One golfer can make a big difference.
The Dalton Lady Catamounts were runners-up in the Georgia Class AAAAA state tournament to lead about 15 area northwest Georgia teams competing Monday.
"We ran into a buzz-saw and finished second because Warren County had a young lady who shot a 70, and that's the difference," Dalton coach Mike Duffy said. "They were just better. We'll get there if we keep knocking on the door.
"I hope it was a valuable experience, and I'm excited about the future of girls' golf at Dalton."
Other area teams came up a few strokes short.
The LaFayette Ramblers shot a third-place 315 with freshman Gage Smith shooting a 5-over 77.
"The positive look is that we were the lowest public school at this tournament," LaFayette coach Tom Langford said. "I always tell my boys that you have to get to 300 to get in the conversation. That's about all we can get out of that course."
All five Ramblers with counting scores will return for next season.
"This goes a long way for the guys to understand what it's like to play at state," Langford said. "We played in the premier group with Marist, St. Pius and Woodward Academy, and it's good to rub elbows with those guys to see what it takes to play at that level."
Gordon Lee tied for ninth with a 300 in the Class AA boys' event. The Lady Trojans placed 14th across town.
Justin Hickman placed fifth at 1-over 73 after getting to 5 over but making birdies on four of his final five holes.
"He showed some guts out there," coach Charlie Wiggins said. "Without a bad break, he would have been 1 under early and right in the mix for medalist."
Heritage junior Ben Rebne placed sixth individually on a disappointing day for the Generals, who placed outside of the top 10 in Class AAAA.
"I feel like this was our worst tournament of the season," Rebne said. "Nobody played close to where they wanted to. There were lots of bad shots and lots of bad thoughts. I'm not satisfied with my round."
Many results from the 18 state tourneys played in the greater Augusta region were not available at press time.
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or at 423075-6484. Follow him on twitter at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.