COLUMBUS – The rain held off, and Lamar High School golfers hung in for the win, as East Mississippi Community College hosted its 1st Annual Golf Classic April 10 at Columbus Country Club. A private school located in Meridian, Lamar is the defending AAA state champion and overall state champion.
Elliot Tramontana led the five-man Lamar team with a par-72 round. Chad Bounds shot a 76, followed by Daniel Fulton with an 80, Easton Key with an 81 and Allen Massingill with an 87.

"Lamar has always had a very strong golf program. Lamar and Madison Central were the pre-tournament favorites to win, and both schools played very well. Lamar was the overall winner and the individual winner, Ian McAdams, is from Madison Central," said Dale Peay, EMCC’s head golf coach.
McAdams shot a one-under-par 71 and his team placed third overall.

"If there was a surprise, it was Heritage Academy from Columbus," Peay said. "They weren’t expected to win, but they placed second overall. Heritage has good young players and they had a bit of an edge with home course advantage."

The 1st Annual EMCC Golf Classic featured 10 of the best public and private high school golf teams in the state.
The final rankings, beginning with the overall winner, were: 1) Lamar, with a combined score of 309; 2) Heritage with a 313; 3) defending 5A state champion Madison Central High School, with a 315; 4) past 5A state champion Northwest Rankin High School, 317; 5) Pillow Academy in Greenwood, 331; 6) Magnolia Heights in Senatobia, 332; 7) defending 3A state champion Amory High School, 338; 8) two-time 1A state champion Belmont High School, 342; 9) Oak Hill Academy in West Point, 348; and 10) Columbus High School, 460.

Individual medals went to low scorers McAdams and Tramontana, as well as: Will Swedenburg of Heritage, who shot a 74; Jason Ryu of Northwest Rankin, 75; Garrett Alford of Northwest Rankin, 76; Chad Bounds of Lamar, 76; and Thomas Watkins of Mafdison Central, 76.

"This was a very competitive tournament. Three schools finished within eight strokes of the lead, and the coaches and players really liked the format," Peay said. "It was also good because most of these schools don’t usually have a chance to compete against each other."
The match-up also marked the first time EMCC has hosted a tournament since moving its golf program from the Scooba campus to the Golden Triangle campus this season. And Peay got a close-up look at four signees who will play next year for the EMCC Lions: James Winter and Garrett Alford of Northwest Rankin; Trey Adams of Belmont; and Will Black, who played as an individual because his school, Calhoun City, doesn’t have a golf team.

"I think the quality of the players we’ve signed up for next year shows that the move to the Golden Triangle campus was a good idea. James Winter is the No. 1 high school golfer in the state, according to the Mississippi Junior Golf Association. Will Black is ranked No. 4, Garrett Alford is No. 16 – and I think Trey Adams’ best golf is still in front of him," Peay said.

"Not only are these young men outstanding golfers, they are also excellent students. Three of them scored a 24 on the ACT, and one got a 25."
The next event on the EMCC golf calendar is the Fall World Class Golf Tour. Peay established the tradition last September, when EMCC golfers spent a week at Farm Links Golf Club in Sylacauga, Ala., Heritage Golf Club in Atlanta; Cullasaja and Highlands Cove golf clubs in Highlands, N.C.; Mountaintop Golf Club in Cashiers, N.C.; Brice’s Creek Golf Club in New Bern, N.C.; and Pinehurst No. 2 and Forest Creek golf clubs in Pinehurst, N.C.
For more information about the golf program at East Mississippi Community College, call Head Coach Dale Peay at (662) 243-1992.