On Sept. 14, the LCHS Cougars Golf Team hosted the 2024 Cougar Golf Classic at Rolling Hills Golf Course. There were 16 teams with 92 total participants in the event. It was indeed an amazing day to be a Cougar.
The Cougars won their first championship as a team with a score of 304, including beating Bowling Green by 12 strokes.
Not only did they win the team event, but they also had to top two finishers in the tournament. Riley Shepherd and Karson Rodgers both shot a one-over-par 73 to lead the field, so they had to play a playoff to see who the individual champion would be. Both went back to the tee box on hole 18, and it only took one playoff hole for a winner to be declared as Shepherd parred the hole and Rodgers got a bogey.
All members of the entire team were in the field with everyone putting up solid scores. The scores for the Cougars were as follows Riley Shepherd 73 (1st), Karson Rodgers 73(2nd), Davis Switzer 79 and Hunter Holloway 79 each (T10), Zach Krohn 86 (T36), Philip Thompson 89 (T48), Jackson Williams 91 (57th), Mason Hancock 94 (64th), Jaxon Tichenor 96 (T67), Tripp Wadlington 101 (T77) and Kooper Burchett 104 (T81).
Coach Will Rosser has been building the Cougar Golf program for a number of years, and his hard work along with that of his players appears to be paying off.
First BGIT a success
The previous Saturday, the LCHS golf team participated in the BGIT at Bowling Green Country Club. This was year 50 of the BGIT, one of the longest running tournaments in the state, which hosts the best teams in the state year in and year out. This year was not different with teams from all over Kentucky, including 2-time defending state Champion Madison Central, Louisville St Xavier, Trinity, Covington Catholic and several other top teams.
The Cougars wasted no time making an impact in their first appearance in this event, finishing eighth out of 20 schools with a score of 327. The Cougars were paced by Riley Shepherd's 79 (T29), Davis Switzer 81 (T36), Hunter Holloway 83 (T42), Karson Rodgers 84 (T46) and Jackson Williams 100 (T96).
Holloway lead Class 2A scores
Saturday, Aug. 31, the LCHS Golf team traveled west to Eddyville to compete in the Region 1-4 Semi-State Preview Tournament held at The Cullan at Mineral Mound State Park Golf Course. The Cougars once again put on a great showing against some of the best golf teams in the state on a golf course that played extremely tough.
The Cougars battled all day and put up another solid tournament score with a 322. This was good enough to place seventh out of 19 teams. The Cougars were led in scoring by Senior Hunter Holloway's 78, Sophomore Davis Switzer's 79, Junior Riley Shepherds 81, Junior Karson Rodgers' 84 and Junior Jaxon Tichenor's 92.
Cougars edge F-S by a stroke
On Thursday, Aug. 29, the LCHS golf team had a match against Franklin Simpson at Rolling Hill Golf Course. The boys got a bit of revenge against the Wildcats, who had defeated the Cougars the week before in Franklin. The Cougars came away with a win this time by the slim margin of 161-162.
Davis Switzer was on fire on this hot day when he shot a -1 (35) to take medalist honors. He was followed in scoring by Riley Shepherd who fired a 39, Karson Rodgers 42, Hunter Holloway 45 and Jaxon Tichenor 48.
The rest of the team played and had solid rounds led by Philip Thompson 42, Zach Krohn 44, Jackson Williams 45, Mason Hancock 45, Tripp Wadlington 49 and Kooper Burchett 55.
Switzer fires hole-in-one
On Saturday, Aug. 24, the LCHS Golf team traveled to Franklin for the Wildcat Shootout at Franklin Country Club. The varsity team finished fifth in the tournament with a few fireworks on the way to this strong finish. Davis Switzer hit a hole-in-one on hole 11. Davis became the third LCHS golfer to hit a hole in one in a tournament in the past three years. They were Karson Rodgers last year in the 2A State qualifier at Park Mammoth and Emma Fitzgerald two years ago in the first round of the girls State tournament at Owensboro Country Club.
Cougars sectional runner-up
On Aug. 5, the boys traveled to Park Mammoth to participate in the Kentucky 2A Section 2 Qualifier. The team finished as runner up in the tournament to Allen County-Scottsville after shooting a 318, which was believed to be the lowest tournament score in school history at that time. The team was paced by Davis Switzer and Hunter Holloway, who both shot 78, followed by Riley Shepherd's 80, Karson Rodgers 82 and Philip Thompson's 106.
Regional next week
The season is almost over with a match against Todd Central Thursday at Rolling Hills and then the Regional Golf Tournament at Indian Hills Country Club in Bowling Green Monday.