
“Factoring in everything surrounding today, I thought Ben played a solid round of golf. He was in command of his golf ball basically all day. State tournament pressure, the extremely difficult Scarlet course, then throw in 20-25 mph winds all day on top of that and you have a recipe for nobody shooting even par or better on the day,” Savage said.
“The scores are the highest that I can remember in a long time. You visit one difficult shot after another after another after another from the opening tee shot until you’ve tapped in on your final hole and that wears on you. You just have zero room for error on every golf shot.
“Our goals entering today were to have no doubles, avoid fairway bunkers off the tee, and remain poised and patient for the entire day. With the exception of two minor miscues on the opening side (doubles on holes 11 and 18), he played quality golf. The double on 18 tested him a little. He got about eight feet above that hole for par, but with the wind and slope it was so fast that it was almost a make it or three-putt-it scenario.”
Bridges will begin his second and final state round Saturday at 10:40 a.m. He is currently tied with six other golfers for 18th place, and is just one stroke away from the six-way tie for 12th place. He is also just two strokes away from the four-way tie for eighth place.
Savage said Bridges’ approach will remain unchanged from round to round, as he looks to climb the leaderboard and finish his high school career strong.
“Tomorrow’s goals are still the same…no doubles, no fairway bunkers, mental toughness and patience all the way around – the latter being the most important. Let others get frustrated, let others put too much pressure on themselves, and let’s see if we can’t bring some good stuff to the table. That is the message,” Savage said late Friday.
“Ben loves competing and tomorrow will be no different for him. As long as he knows that his name is going to be attached to a score, he’s going to be trying his guts out regardless of it being his final high school career round.”
