By ROY HESS | Staff Writer
Hanna’s Santiago Garcia shot an even-par 71 Monday during the opening round of the Region IV-6A boys golf tournament at San Antonio’s Republic Golf Club.
Garcia’s score keeps him within striking distance of the lead, although he is tied for ninth place. The top three finishers after today’s final round advance to the UIL Class 6A state tournament in May at Georgetown.
The individual co-leaders after Monday’s round were San Antonio Johnson teammates Johnny Keefer and Garrett Martin. Both came in with 4-under-par 67s at the end of the first 18 holes.
Third place belonged to Austin Westlake‘s Matthew Denton with a 68, while three players were tied for fourth place at 69. They are Austin Westlake teammates J. Holland Humphries and Jackson Davenport along with Austin Lake Travis‘ Trey Bosco.
Two players are tied at 70 and three players, including Garcia, are tied at 71.
Garcia, a four-time District 32-6A individual champion, is seeking his first trip to the state tournament. The senior standout signed a full-ride scholarship last week to play golf next school year at Texas A&M International University in Laredo.
Meanwhile, in Monday’s team competition at the Region IV-6A tournament, Austin Westlake, with its top four players coming in at 68, 69, 69 and 70, took the first-round lead at 276. San Antonio Johnson was second, seven strokes off the pace, at 283.
Austin Vandegrift was third at 292, San Antonio Reagan fourth at 299 and Smithson Valley fifth at 305.
Harlingen High was the top Valley school in the team standings in sixth place at 308. McAllen Memorial was 10th at 322, followed by Edinburg North (13th, 333), McAllen High (14th, 337), Hanna (15th, 347) and PSJA North (16th, 367).
The Region IV-5A tournament for boys is also being played at the same time at The Golf Club of Texas, which is also in San Antonio. Brownsville Veterans Memorial teammates Daniel Yznaga and Skye Schweitzer are playing in the
Region IV-5A tournament as individual qualifiers.
The Region IV-6A/5A tournaments for girls are scheduled Wednesday and Thursday in San Antonio at the same courses where the boys are competing.