Published Thursday, May 08, 2008 10:14 AM
Updated Thursday, May 08, 2008 10:57 AM
Stags junior Trey Dennis fired a final round 69 to vault to third in the AAAA state golf tournament at Furman University.
Stags' Dennis takes third in state
Trey Dennis did exactly what he set out to do last week, and then some.
Berkeley Stags golfer and Region 7AAAA champ Dennis had his sights set on a top ten finish and making the All-State Team at the state golf tournament held last Monday and Tuesday at Furman University.
Dennis accomplished that goal and then some.
Firing a final round 69 in the 54-hole tournament Dennis vaulted past the field from ninth place to finish third in the tournament, a single stroke behind Gaffney’s Matt Hopper and just five strokes behind individual state champ Wesley Bryan of Dutch Fork.
Dutch Fork also claimed top team honors ahead of runner up Gaffney.
Tied for ninth at the end of the first day’s 18 holes Dennis knew he had to shoot even par in the final to have any hopes of moving up the one notch necessary to make the Top Eight and All-State team.
What turned out to be a six-spot single bound is a tall-building leap of which even Superman would be proud.
“That’s probably the best round I’ve ever played before in my life,” Dennis said whose 69 was the only sub-70 round of the entire tournament.
“At the end of the first day I was thinking I was one shot out of making the All-State team,” he said following first day rounds of 75 and 76, which incidentally were the identical scores Dennis lodged to claim the region championship two weeks earlier.
“I was calm going into the second day and playing smoothly. I was making the shots I wanted to make. It seemed like nothing could go wrong.”
That’s when Dennis slipped on the cape and tights and started flying up the leader board.
“When I started the year my goal was to make it to state and make the All-State team finishing in the top ten. It never entered into my head that I really had a chance of winning this year, and then I almost won.”
Trey’s feet haven’t touched the ground since Tuesday and neither have his dad’s.
“My dad hasn’t stopped smiling since the tournament,” he said. “I’ve scored under 70 several times before, but to do it on that kind of stage surrounded by the best golfers in the state.”
Dennis let the comment trail off. What Tuesday meant for the Berkeley junior is that his name is included whenever “best golfers in the state” are mentioned. In fact, being the best golfer in the state doesn’t sound so unrealistic anymore. One stroke here or there and Dennis could have won the tournament this year.
Already, next year’s goals have been scrapped. New goals include one line at the top: Win Region, Win State.”
“After this tournament, winning state is something I feel like I can actually do. It will be my top goal for next year.”
Trey gets little time off to savor his performance at the state tournament. On Saturday Dennis will be participating in the qualifier for the Junior Championship.
“A lot of the top qualifiers from around the state will be playing.”
Basically the same guys Trey teed up with last week.
Not a bad foursome.
Class AAAA All-State Team (Top eight individuals and ties)
Wesley Bryan, Dutch Fork (73-71-71-215); Matthew Hopper, Gaffney (70-74-75-219); Trey Dennis, Stags (75-76-69-220); Stephen Behr, West Florence (72-76-77-223); Hayden Letien, Sumter (72-75-77--224); Chuck Moore, Dutch Fork (72-76-76-224); Mark Joye, Dutch Fork (74-74-78-226); Shawn McKinney, Spring Valley (74-7676-226), Chandler Brazeal, South Aiken (77-7475-226).