RISING FAWN, Ga. - Teenagers aren't often speechless, but they were when playing the 18th hole at McLemore the past two days.
High school golfers enjoyed the breathtaking view on the Lookout Mountain course as they played on the cliff-edge finishing hole that has its green on the edge of the brow. The redesigned hole finished in 2019 by Rees Jones and Bill Bergin is regarded as the best 18th hole in all of golf, according to Golf Digest.
"It was an honor to play here," McCallie senior Bennett McNabb said after placing second overall in the Matt Cunningham Preview. "The sights were amazing, especially the sixth hole and the view on 18. That was incredible. This is a great and challenging course."
The speed of the greens and breaks were tough at McLemore, which also requires great striking ability as the course is very long at 7,005 yards. McNabb was able to execute with his putter and longer clubs, making him the most consistent golfer in the field. He shot 3-over-par 74 each day in the talent-filled tournament.
The Blue Tornado standout continued his momentum from a strong four-day showing at last week's Tennessee state amateur in which he shot 78, 69, 71 and 74 at Hillwood Country Club in Nashville to tie for 41st in the 105th annual event.
McNabb birdied No. 12 on Tuesday as he hit the 570-yard par-5 green in two strokes.
"To finish second in this field feels really good. I have worked my butt off," said McNabb, who consistently hit fairways. "I feel like I am on the way up to a peak and getting better. I have improved in my game a lot and I am really excited about this season."
Signal Mountain's Beck Lewis was named to the all-tournament team as he followed up a 73 with a 76. The Eagles, however, dropped their first match since 2018 when a resilient comeback attempt fell just short.
A week after losing by 28 strokes to Signal Mountain, Christian Academy of Knoxville landed a statement victory, winning the silver cup with a two-day team score of 608.
CAK's Kaleb Wilson was impressive in closing with a 66, while Signal's Carson Johnson and McCallie's Carter Sayman shoot the second-lowest totals with 71s on Tuesday. Wilson was also the tournament's medalist, finishing a stroke better than McNabb with a 147.
Signal Mountain improved its stroke total by 17 in a day's time, finishing with a 298 on Tuesday as Peyton Ogle posted an impressive 72 finale.
"I am super proud of the way our guys fought back," Signal Mountain coach Rodney Mitchell said. "We were in sixth place after yesterday's first round, and we gave ourselves a chance to win today. CAK is a great team, and they have three straight state titles for a reason. There was a lot of good golf played on a tough and beautiful course."
Baylor finished in third place with a team score of 616. Sheldon McKnight and David Schneider-Jerez each shot an impressive round of 72 in alternating fashion. Brett Cooper was also solid for the Red Raiders as he finished in the top 10 with a 153 stroke total.
McCallie junior Sam Levine started the final round of 18 strong with an eagle putt to begin the shotgun start on a scenic par-5 No. 6 that features a 100-foot drop-off to a green sandwiched between two bunkers. Levine finished sixth overall in the tournament (75-77) and ended his afternoon with a beautiful iron shot just within a couple feet of the pin.
The Blue Tornado's stroke total of 622 placed fourth in the seven-team tournament, which included a pair of Ensworth B and C teams along with Montgomery Bell Academy.
"We are going to get even stronger," McNabb said. "We still have a few more key players who haven't gotten back to school yet. This was a good experience for some of our younger guys to play this course. We will all get better with more practice and time."
LFO softball team opens with shutout win
Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe opened play in Region 6-AAA with a 6-0 win over newcomer LaFayette as Haley Stahl pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout with seven strikeouts and also drove in the game's first run. Britni Newbille was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Breonn Newbille and Auna Rolfe added RBIs for the Lady Warriors (2-1, 1-0).
Ringgold 8, Adairsville 0: The reigning Class AAA champion won its 6-AAA opener after losing a pair of games against Heritage. Taylor Layne pitched each of the five innings, allowing two hits, while Baliegh Pitts drove in three runs on a pair of hits. Alyissa Sue and Maddy Bacon added two hits each, while Amber Gainer drove in two runs.
Coahulla Creek 11, Murray County 0: Sophia Voyles pitched a five-inning no-hitter with 12 strikeouts and added a pair of RBIs. McKinley Staten and Tatum Poe led a 12-hit attack with three hits each for the 3-0 Lady Colts (3-0, 1-0 6-AAA).
Calhoun 4, Sonoraville 0: The Lady Yellow Jackets opened their season against intracounty and former region rival Sonoraville as Maddie McBrayer pitched a three-hit, seven-strikeout shutout. University of Georgia-committed Lyndi-Rae Davis had two hits and a pair of RBIs, with Grace Crocker and Kayleigh Warren adding an RBI each.
Chattooga 16, Southeast Whitfield 2: Katie Williams had three hits, Emma White drove in four runs and Emma Howard struck out five in four innings of work for the 2-0 Lady Indians.
Lindsey Young contributed to this story.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.