BY CLIFF SMELLEY
The Keystone Heights High School boys golf team will get the opportunity to defend its title as it qualified for the second annual Florida 1A Public Golf Championship, which will be held Friday, Oct. 24, at Lake City’s Quail Heights Country Club at 8:30 a.m.
Keystone, which won last year’s inaugural event, earned the seventh seed in the eight-team field. Frostproof earned the number-one seed, followed by Lafayette, Northview, Walton, Marianna and Holmes County.
Freeport earned the eighth and final seed.
The Public School Championship was created to give public schools in Class 1A a chance to play for something as part of a more even playing field. With Class 1A dominated by private schools, public schools don’t have a realistic chance of competing for a championship as part of the Florida High School Athletic Association’s state series.
Team averages at the end of the regular season were used to determine qualifiers.
Besides the top eight teams, the event also includes the top six individuals not on any of the qualifying teams.
Class 1A consisted of 36 public-school teams this season.
The event doesn’t take the place of the FHSAA state series, so qualifying schools and individuals will still compete in their respective district tournaments and then at the regional and state levels if they are fortunate enough to advance.
Keystone ended the regular season against one of the teams it’ll play against in the Public Golf Championship — Lafayette, which finished with a team score of 151 to defeat the Indians in an Oct. 16 match in Lake City.
The Indians, who had a team score of 176, were led by Nate Bardier, who placed fourth with a score of 40. He had a birdie and made par on three holes.
Baylor Ford, who made par on three holes, shot a 44 to finish in a two-way tie for sixth. Luke Lewis, who made par on two holes, had a 45 to finish in a two-way tie for eighth.
Landon Spence and Sammy Wacha had scores of 47 and 48, respectively, as Spence finished in a two-way tie for 10th and Wacha placed 12th. Spence had a birdie and made par on one hole, while Wacha made par on two holes.
Jackson McDaniel shot a 53 to place 14th.
