Covenant College coach Tom Schreiner didn’t bother trying to recruit McCallie junior Max Markley to his golf team.

“He’s a Division-I player,” said Schreiner, coach of the NAIA Covenant Scots. “This is his coming-out party.”

The youngster followed Schreiner’s suggestions throughout the summer-long CDGA four-ball match-play tournament.

Markley listened to Schreiner’s suggestions on everything from putting lines to the tee-off lineup with considerations for par-3s, and it all worked out.

They combined to win the tournament for Lookout Mountain Golf and Country Club by a score of 3 and 1 over Matt Mathis and Thomas Smith at Council Fire Golf Club on Sunday at Council Fire.

“I’m kind of surprised that we could make it through everybody to make it here,” Markley said. “We played a lot of good players on the way here.”

Smith definitely needs to be in in that group of victims. Schreiner and Markley defeated Derek Rende and Mike Craig 3-and-2 in the morning semifinals while Mathis and Smith defeated Brian Kopet and Chuck Jabaley to reach the finals.

Smith, a former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga golfer shot 32 on the front nine and led his team to a 1-up lead through nine holes.

Markley birdied No. 10 for a win there and the Schreiner/Markley team took advantage of two water shots on No. 13 to go up by one. Markley sank a putt of about 25 feet on No. 15 to put his team 2-up.

A long concession on No. 17 made the final score 3-and-1.

“It was like they had a 2-on-1 fast-break for most of the day,” said Mathis, who has a CDGA tour victory to his credit. “Thomas carried us through the first nine, and then we couldn’t make the putts that they did.”

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