Mustangs' Lillard tied for second heading into final round of state

Dylan Lillard hits from the 6th fairway during the first round of the Tennessee Junior Amateur tournament Tuesday, July 7, 2015, at Cleveland Golf and Country Club in Cleveland, Tenn.
Dylan Lillard hits from the 6th fairway during the first round of the Tennessee Junior Amateur tournament Tuesday, July 7, 2015, at Cleveland Golf and Country Club in Cleveland, Tenn.

Walker Valley senior Dylan Lillard is better at real golf than he is at playing the Rory McIlroy PGA Tour video game.

Lillard shot a 3-under-par 69 in the opening round of the TSSAA Class AAA state tournament Tuesday at Willowbrook Golf Course in Manchester, then relaxed by playing the video game in a hotel room with his teammates.

photo Dylan Lillard

"I'm not winning at that," he said in a phone interview. "I wish I was."

Lillard, who will play for Lee University next year, is tied for second place and three strokes off the lead held by Sevier County's Spencer Cross.

Lillard's performance helped the Mustangs shoot a 20-over 308, which has them alone in fourth place. Farragut leads after shooting a 5-over 293 on Tuesday in wet conditions that became dangerous, resulting in a delay of about two hours.

"It didn't rain that hard, and the ground was pretty dry," Walker Valley coach Bob Williams said. "But there was lightning in the area, so we hit the evacuation areas."

Lillard's round began with a bogey on No. 1 after a conservative tee shot. He had another bogey on No. 9 with two birdies in between, which left him at even par as he made the turn. Then he proceeded to score three birdies on the tighter back nine holes.

"I hit my tee shots pretty well all day," Lillard said. "I kept it in play off the tee, and then after a good tee shot, you have a wedge in."

Also for Walker Valley, Parker Gray shot a 77, Cade Puryear shot an 80 and Nick McCracken had an 82.

Cleveland sophomore Rheagan Hall, one of four Chattanooga-area girls playing as individuals, shot a 4-over 76 for a ninth-place tie, five shots off the pace set by Aubree Jones of Brighton.

Walker Valley's Katie Medley is tied for 11th at 77, Soddy-Daisy's Jayla Sims is tied for 16th at 79 and Bradley Central's Olivia Willis is tied for 24th.

Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com and follow him at Twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.

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