Gators on top! River Bluff boys win first golf state championship
The River Bluff boys golf program has made great strides in its 12 years but none bigger than Tuesday.
The Gators captured the program’s first state championship by winning the Class 5A Division I title at Wildewood Golf Course.
River Bluff finished with a two-day total of 602, three shots better than Dorman.
The championship comes after failing to qualify for the state tournament last season. But this year, the Gators won last week’s Upper State championship — also for the first time in program history.
“We took the sting of not qualifying last year as motivation and some underestimation of what our kids could do this year as a little bit of a chip on our shoulder,” River Bluff coach Roger Smith said. “We had some adversity through the season but we fought through it and learned. We got young players in our lineup and that is a positive thing. They have learned from mistakes and taken things in stride. You don’t learn from playing really, really well. You learn from your mistakes.”
River Bluff and Dorman began the day tied for first at 301. But the Gators used a strong back nine to built a five-shot cushion. Sophomore Howie Vroon, part of the team’s strong young nucleus, sealed the win with a bogey on 18.
“I think we got caught up in the moment early and learned everything was going to be alright,” Smith said. “The moment is big and doesn’t get bigger than a state championship. … We’ve got really good players one through six and I would put us up with nearly any team in the state.”
Dorman’s Will Ruth won on the fifth playoff hole for his second straight individual championship. He finished in a three-way tie with RB’s Nathaniel Caughman and teammate Casey Kosney at even-par 144. It ended being a two-way playoff after the second playoff hole before Ruth won in a playoff for the second straight year.
Vroon (148) finished sixth overall and Blythewood’s Connor Fisher and Spring Valley’s John Thompson tied for seventh at 149 to earn all-state honors, which go to the top-10 finishers and ties.
Spartanburg finished third and Blythewood finished fourth. The Bengals were playing in the tournament on the same day as the school’s graduation. But principal Matt Sherman came and awarded diplomas to the team’s two seniors, Grant Paolucci and Jordan Hard. Both donned their cap and gowns after their rounds ended.
Lexington came in fifth, two shots behind Blythewood.
Team Standings: River Bluff 602; Dorman 605; Spartanburg 614; Blythewood 624; Lexington 626; Mauldin 632; James Island 635; Spring Valley 637; Byrnes 637; Carolina Forest 638; Wando 667; Ashley Ridge 670; Fort Dorchester 675; West Ashley 675; Rock Hill 687; Sumter 703
All-State (Top-10 and ties): x-Will Ruth, Dorman 144; Nathanael Caughman RB, 144; Casey Kosney, Dorman 144; Davis Petty, Spartanburg 145; Douglas McMaster Rock Hill 146; Howard Vroon, RB 148; Lyle Leary, Clover 149; Emmet Walsh, Spartanburg 149; Connor Fisher, Blythewood 149; John Thompson, SV, 149.
x-Won in playoff
Class 5A Division II
TL Hanna won the 5A Division II championship at The Cliffs by two shots over Greenville. The Yellow Jackets finished with a 570 while the Red Raiders were at 572.
Chapin finished 10th.
TL Hanna junior Erik Erlenkeuser wins the individual championship on the third playoff hole.
Team Standings: TL Hanna 570; Greenville 572; Riverside 584; Gaffney 585; Nation Ford 590; Greenwood 595; St. James 601; Indian Land 605; Lucy Beckham 611; Chapin 616; Conway 621; Easley 622; Myrtle Beach 634; Lugoff-Elgin 638; West Florence 657; North Myrtle Beach 679
All-State: x-Erik Erlenkeuser, TLH, 140; Mason Kucia, IL, 140; Hugh Faulkner, Gville 140; Tip Price, Gville 140; Brennan Kelly, Riv, 141; Collin Allison, Gaff 141; Bennett Scarletta, TLH, 141; Caden Olsonommer, TLH, 142; Harrison James, Chap, 143; Sam Sprayberry, LB, 144; Ty Childers, Gaff, 144; Sawyer Driscoll, Gville 144; Carter Smith, NF, 144.
x-Won in playoff
Class 4A
Blue Ridge won the Class 4A state championship by four shots over Bishop England in the event held at Cross Creek Golf Club.
AC Flora came in third, Gray Collegiate sixth and Gilbert seventh.
Blue Ridge’s Oliver Kinnunen shot a 2-under 142 to win the individual championship.
AC Flora’s Charles Cauthen and James Rhodes and Gray Collegiate’s Teddy Dunn were all-state.
Team Standings: Blue Ridge 599; Bishop England 603; AC Flora 610; Wren 623; North Augusta 625; Gray Collegiate 629; Gilbert 643; Daniel 650; Aiken 654; Seneca 659; May River 680; Fountain Inn 690; Bluffton 701; Travelers Rest ; Hartsville 735; South Pointe 744.
All-State: Owen Kinnunen, BR, 142; Dylan Park, Wren, 145; Garrett Gillespie, Wren 146; Dawson, Szabo, BR, 146; Marriott Mathesius, BE, 147; Daniel Donato, BE, 148; Charles Cauthen, ACF, 148; Andrew Baxley, NA, 149; James Rhodes, ACF, 149; Teddy Dunn, GC, 151; Hunter Colwell, BE, 151
Class 3A
Oceanside Collegiate (589) won the Class 3A championship at the Country Club of Newberry.
Christ Church was second at 610. OC’s Chase Whittle won the individual championship on the first playoff hole over Southside Christian’s Evan Cheek.
Team Standings: Oceanside Collegiate 589, Christ Church 610; Southside Christian 611; Walhalla 627; Chapman 635; Powdersville 636; Pendleton 643; Fox Creek 655; Hanahan 657; Broome 659; BHP 661; St. Joseph’s 663; Palmetto 663; Newberry 666; Waccamaw 679; Mountain View Prep 712
All-State: x-Chase Whittle, OC, 144; Evan Cheek, SC, 144; Reed Cook, OC 146; Preston White, SC, 146; Will McCraw, Chapman, 147; Blake Bocelli, OC, 148; Heyward Jennings, CC, 149; Campbell McLain, Wac, 150
x-Won in playoff
Class 2A
Philip Simmons won the 2A championship held at Cheraw Country Club. The Iron Horses finished with a 622. Chesnee was second at 644, Batesburg-Leesville was third at 654 and Mid-Carolina sixth at 674.
Chesnee eighth grader Caleb Green (145) won the individual championship by one stroke over Cheraw’s Ethan Short.
B-L’s Jackson Shealy and Nathan Ott and Mid-Carolina’s Landon Compton were all-state.
Team Standings: Philip Simmons 622; Chesnee 644; Batesburg-Leesville 652; Clinton 654; Cheraw 666; Mid-Carolina 674; Central 675; Atlantic Collegiate 685; Landrum 697; Academic Magnet 722; Strom Thurmond 728; Chesterfield 732; East Clarendon 775; Barnwell 822.
All-State: Caleb Green, Chesn 145; Ethan Short Cher 146; Banks Steele AJ 146; Hudson Hatch, PS 146; Tyson Holland, PS 147; Creighton Rentz, Ches 148; Nick Tarbert, AC 152; Jackson Shealy, BL, 153; Landon Compton, MC, 154, Nathan Ott, BL, 154.
Class A
Dixie won the Class A championship at Chester Golf Club on Monday.
Dixie shot 332. Hannah-Pamplico was second at 346. McBee’s Nick Morrell was medalist with a 74. The tournament was shortened to 18 holes.
Team Standings: Dixie 332; Hannah-Pamplico 346; Bamberg-Ehrhardt 358; Carvers Bay 361; Johnsonville 363; McCormick 375; Horse Creek 382; Great Falls 397; Green Sea Floyds 400; Latta 401; Ware Shoals 420; McBee 430; Lewisville 433; Riverwalk 434; Lamar 440; Williston-Elko 445; Wagener-Salley 474.
All-State: Nick Morrell, McBee 74; Harper Brittingham, McCormick 75; Wes Sylvester, Jville 75; Carter Riddle, Dixie 77; Maddox Isbell, Dixie, 78; William Hemingway, CB, 78; Cayden Mishue, Latta 79; Barrett Tripp, HC, 79; Richard Foxworth, HP, 83; Wyatt Thompson, BE, 86; Mason Alexander, GF, 86; Austin Taylor, HP, 86
This story was originally published May 20, 2025 at 6:30 PM.
